Roster | Schedule | News | Archives | Home

Oct. 24, 2009

Final Stats

CANYON, Texas – Taylor Harris passed for a career-high 414 yards and two touchdowns as West Texas A&M defeated Angelo State, 43-15, Saturday night at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium in Canyon, Texas.

The win, WTAMU’s third consecutive, improves their record to 4-5 overall, 3-2 LSC South play, while ASU falls to 6-3 overall, 2-2 LSC South.

The Buffaloes’ gained a season-high 557 yards in total offense, as the Buffs’ passed for a season-best 444 yards.

Harris’ favorite targets on the evening were Stephen Burton, who had eight catches for 164 yards, and Tyson Williams, who caught seven passes for 171 yards, including a 79-yard TD reception.

WT’s James Chandler also booted three field goals to contribute to the Buffs’ offensive success.

The Buff defense held the Rams to just 86 net yards rushing and 241 total yards, while intercepting a pair of Josh Neiswander passes.

The game started with Angelo driving into WT territory, but the Buffalo defense stopped the Rams on a 4th-and-1 attempt from the WT 25.

Following a change of possessions, the Buffs’ took advantage of an 11-yard punt by ASU punter J.D. Bales, which gave WT the ball at the ASU 30. On first down, QB Taylor Harris lateraled to inside receiver Josephius Martin, who pivoted and lofted a touchdown strike to wideout Stephen Burton, putting the Buffs on the board. James Chandler’s PAT made it 7-0 wth 7:23 remaining in the first half. The one-play drive took just seven seconds off the clock.

Following the Buffs’ score, the Rams mounted another drive deep into WT territory, moving inside the WT 20, ASU’s Dwight Pete rushed to the 10 yard line. QB Josh Neiswander then hit Dakarai Pecikonis on an out route to the seven, then fired a pass over the middle to V’Keon Lacey for a touchdown. Ryan Smith’s point-after tied the score, 7-7, with 1:21 remaining in the first half.

The Buffs came back firing.

Setting up from their own 35, Harris connected with WT Brittan Golden for 32 yards on first down, moving the ball to the ACU 33. Harris then found TE Tyson Williams on a crossing route to the Ram 21. Operating out of the Wildcat formation, RB Keithon Flemming took a direct snap around right end, moving to the ASU 6, setting up first-and-goal.

The quarter ended with the Buffs setting just inside the five yard line.

On the first play of the second quarter, Flemming took a handoff around left end for a 4-yard touchdown, putting the Buffs on top, 14-7. The drive took 1:65 and encompassed five plays and 65 yards.

After Angelo State punted the Buffs inside their own five-yard line, Harris connected with Burton for 45 yards to the WT 47. Three plays later, Harris hit Williams for a 20-yard gain, moving the ball to the ASU 25. A holding penalty against the Buffs halted the drive and brought on Chandler, who booted a 40-yard field goal, pushing the Buffs’ lead to 17-7 with 8:50 remaining in the first half.

The Buff defense halted the next Ram drive, as DE Bryan Braman sacked Neiswander on third down, then Eugene Sims got a hand on Bales punt, forcing it out of bounds after travelling just 11 yards.

Taking over at the WT 45, Harris jumped the Buff offense by hitting Williams down the middle for a 27-yard gain, moving the ball to the ASU 23. However, a sack of Harris and a screen pass which went for lost yardage brought Chandler on for a 46-yard field goal. His kick boosted the Buff lead to 20-7 with 3:00 remaining in the first half.

Jordan Smith put his stamp on the next Ram drive, picking off a Neiswander pass at the WT 28 and returning it 43 yards to the ASU 29 yard line.

The Buffs slowly advanced the ball. After gaining a first down, a penalty pushed them back outside the 20. They advanced to the ASU 13 yard line, where another Buff penalty, this time for a false-start, pushed them back to the ASU 18. Faced with third-and-11, Harris overthrew Brittan Golden in the endzone, bringing on Chandler for a 35-yard field goal attempt. The attempt was blocked by and returned by ASU’s Rickey McKinley, who returned the ball to the ASU 41.

With two seconds remaining in the half, Neiswander was hurried by Sims, throwing incomplete and ending the half with the Buffs on top, 20-7.

To that point, the WT defense had limited Angelo State to just 82 yards, with just seven coming on the ground.

The Buffs opened the second half by putting together an eight-play, 80-yard drive which led to a three-yard TD pass from Harris to RB Joe Joe Jones, putting WT ahead by a 27-7 margin.

Following another WT defensive stop, Tramicah Young got the crowd into the game with a 30-yard punt return, setting the Buffs’ up at the ASU 28. The drive culminated in Chandler booting his third-field goal of the evening, this one from 41 yards, to put WT ahead, 30-7, with 7:25 remaining in the third quarter.

The third quarter ended with ASU driving and the ball on the WT 20.

The Rams’ drive continued, leading to an ASU TD. The Rams scored when Neiswander hit John Norcott on a swing pass for 16 yards and a TD. The two-point conversion from Neiswander to Lacey was good, closing the gap to WT 30, ASU 15.

The Buffs answered immediately, as Harris hit Williams with a 79-yard bomb, boosting the Buffs’ lead to 37-15 with 13:22 left in the fourth quarter. The two-play drive took 44 seconds and the reception, Williams’ sixth of the game, boosted his receiving yardage to 159.

A 66-yard catch and run from Neiswander to Dwight Pete gave ASU new life at the WT 15 yard line. But the drive was stunted when Buff LB Shad Baichtal made an acrobatic interception of a Neiswander attempt at the WT four yard line.

WT responded with a TD drive. Keithon Flemming rushed off left tackle for a 16-yard score, culminating a 96-yard, 10-play drive that made the final score, 43-15.

The game saw Keithon Flemming move into ninth place on the WT career rushing list, passing Charles Wright and Pete Pedro. Flemming now has 2,174 career rushing yards.

Harris also made his way up the WT career passing chart. He now resides in seventh place, with 3,913 career passing yards. He also stands eighth on the WT career total offense list, with 3,726 career yards.

Tae Evans led Buff defenders with nine tackles, while Jordan Smith, Curtis Jefferson and Anthony Scott contributed eight stops apiece.

The Buffs travel to Tahlequah, Okla., next Saturday, Oct. 31, where they will meet Northeastern State. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CDT.