Game Notes in PDF Format

Tarleton State Game Notes

CANYON, Texas –  West Texas A&M football team makes its first road trip of the season this week as the Buffs travel to Tarleton State Saturday evening for a 7:05 p.m. kick in the annual Challenge Cup game.  The Buffs are 2-1 and 1-0 in Lone Star Conference play as is Tarleton State.
 
Fans can access live stats, audio/video streaming links and ticket information for the game at www.goubuffsgo.com on the football schedule page.  The game also will be broadcast on 98.7 Lonestar FM throughout the Texas Panhandle with Lucas Kinsey, Brice Sheets and Kent Johnson having the call of the game. 
 
OPENING DRIVE NOTES

• The West Texas A&M football team makes its first road trip of the year as it travels to Tarleton State for a Lone Star Conference matchup Saturday evening at 7:05 p.m.
• The Buffs are coming off a 17-6 win over UT Permian Basin Saturday, closing a three game home stand to begin the season, while Tarleton State won 30-24 at Angelo State last weekend.
• This is the first time WT has played in Stephenville since 2013 when Tarleton State battled back from a 27-3 deficit at halftime for a 31-27 victory upsetting the then-undefeated and No. 4-ranked Buffs.
• This is the first of three rivalry games for the Buffs this year as the Texans and Buffs play for the Challenge Cup, while the Buffs and Eastern New Mexico play for the Wagon Wheel and WT and Midwestern State compete in the Highway 287 Challenge.WT went 2-1 in the rivalry games last season with wins over Tarleton State and Midwestern State.
• WT won last season's meeting with Tarleton State 37-25 in the 2016 home-opener using two first quarter touchdowns and a 17-6 lead at halftime.TSU pulled within 31-25 with 5:04 left, but former Buff Devon Paye used a 40-yard run and score with 1:21 left to seal the 12-point win.
• The Buffs are off a to a 2-1 start this season and Tarleton State also is 2-1.Both teams are 1-0 in conference play as Tarleton State was picked fifth in the preseason LSC poll, while the Buffs were picked seventh.
• Tarleton State had two conference players of the week this week as EJ Speed and Sergio Sroka were honored by the league for their efforts last week in the win at Angelo State.
• Fans can access live stats and streaming links for the game at www.gobuffsgo.com on the football schedule page and the game will be broadcast on 98.7 Lonestar FM with Lucas Kinsey, Brice Sheets and Kent Johnson having the call.
• WT has not won in Stephenville since a 44-13 victory Oct. 1, 2011.This is just the second meeting there since 2011 as WT is 6-5 all-time in Stephenville.
• The Buffs lead the all-time series with Tarleton State 15-11 and have won the last two in the series, but the teams have split the last four meetings.The 2015 meeting was played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for the Lone Star Football Festival.
• The Buffs are looking to match last year's start with a win over the Texans (3-1).

 
INSIDE THE SERIES

• WT leads the all-time series 15-11 and has won the last two meetings in high-scoring affairs, 37-25 last season and 52-38 in 2015 in the LSC Football Festival.
• The Buffs have won 10 of the last 12 meetings in the series, but the teams have split the last four meetings.
• Tarleton State's two wins in the last four meetings are ironically the same score as TSU won 31-27 in 2013 using a 28-0 second half rally in the last meeting in Stephenville and won in Canyon in 2014 31-27.
• WT is 6-5 all-time in Stephenville and has gone 4-1 in its last five meetings there, but hasn't won since a 44-13 victory on Oct. 1, 2011.
• This will be just the second time playing in Stephenville since 2013.

 
 
MEET THE COACHES

• WT head coach Hunter Hughes is in his first season at the helm of the Buffs as he was hired from Colorado State-Pueblo on Dec. 13, 2016 as the 28th head coach in WT history.
• Hughes spent 10 years as Defensive Coordinator at CSUP where he guided the ThunderWolves to the program's first national championship in 2014 with a 13-0 shutout of Minnesota State.Hughes had a tremendous track record at CSUP as one of the top defensive units in the nation.
• He was named Footballscoop.com Division II Coordinator of the Year finalist in 2014 and his "D" led all of Division II in scoring defense (12.8 ppg) INT's (29), defensive touchdowns (7) and turnovers gained (43).
• Tarleton State head coach Todd Whitten is in his second year of his third stint at the helm of the Texans this season and eighth overall (1996, 2000-2004, 2016-pres).  He is 52-30 at Tarleton State and 77-58 overall in has 13th season as a head coach.  Whitten is 6-1 all-time against WT with his lone loss coming last season in Canyon.
• The Buffs and Texans tied with 5-4 records in conference play last season which was good for fifth in the league.

 
 
A WIN OVER TARLETON STATE WOULD . . .

• Give WT a 3-1 record matching last season's start and be the third 3-1 start for the Buffs since 2012
• Give head coach Hunter Hughes a 3-1 record in his first season at the helm of the Buffs
• Give WT a 1-0 record under Hughes on the road and a 2-0 mark in Lone Star Conference play marking the first 2-0 start in league play for the Buffs since 2013
• Give WT a 7-5 record in Stephenville and a 16-11 record overall against Tarleton State
• Be the third-straight win in the series for the Buffs
• Give WT a 8-2 record on Sept. 23 since 1946 and be the fifth-straight win on this date as the team is 1-1 on the road on the date
• Be the 111th LSC win in program history (110-101)

