ODESSA, Texas  – The West Texas A&M football team weathered the elements, both storms and hot weather, downing UT Permian Basin 48-14 at Ratliff Stadium on Sunday.  With the win, WT improved to 2-1 on the year and 1-0 in Lone Star Conference play, while UTPB fell to 2-1 and 0-1 in league play.

The game was delayed for over two hours before it ever began Saturday evening as severe weather and a tornado warning prompted the delay.  Around 9 p.m. Saturday, school officials at both schools decided to play the game Sunday morning at 11 a.m.

WT tallied a season season-high 468 yards of offense in the game, including 361 through the air and 107 on the ground.  WT forced three interceptions in the game leading to a 14-7 lead in points off turnovers.  Senior Devon Paye had 93 yards rushing on 14 carries, while redshirt freshman Trent Canion had nine yards rushing and his first career touchdown.  Junior Ethan Brinkley went 34 of 50 passing for a season-high 356 yards and threw two touchdowns, while sophomore Ben Arbuckle saw his first action in three years going 1 for 2 for five yards and his first career touchdown pass.  Senior Jaquarius Daniels caught a team-high nine balls for 69 yards and a score to lead nine different Buffs with at least two receptions and ten total players had a catch. 

UTPB, playing in its third football game in program history, tallied 117 yards rushing and 145 yards passing as the team was 16 of 37 through the air with three interceptions and one touchdown.  The Falcons had 262 yards of total offense in the game.  Brandon Infiesto lead the way with 60 yards rushing on 12 carries, while Bushland freshman Kameron Mathis was 8 of 25 passing for 74 yards and two interceptions.  Kristan Brown had a team-high six catches for 58 yards.

Defensively, the Buffs were all over the field, recording four sacks for 24 yards and a 13 tackles for loss for 47 yards – both season-highs.  The three interceptions matched last week's total at Colorado State-Pueblo.  LSC reigning Defensive Player of the Week Davontae Merriweather led the team with seven tackles, including five solo stops and two tackles for loss for seven yards. 

Senior kicker Conner Hollabaugh went 2 for 3 in field goals in the game and 6 of 6 in extra-points as he moved into 10^th all-time in career scoring at WT with 193 points.  He needed just 11 points entering the game he surpassed Charles Wright (1947-50) with 192 points. 

The Buffs took the ball right down the field with a nice blend of short passes and a great run by Paye getting the Buffs to the UTPB 30.  A holding penalty and a sack pushed the Buffs back to the UTPB 45 for a 2^nd and 29.  On a 3^rd and 21, junior Ethan Brinkley found Daniels for 12 yards setting up a 42-yard field goal from senior Conner Hollabaugh and a 3-0 WT lead with 10:56 left in the first quarter.

After a great run by Paye, Brinkley went up top, but freshman Jeremy Garcia couldn't come up with the catch.  On the next play, Paye fumbled and Christian Weaver picked up the fumble returning it 32 yards for a score and a 7-3 UTPB lead.  WT came right back marching down the field for a nine play, 67-yard drive capped with an 18-yard catch from junior Eppy Henriques from Brinkley and a 10-7 WT lead with 5:35 left in the quarter.  It was Henriques' second touchdown reception of the season. 

Following a UTPB punt, the Buffs took over at their own 32 with 3:30 left in the first.  WT started the game converting three of its first four third downs and passed for 113 yards, while rushing for 32.  On the last play of the first quarter, WT senior Junior Pomee caught his first pass as a Buff for 20 yards moving WT to its own 40-yard line.  A Brinkley rush for six and a Paye scamper for 17 set the Buffs up with two more nice catches for Pomee putting the Buffs at the UTPB 18 early in the second quarter. 

Canion scored his first career touchdown with a six-yard run and a 17-7 WT lead with 11:27 left in the first half.  The drive consumed nine plays and 80 yards using 3:51 off the clock.

The Buffs had nine first downs in the quarter, along with 68 rush yards, 134 passing yards as Brinkley was 11 of 17.  WT had 26 plays for 168 yards.  UTPB had six first downs with 34 rushing yards, four passing yards on 1 of 7 and 16 plays for 72 yards.

