LIVE STATS
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GAME NOTES
CANYON, Texas - West Texas A&M returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 14, when Missouri Western makes their first trip to Canyon. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Buffalo Stadium.
A pay-per-view stream will be available on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network with Lucas Kinsey and Brice Sheets on the call.
FIVE KEY STORYLINES
WT pushed their home win streak at Buffalo Stadium to four games on Halloween with their 56-0 victory over North American. During the current streak, WT is outscoring opponents 182-58 including a pair of games with more than 50 points.
WT was not forced to punt the ball against NAU, something that hasn't happened since Sept. 24, 2011 against Incarnate Word. Sophomore punter
Aaron Coash was still busy with six kickoffs for 376 yards and two touchbacks.
Nick Gerber enters Saturday's contest 121 yards short of his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. The junior threw for 2,106 yards in 11 starts last year and has completed 72-of-117 passes this year for 879 yards and seven touchdowns. For his career, 18 of his 23 touchdowns have gone to wide receivers with now student assistant
Logan Vallo as the only running back to catch a touchdown in the season finale in 2019.
Brandon Blair likes to scores touchdown in Canyon. The redshirt junior recorded his second career multi-touchdown game against NAU, rushing for two scores in the first half. Eight of his 10 career rushing touchdowns have come at home including a three-touchdown performance in the final game at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium.
Defense is the best offense is something
Satchel Escalante has taken personal over the past two games. The junior transfer from Idaho recovered a fumble and returned it 27 yards against NAU, a week after his 87-yard interception return against Angelo State.
A LOOK AT MISSOURI WESTERN
Missouri Western enters Saturday's contest 0-2 following a 20-7 setback to Pittsburg State in their home opener on Nov. 7 at Spratt Memorial Stadium. The Griffons are led by fourth year head coach Matt Williamson, who led the team to a 9-3 record in 2019 including a win over Henderson State in the Agent Berry Live United Bowl.
Through two games, Missouri Western is averaging 189 yards of total offense, 144.5 of those coming through the air. Defensively, they are allowing 417.5 yards per contest including 222.5 through the air.
The offense is led by redshirt sophomore Anthony Vespo who has started both games for the Griffons. He has completed 33-of-58 passes for 280 yards with two interceptions. Brandon Hall has a team-high 12 carries for 49 yards with Jared Scott chipping in nine carries for 33 yards and a touchdown.
Cooper Burton has been Vespo's favorite target this season with the redshirt sophomore hauling in 12 passes for 109 yards including a season-long 26-yard reception against Central Arkansas in the season opener. Hall also as five receptions for 18 yards out of the backfield.
Evan Chohon has a team-high 21 tackles for the Griffons including 2.5 tackles for loss. He recorded 15 of those tackles on Saturday against PSU. Kobe Cummings has 14 tackles with Devan Burrell and Terrance March also in double figures.
BUFFS AGAINST THE MIAA
WT will face off against Missouri Western for the first time on Saturday but are no strangers to the Mid-American Athletic Conference (MIAA). The Buffs, who haven't faced a MIAA school since Central Missouri in 2011, are 20-16-2 against schools in the conference.
A LOOK BACK AT NORTH AMERICAN
The Buffs scored on their first eight drives of the game en route to a 56-0 victory over North American on Halloween night at Buffalo Stadium. It marked the second time this season that WT reached the 50-point plateau at home.
WT had 514 yards of total offense, 351 of those coming on the ground.
Seth Hogan ran 75 yards on 11 carries in his second career game in Maroon and White with
Christian Combs and
Prince Ugwu chipping in 69 each.
The defense held the Stallions to 10 first downs and 203 yards of total defense while forcing a pair of fumbles. Escalante had a team-high seven tackles including a 27-yard fumble recovery touchdown.
Tre'Von Mosley also had seven tackles to go along with a tackle for loss.
