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Oct. 10, 2009

Final Stats

CANYON, Texas – A bitterly cold, windy, wet night did nothing to dampen West Texas A&M’s homecoming festivities, as the Buffaloes defeated Eastern New Mexico, 34-24, Saturday night at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium in Canyon, Texas.

The win is the Buffaloes’ fifth-consecutive win over the Greyhounds in the Wagon Wheel Series. The win lifts WTAMU to 2-5 overall, 1-2 LSC South play, while ENMU falls to 2-5 overall, 0-3 LSC South.

With the temperature hovering at 33 degrees, a wind chill of 22 and a steady mist turning to rain, WT quarterback Taylor Harris passed for 371 yards and three TDs, while running back Keithon Flemming made his first appearance of the season, gaining 101 all-purpose yards and two TDs to lift the Buffs to their second win of the season.

West Texas A&M’s defense allowed ENMU just 331 yards in total offense, almost 250 yards below their season average.

“Our defense really helped our offense tonight,” said WT head coach Don Carthel. “They kept pressure on Eastern’s quarterback and had good coverage downfield. That’s how you slow down an offense like they have.

“Offensively, I thought Taylor (Harris) did an exceptional job of finding the open receiver and protecting the football. And, it was a big lift to have Keithon (Flemming) back in the lineup for us. You could really see the team respond to his presence.”

The Buffs wasted little time in putting points on the board.

Freshman Aarhon Flores returned the opening kickoff 35 yards to the WT 41. From there, the Buffalo offense marched 59 yards in seven plays, with Flemming rushing for his first touchdown of the season on a 1-yard run up the middle, putting the Buffs ahead, 7-0, just 3:39 into the contest. Flemming was making his first appearance of the season, having been sidelined to this point by a dislocated elbow suffered in preseason.

ENMU tied the score with 3:36 remaining in the first quarter on a Terrence Griffin 2-yard run. The Greyhounds got a break late in the first quarter when they blocked a Tim Cowdrey punt, recovering the loose ball at the WT 27 yard line.

The quarter concluded with ENMU QB J.J. Harp running to the WT three yard line. Two plays into the second quarter, the Greyhounds took the lead on a Taylor Cannon 21-yard field goal.

The Buffs retaliated quickly. On second-and-10 from thief own 35 yard line, Harris connected with WR Brittan Golden for a 65-yard TD strike. Golden caught the ball in stride at the 20 and raced into the endzone, putting the Buffs ahead, 14-10 with 14:05 remaining in the second quarter.

WT then stepped up defensively, harassing Harp into incompletions and intentionally grounding the ball. An ensuing punt by Tim Hall carried just 29 yards, giving WT possession at the ENMU 32. But, on first down, Harris again tried to go deep, but was picked off in the endzone by Greyhound CB Rodney Mitchell, who returned the ball to the ENMU 25 yard line.

Following a pair of punt exchanges, the Buff defense made another big play. On a third-down short pass from Harp to Troy Harris, CB Tae Evans hit Evans, jarring the ball loose, with WT’s Shad Baichtal recovering at the ENMU 43.

The Buffs converted the turnover into a 42-yard James Chandler field goal to take a 17-10 lead with 6:32 left in the first half.

Another Greyhound turnover, this time a fumble which was recovered by Buff DT Marcus Rowe, gave WT the ball at the ENMU 21 yard line. However, the WT offense couldn’t turn the takeaway into points and ENMU regained possession at their own 14 yard line.

Following an ENMU punt, Harris connected Josephius Martin for a 60-yard catch and run, expanding the Buffs’ lead to 24-10 with just 1:39 remaining in the half.

A James Chandler 46-yard field goal with :07 seconds went wide right, concluding the half with WT ahead, 24-10.

The first break of the second half went the Greyhounds way. A botched exchange, early in the third quarter, between WT center Michael Zoch and Harris resulted in an ENMU fumble recovery at the WT 34. The Buffs held on possessions and took over four plays later at their own 30.

WT CB Curtis Jefferson halted an Eastern possession when he stepped in front of a Harp pass, intercepting the ball at the WT 26 yard line at the 9:19 mark of the third quarter.

The Buffs increased their lead to 31-10 late in the quarter on a 12-yard scree pass from Harris to Flemming. The scoring play capped an 9-play, 89-yard drive and ended the scoring for the quarter.

Harp kept the Greyhounds’ hopes alive with a 15-yard pass to Dominic Preston, closing the score to 31-17, with 6:54 remaining in the game.

James Chandler booted his second field goal of the game at the 4:58 mark of the fourth quarter, lifting WT to a 34-17 lead.

The Greyhounds closed out the scoring when Harp again connected with Preston, this time from 21-yards out to make the final score WT 34, ENMU 24.

ENMU quarterback J.J. Harp passed for 245 yards and two TDs. He was picked off once. Terrence Griffin led the Greyhound ground game with 57 yards on eight carries.

Next week, the Buffs visit #2-ranked Abilene Christian on Saturday, Oct. 17. Kickoff at Shotwell Stadium is set for 2 p.m. CDT.