 
LOOKING AT TARLETON STATE

• The Texans enter with a 2-1 record and a 1-0 mark in LSC play after a 30-24 win last week at Angelo State in a game which TSU forced five turnovers and returned two fumbles for touchdowns, while recording just one offensive touchdown in the game.
• TSU had just 291 yards of offense in the game and allowed 545 yards to Angelo State, but the Texan "D" stood strong forcing the five miscues and capitalizing on them.
• Tarleton State'sEJ Speed and Sergio Sroka were named LSC Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week, respectively, this week.Speed forced and returned a fumble for a score when the game was deadlocked at 17 in the third quarter and then blocked a punt later in the game.Speed finished the game with eight tackles, three for loss, a forced fumble and recovery, along with a touchdown and a blocked punt.Sroka accounted for 12 points in the game, connecting on three field goals and three extra-points.
• For the season, TSU has three defensive touchdowns to lead the nation and leads the LSC in turnovers forced with eight, ranking 21st nationally.TSU is 11th in fumbles recovered with five, 12th in net punting (39.94) and leads the LSC in punt returns at 10.86 per return.
• Speed is eighth nationally and second in the LSC in tackles for loss per game at 2.5, while Daniel McCants ranks 29th nationally in combined kick returns with 241 yards and Basil Jackson ranks seventh nationally and first in the LSC in solo tackles per game at 7.7, while ranking third nationally in total tackles at 15.0 per contest.
• Quarteback Zed Woerner is 25-41-1 for 408 yards and five scores, while he ranks fifth nationally in passing yards per completion at 16.32.He ranks second in the LSC in passing efficiency (163.9), third in passing touchdowns (5), and leads the league in passing yards per attempt at 9.07 for 25th nationally.
• Running back Adam Berryman is third in the LSC in rushing touchdowns with three as he has rushed 34 times for 200 yards and is averaging 66.7 yards per game.Berryman is fifth in the LSC in total touchdowns.
• Del'Michael High leads the team with 111 catches for 222 yards and a score as he is averaging 74 yards per game and 20.18 yards per reception.High is 14th nationally in punt returns at 15.8 yards per return.He is sixth in the LSC in both receiving yards and receiving yards per game.
• Sroka is 4-5 in field goals this season ranking third in the league in field goal percentage (.800) and third in field goals per game (1.33).
• Punter Ron Reid leads the conference in punting at 43.0 yards per put ranking 10th nationally and the team has a 39.94 net punting average to lead the league and 12th nationally.
• Jackson leads the team with 45 tackles and 23 solo stops, while recording four tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks.Speed is secodn in tackles with 25 and has a team-high 7.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. Michael Knobloch and Andrew Blackshire have 24 and 23 tackles, respectively, while Knobloch has two tackles for loss and Blackshire has one.

BUFF NEWS AND NOTES

• The Buffs scored 10 points off UTPB turnovers en route to a 17-6 win Saturday.
• Sophomore Isaiah Barnett tallied two interceptions, which led to the 10 points as the Buffs held UTPB without a touchdown, marking the first time the Buffs held a team without a TD since a 72-0 victory over Central State (Ohio) in 2013.
• WT accounted for four sacks and nine tackles for loss in the game as Barnett led the team with eight tackles, six solo stops and three pass breakups.
• The Buffs have started slow this season, being outscored 20-3 in the first quarter and 34-18 in the first half, but have outscored the opposition 10-7 in the third and 26-10 in the fourth.
• WT ranks second nationally in fewest penalties with eight and second in fewest penalties per game at 2.67.The Buffs lead the nation in fewest penalty yards with 45 and a 15.00 per game average.
• The Buffs are seventh nationally in kickoff return defense, holding teams to a 13.75 average, while ranking 11th in rushing defense holding teams to just 75 yards on the ground per game.
• WT is allowing just 17 points per game, which is 28th nationally and third in the LSC, while forcing five interceptions to lead the league and ranking 12th nationally.
• The Buffs are 38th nationally in total defense, holding teams to just 312.7 yards per game ranking third in the LSC.
• WT is third in the league in turnover margin (0.67), turnovers gained (7) and turnovers lost (5).
• Despite the offense's struggles to score this season, when the team gets in the red zone it scores as the Buffs are 26th nationally in red zone offense at .909 ranking second in the LSC.
• In a stark contrast from previous seasons, the Buffs are 19th nationally and second in the LSC in time of possession at 33:28.ENMU leads the league at 37:42, while Tarleton State is third just behind the Buffs.
• Freshman kicker Alex Schrag leads the nation in field goals per game at 2.00 as he is 6-8 in field goals and 4-4 in extra-points.
• Barnett and sophomore Kevon Thomas lead the team with two interceptions each and are 13th nationally in interceptions per game at 0.7.
• Senior linebacker Daelin Young leads the LSC in sacks per game at 1.33 and is ninth nationally.Young is third in the LSC in solo tackles per game (6.3) ranking 29th nationally and 22nd nationally in tackles for loss at 2.0 per game which is good for fourth in the conference.
• Check out The Game Plan with Hunter Hughes each Friday as the voice of the Buffs, Lucas Kinsey, will talk with Hughes each week about the upcoming opponent and recap the previous week.The Game Plan with Hunter Hughes will be available on the football page at www.gobuffsgo.com each Friday.
• Senior offensive lineman Dillon Vaughan was nominated for the AFCA Good Works Team sponsored by Allstate.He also is a semifinalist for the prestigious National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Award.His brother, Dustin, was a NFF National Scholar-Athlete in 2013.
• Young was named a D2 Football Preseason All-America candidate as he led the team in tackles last season, earning second team all-conference honors.

• WT has seven home games this season, marking the most since 1989.The Buffs are 2-1 at home thus far with Eastern New Mexico visiting next weekend.