SILVER CITY, N.M. – Down 30-16 with 2:04 left, the West Texas A&M football team scored 14 points in a matter of 1:28 to tie the game and then scored a touchdown in overtime, while getting an interception to seal the win in a thrilling 37-30 victory at Western New Mexico Saturday afternoon. With the win, WT ended the regular season at 6-5 and 5-4 in Lone Star Conference play, while WNMU fell to 3-8 and 3-6 in league play.
Junior quarterback Ethan Brinkley, who played the entire second half and overtime, got a big completion to junior JaQuarius Daniels for 19 yards and found senior Devon Paye out of the backfield for 33 yards to the WNMU 30 as the Buffs began the comeback. Paye again came up huge with another catch for 25 yards to the WNMU five and the duo hooked up for a two-yard touchdown strike and a 30-23 deficit with 42 seconds left.
Senior kicker Conner Hollabaugh placed a perfect onside kick as it was recovered by the Buffs at the WT 46. Brinkley hit junior wide receiver Junior Pome'e for 13 yards and found senior Chris Gilchrist for 41-yard touchdown pass with 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
WNMU settled for overtime as it marked the first overtime game for WT since a 23-17 loss to Texas A&M-Kingsville on Sept. 27, 2009. In the extra period, WNMU won the toss and chose defense. Gilchrist again came up huge with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Brinkley for a 37-30 lead. It marked the first WT lead since halftime at 16-13.
The Mustangs were flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushing them back to the 40. After gaining a first down, a big illegal block stymied an eight-yard gain which would have put WNMU with a third and short at the 22. Instead, it moved back to the 45. On a 3rd and 14 at the 34, Javia Hall was sacked by junior Daelin Young for a four-yard loss and a false start penalty moved WNMU back to the 38. From there, on 4th and 23, Hall's pass was intercepted by sophomore Chazz Slatinsky to end the game and seal the 12th consecutive winning season for the Buffs.
For the game, the Buffs had 16 first downs with 38 yards rushing on 19 carries, but threw for 310 yards which was the most since throwing for 476 against Texas A&M-Kingsville on Oct. 8. WT was 25 of 46 passing with no interceptions and four passing touchdowns as WT tallied 348 yards for the game on 65 plays.
Paye had 63 yards rushing on 12 carries, but recorded five catches for 64 yards and a score. Gilchrist had a career-best eight catches for 109 yards and two scores to lead the team. Brinkley was 14 of 26 for 208 yards and three scores, while sophomore Ben Arbuckle, who started the game, went 11 of 20 for 102 yards and a score.
Defensively Young and junior Carter James each had nine tackles to lead the tea as Young had two sacks for 14 yards and 3.5 tackles for loss for 20 yards as the Buffs tallied two sacks in the game and six tackles for loss, along with four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two interceptions. Senior Davontae Merrieweather had a pick-six and Slatinksky came up with the pick to seal the win.
WNMU had 26 first downs with 251 yards rushing, 192 passing and 443 total yards on 96 plays. The Mustangs were 21 of 41 with two interceptions and had three turnovers in the game. Quarterback Javia Hall went 20 of 42 with two interceptions for 195 yards and two scores as he also rushed for 59 yards on 17 carries. LSC leading receiver Xavier Ayers had seven catches for 75 yards. Henry Norman had four catches for 63 yards and two scores.
The Buffs show no ill effects from the last two games early on Saturday as Merriweather picked off Hall on a 3rd and nine from the WNMU 26 on the first series of the game and returned it for a touchdown and a 7-0 WT lead. It was Merriweather's second interception of the season and the first for the Buffs since the Oklahoma Panhandle State game (Oct. 15). It also marked his second pick-six of his career dating back to last season at the LSC Football Festival and his fifth overall interception of his career.
WNMU moved down to the WT 22 as it converted a 4th and one on the drive, but Tyler Vargas missed a 39-yard field goal. The Buffalo offense took over at their own 22 as Paye rushed for 14 yards on third and six, while Arbuckle completed a pass to Gilchrist for 10 yards to the 50. From there, Arbuckle found Paye for seven yards and then Arbuckle hooked up with a streaking junior Eppy Henriques for a 43-yard touchdown pass and a 13-0 lead as the two-point conversion failed with 8:51 left in the first quarter. The Buffs went seven plays for 78 yards in 1:36 for the score.
The Mustangs needed just 4:52 to erase the WT lead as WNMU went to the ground game for 60 yards of a 75-yard drive on the ensuing drive. DeAndre Williams had four rushes on the drive for 55 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown run for a 13-7 lead.
WT went three-and-out on its next drive as it was backed up on a sack inside its own 10. Junior John Cummings got a good 42-yard punt off, but WNMU began its next drive in WT territory. From there, Williams rushed for 13 yards and Hall found Norman for a 30-yard strike and a 14-13 lead with 3:59 left in the first.
Following an eventful first quarter, the second saw both teams with a number of punts as both defenses' stepped up. Late in the quarter, Hall completed a pass to Williams, but James forced the fumble and sophomore L.A. Dawson recovered with 1:11 left in the half at the WNMU 36.
The Buffs went to junior quarterback Ethan Brinkley on the drive for his first action since the Texas A&M-Kingsville game (Oct. 8). After three incomplete passes, senior kicker Conner Hollabaugh kicked a 48-yard field goal for a 16-14 lead with 25 seconds left in the half. It was Hollabaugh's first made field goal since Tarleton State (Sept. 24). He finished the regular season 7 of 12 in field goals as the 48-yarder was his longest of the season.
For the half, WT had just six first downs in the game with 19 yards rushing and 107 passing. Arbuckle was 11 of 20 for 102 yards and a score, while Brinkley was 1 of 3 for five yards. Paye had seven carries for 30 yards. Henriques had two catches for 50 yards and a score.
WNMU had 11 first downs in the half with 166 yards rushing and 76 passing as Williams ran 14 times for 91 yards and a score, while Hall was 9 of 19 for 76 yards, one interception and a score. Norman had the receiving touchdown for the Mustangs with two catches for 45 yards.
The Mustangs opened the second half with an onside kick as the Mustangs recovered at the WT 50. WT got out of the onside kick unscathed as WNMU had to punt. Brinkley came out under center as the Buffs gained one first down on their initial drive of the second half, but were forced to punt.
Midway through the third, WNMU took over at its own 30 and marched down the field as Hall found Ayers, who had been held in check for the most part to that point, for a 40-yard reception to the WT one. Williams walked in for a 20-16 lead as Hall's pass failed on the two-point conversion with 4:42 left in the quarter.
Brinkley found Daniels for 15 yards and Paye scampered for 28 as WT moved into WNMU territory after the score from the Mustangs. Hollabaugh tried to match his earlier field goal of 48 yards and missed wide right with 2:24 left in the quarter.
The Mustangs methodically moved down the field on their ensuing possession as Hall found Norman for his second score of the game with 12:21 left in the game for a 27-16 lead as WNMU outscored WT 27-3 since the first quarter to that point.
Follow a WT punt, WNMU used the clock for 7:41 on an 18-play drive for the longest drive against WT in terms of plays and time this season using 8:21 on the clock as Vargas hit a 27-yarder for a 30-16 score with 2:04 remaining.
If this is the final game of the season for the Buffs, ten seniors played in their final game in a WT uniform as the senior class includes; Rashawn DuPree, Merriweather, Gilcrhist, Paye, Tevin Creeks, Will Toliver, Hollabaugh, Alex Olson, Austin Carson and Kennedy Kodua. Best of luck to each of these seniors in their future endeavors.