YOU SHALL NOT PASS
WT recorded a shutout for the first time since 2013 and fifth time in past decade in their 56-0 victory over North American. It marked the third time since 1979 that the Buffs scored over 50 points while holding their opponent scoreless.
GOING DEEP
Gerber has accomplished something in consecutive games that he did not do once in his previous 14 starts behind center for the Buffs, complete a touchdown pass of 60-yards or more.
The Levelland native got his first touchdown pass over 60 yards against Angelo State with a 61-yard completion to
Glen Mbaku in the second quarter. He followed that up with a 78-yard touchdown to
Chase Sojka on their second play of scrimmage against NAU.
CHASE IS ON THE CASE
Sojka had two receptions against North American, both of them touchdowns including a career-long 78 yarder on the second play from scrimmage for the Buffs. With that performance, he became just the second Buff under
Hunter Hughes to record multiple receiving touchdowns in a single game.
The senior wideout from Shreveport, La. enters the final three games of the season with a team-high 223 receiving yards and three scores. For his career, including two years at East Texas Baptist, Sojka has played in 35 games with 130 receptions for 1,836 yards and 14 touchdowns.
HOME, SWEET HOME
The Buffs have scored 30 or more points in their first three home games for the second consecutive season. They are outscoring the opponents by 38 points per game (49.3-11.3) this season.
WT has done most of the damage on the ground averaging close to 300 yards, 297.3 to be exact, and 12 touchdowns. They have also only allowed one passing touchdown through 180 minutes of action.
RUN THE SHOW
For the second time this season, WT ran for over 300 yards against an opponent with their 345-yard performance against NAU on Halloween night.
Hogan had a team-high 11 carries for 75 yards and his first touchdown as a Buff. Combs, a true freshman from Lubbock, also reached pay dirt in the third quarter on an 11-yard run.
Tate Collins and
Jake Cosper also recorded their first career carries in the victory.
SERGIO AND THE JETS
WT's all-time leading scorer and multi-time All-American
Sergio Castillo made both of field goals attempts for the New York Jets in their heartbreaking loss to the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football.
He is now 6-of-7 on field goal attempts including a perfect 2-of-2 from beyond 50 yards since being promoted from the Jets practice squad on Oct. 24 following an injury to Sam Ficken.
A FAMILIAR FACE RETURNS TO CANYON
The Griffons' defensive coordinator Justin Richter returns to Canyon for the first time since working with the tight ends during the 2015 season.
After leaving Canyon, Richter spent one season at the University of California-Berkeley before making the move to Missouri Western in 2017 as defensive backs coach. He was elevated to defensive coordinator in 2018.
THIS DAY IN BUFF HISTORY
WT is 3-6 all-time on Nov. 14 dating back to 1946 including wins over Texas A&M-Kingsville, Eastern New Mexico and Bowling Green.
In 2015, the Buffs defeated the Javelinas 51-45 in the Lone Star Conference Playoffs behind the 213-yard, three touchdown performance from
Geremy Alridge-Mitchell.
Jarrian Rhone also had a 95-yard kickoff return for the Buffs.
WT HEAD COACH HUNTER HUGHES
Hughes is in his fourth season as the head coach at WT and looks to build on the Buffs first eight-win season since 2013. He is 20-18 during his tenure in Canyon including a 10-14 record in conference play.
AROUND THE LONE STAR CONFERENCE
Angelo State is the only other school from the Lone Star Conference playing football this fall and pulled off a 34-21 upset of FCS Abilene Christian on Saturday in Abilene.
LIVE COVERAGE
Saturday's game will be broadcast on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network for $10. Lucas Kinsey and Brice Sheets will be in the booth with
Kent Johnson providing sideline coverage. For more information, visit the Football Schedule page at GoBuffsGo.com.
UP NEXT
The Buffs continue the four-game home stand on Saturday, Nov. 21, when they host Pittsburg State. Kickoff is scheduled for Noon.
