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Game Notes

CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M returns to Lone Star Conference play with a trip to Odessa, Texas to face UT Permian Basin on Saturday, Oct. 12. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Ratliff Stadium. 
 
LIVE COVERAGE
The UTPB Athletic Communications Department will provide live stats and webstream for the game. An audio stream will be provided by WT with Lucas Kinsey and Brice Sheets on the call. For more information, visit the Football Schedule Page at GoBuffsGo.com. 
 
FIVE KEY STORYLINES
The Buffs enter the week ranked 14th in the nation and second in the conference in scoring at 41.0 points per game. Under first year offensive coordinator Jake Brown, WT is averaging 362.8 yards per game and has scored a total of 27 offensive touchdowns, 19 of those coming on the ground. Seven different players have rushed for a touchdown including a team-high five from senior Jordan Johnson. 
 
Speaking about running the ball, Jarrod Compton ran for a career-high 117 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's Homecoming win making him the second Buff this season to rush for over 100 yards this season. The redshirt freshman joined Duke Carter IV in the 100-yard club as he is averaging a team-best 7.1 yards per carry. 
 
Juwan McCall has been Nick Gerber's top target over the past two games with 11 receptions for 235 yards and two touchdowns. The senior from Louisville, Ga. is the first Buff to record back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since 2014. He has also caught a touchdown pass in three consecutive games for the first time in his career. 
 
Through five games, Hayden Dennis has already set a career-high in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks. The San Antonio, Texas native has a team-high 56 tackles which is the fourth-most in the country. He has also recorded a team-high seven tackles for loss while recoding his first career sack against Central Washington.
 
The Buffs special team unit came up big for the Buffs on Saturday blocking their second punt of the season. Donevin Manuel found a whole in the CWU protection to block Patrick Hegarty's punt and return it for a touchdown. It was the sophomore's third career block and first career touchdown. WT is one of seven teams in DII to have blocked multiple punts this season. 
 
SCOUTING UT PERMIAN BASIN
UT Permian Basin is 2-3 on the season an 0-3 in LSC play after a 47-28 defeat to Western New Mexico in Sliver City, N.M. on Saturday. The Falcons have dropped three straight games since opening the season with wins over Wayland Baptist and Northern Michigan. 
 
Clayton Roberts is listed as the starter for UTPB heading into Saturday with Caleb Leake as the backup. Both quarterbacks saw playing time against WNMU with Roberts completing 7-of-13 passes for 63 yards while Leake passed for 115 yards and ran for 136 more. 
 
Gabe Nelson is the leading rusher for the Falcons with 226 yards on 46 attempts. The freshman has scored a team-high five touchdowns including multi-touchdown games against WBU and WNMU. Marquis Simmons has also carried the ball 45 times for the Falcons for 180 yards and two touchdowns. 
 
Kyle McBride ranks fourth in the conference in receiving yards (397) and yards per game (79.4). The senior registered a season-high 123 yards and a touchdown on six receptions against WBU. He also pulled in nine receptions against NMU. 
 
The defense is led by Chris Hoad, the preseason LSC Defensive Player of the Year. The senior linebacker leads the nation with 67 tackles to go along with 5.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. The Falcons havee 12 turnovers this season including a team-high two interceptions from Clifton Holmes. 
 
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
WT has won all three meetings against the Falcons by a combined 106-41. Last season at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium, the Buffs won 42-21 behind 143 yards and four touchdowns from Carter IV. 
 
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Compton had his best game of his short career on Saturday with 117 yards rushing yards and two touchdowns. The redshirt freshman is a second generation Buffalo as his father J.R. Compton starred for the Buffs from 1984-87. 
 
"Chili Dog" rushed for a combined 1,787 yards and 22 touchdowns combined during his junior and senior seasons where he played under Bill Kelly and with former Tulsa and Louisville head coach Steve Kragthorpe. 
 
THREE STRAIGHT FOR MCCALL
As mention earlier, McCall has been on fire for the Buffs including back-to-back 100 yard receiving games for the first time under third-year head coach Hunter Hughes. He is also the first Buff since Devon Paye in2016 to record at least one touchdown reception in three consecutive games. He is also the 10th player since 2011 to have two or more 100-yard receiving games in a season. 
 
YOU SHALL NOT PASS
The Buffs offensive have only allowed two sacks through first five games of the season, the third-lowest in the nation. Seven different players have started on the a game on an O-line that has not given up a sack in three games. They have also been a driving force for a run game that is averaging 178.8 yards per game. 
 
AFCA DIVISION II POLL
WT received votes in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) for the fifth straight week. Tarleton continued its stay at fourth while Texas A&M-Commerce moved up one spot to 20th. Angelo State fell out of the Top 25 but is receiving votes along with WT and Eastern New Mexico. 
 
THIS DAY IN BUFF HISTORY
The Buffs are 5-5 all-time in games played on Oct. 12 dating back to 1946. WT's five victories have come against Colorado College (1946), Trinity (1957), Idaho (1974), Abilene Christian (1984) and Wichita State (1985). 
 
A LOOK INSIDE THE NUMBERS
A win on Saturday on would make the Buffs 5-1 for the first time since 2013 and ninth time since 2005. 
 
Redshirt sophomore Nick Gerber enters the sixth game of his collegiate career with 920 passing yards and seven touchdowns while completing 57 percent of his passes. His seven touchdown passes are the most by a quarterback since 2016. 
 
J. Johnson is averaging a rushing touchdown every 4.8 times he touches the ball. All five of the seniors rushing touchdowns have come inside the redzone including a 18-yard run against CWU on Saturday. 
 
Tobias Harris has now recorded over 300 punt return yards for the second consecutive season. The Pflugerville, Texas native has 300 yards on 10 returns this season, leaving him 68 short of Curley Watters record set back in 1966. His 620 career punt return yards are 124 short of passing Watters fro the all-time mark. 
 
AROUND THE LSC
Tarleton and Texas A&M-Commerce remained undefeated in conference play with wins over Angelo State and Texas A&M-Kingsville. Eastern New Mexico picked up a 27-24 over Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, Texas. Frank Tristan picked up his first career victory as Western New Mexico knocked off UT Permian Basin at home.  
 
WT HEAD COACH HUNTER HUGHES
WT head coach Hunter Hughes is in his third season at the helm of West Texas A&M football. The 2011 FootballScoop.com Division II Coordinator of the Year enters the 2019 season 13-14 overall including a 6-5 record in 2018 where they defeated a nationally-ranked Central Washington team on a road. 
 
UP NEXT
WT return to the friendly confines of Buffalo Stadium on Oct. 19 to host Angelo State. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.