CANYON, Texas – The Wagon Wheel will reside in the Lone Star State for another year as the West Texas A&M defense forced five interceptions on Saturday night as they came home with a 44-24 victory over the rival Greyhounds of Eastern New Mexico in Lone Star Conference action in Portales, New Mexico.
 
Nick Gerber finished the night going 12-of-26 thru the air with 173 yards to go along with a team-high 73 yards rushing and a score. Noah Bogardus caught three passes for 69 yards while Brandon Blair and Isaiah Smallwood combined for 86 yards rushing and a TD.
 
Defensively, reigning LSC Player of the Week JT Cavender tallied six total tackles to go along with a forced fumble and a hurry while Tobias Harris picked off three passes with two of those being returned for a score to go along with five tackles. It marks the first time in the Hunter Hughes era that WT finished a game with five interceptions. It also marks the first time since the 2005 season that a Buffalo has intercepted three passes in a single game, Keon Gaither did it twice that season (at New Mexico Highlands, vs. East Central).
 
The Buffs marched down the field on their opening possession of the game as WT went 75 yards in nine plays capped off by a Blair two-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0. The Greyhounds answered on their first possession as they finished off a 10-play drive with a Nathan Valencia 10 yard rushing score to make it 7-7.
 
Cason Polivoda impressed in his first collegiate game as the Caprock High School product connected from 24 and 32 yards out to give WT the 13-7. Lead. ENMU answered with a field goal of their own before Gerber called his own number for a 39 yard TD run to extend the WT lead to 20-10.
 
The WT defense made their first of many big plays on the next Hounds drive as Harris picked off Valencia and returned it 25 yards for the touchdown to make it 27-10. Harris would give the Buffs the ball back just one offensive play later with another INT as WT took a 27-10 lead into the locker room.
 
The Buffs added to their lead on their first possession of the second half as they went 50 yards on six plays capped off by a Jordan Johnson one yard TD run to extend the lead to 34-10. Harris continued to make big plays as the junior from Pflugerville intercepted Valencia for the third time, returning it for his second score of the night, this time from 65 yards out to make it 41-10. 
 
Polivoda would tack onto the lead from 44 yards out with 7:34 left in the game to make it 44-10. The Hounds wouldn't go down without a fight as they scored a pair of touchdowns in the final five minutes of the contest but the Buffs came away with the 44-24 victory.
 
The Buffs return home next Saturday night as they host the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions at Buffalo Stadium with kickoff set for 6 p.m.