A 3^rd-and-10 conversion by UTPB on its next drive, marked just the second pass completed by Mathis to that point putting the ball at Falcon 40.  On the drive, UTPB had a 4^th and 7 from the WT 39, but Mathis decided to pooch-punt it to the WT eight with 8:55 left in the half.  UTPB punted each of its five possession to that point.

A big sack from junior Daelin Young set UTPB up with a 3^rd and 30 from its own 15.  Mathis' pass was intercepted by senior Rashawn DuPree who returned it inside the five, but an illegal block in the back penalty was called followed by holding penalty as WT started at the UTPB 45.  It was DuPree's second interception of the season.  The Buffs got back to the 31, but had a 4^th and seven.  A delay of game penalty pushed the ball back to the 36 for a 53-yard try from Hollabaugh as he missed wide right. 

In a game WT has completely dominated to that point, penalties (7 for 66 yards) in the second quarter alone have really hindered the Buffs.  WT had nine penalties for 91 yards to this point after committing just eight penalties in the first two games combined.  WT had just three penalties in the second half for 12 miscues for 124 yards for the game.

With 1:13 remaining in the half, the Buffs marched down the field and a nice 19 yard pass to Andrews put the Buffs at the 13 and he then caught a seven-yarder to the six with eight seconds left in the quarter.  Out of a timeout, Brinkley threw the fade route to the corner of the end zone for a touchdown and a 24-7 WT lead with four seconds left in the half.

For the half, WT tallied a season-high 335 yards of offense on 249 passing yards and 86 rushing yards.  Brinkley was 23 of 33 for 249 with two touchdowns, while Paye had 10 carries for 72 yards and a score.  WT tallied 18 first downs and was 3 of 7 on third down in the half, while going 3 of 3 in the red zone. 

UTPB tallied nine first downs, 46 passing yards and 62 rushing yards as Mathis was 5 of 19 for 46 yards and an interception.  Infiesto had 10 carries for 55 yards to lead the team.  UTPB was 4 of 10 on third down.  Mathis entered the game ranked 19^th nationally in completions per game (23.5) and 22^nd in passing touchdowns (5), while leading the LSC in passing yards (531). 

UTPB had a good drive going getting to the WT 20, but the Buff "D" stood tall forcing a 4^th and long after a penalty and then came up with a stop on the fake field goal as WT took over at the WT 23 with 11:35 left in the third. 

Andrews caught a leaping catch for a first down on a 3^rd and 19 from the WT 15 for a 28-yard catch.  A steady diet of passes moved the Buffs down the field to the UTPB 22.  Hollabaugh came on for a 38-yard field goal attempt and a 27-7 lead with 6:44 left in the quarter.

Following a late hit out-of-bounds by the Buffs on a third and long, Mathis threw his second interception of the game as freshman Noah Sweitzer picked off the pass at the UTPB 43 and returned it 35 yards to the Falcon eight.  After a run by Paye, Brinkley scored his second rushing touchdown of the season for a 34-7 lead with 4:52 left in the third quarter.

WT went for it deep in UTPB territory early in the fourth quarter as Brinkley and freshman Nathan Rodgers couldn't hook up.  Following a UTPB punt, sophomore return man P.J. Leonce returned the punt 69 yards for a score, marking the first punt return for a touchdown since Jarrian Rhone returned one 65 yards last season against Angelo State as WT built a 41-7 lead over the Falcons. 

Backup quarterback Caden Coots' pass was intercepted by redshirt freshman Seth Burge and retuned for 15 yards to the Falcon eight.  From there, Arbuckle found Rodgers in the end zone for the score and 48-7 lead. 

UTPB had a long drive converting on two third downs and one fourth down as Coots found Terell Davidson in the back of the end zone for a touchdown with 44 seconds left and a 48-14 seconds. 

The Buffs head home for their first home game of the season next Saturday at 6 p.m. against Tarleton State (1-2, 1-0 LSC) at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium.