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Nov. 3, 2007

Box Score

CANYON, Texas - For the third straight season under head coach Don Carthel, West Texas A&M football will finish the season on top of the Lone Star Conference as Saturday night the No. 4 Buffs clinched at least a share of the 2007 LSC title with a 31-0 victory over Central Oklahoma at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium.

West Texas A&M improves to 10-0 for the first time ever and 8-0 in overall LSC play while UCO, the LSC North Division leader entering the game, slips to 4-5 overall and 4-4 in conference action. The Buffs are now 31-4 (.885) in three seasons under Carthel's direction.

The shutout is the second for the Buffs this season and the first thrown by any team against Central Oklahoma since the last game of the 2000 season, a span of 73 consecutive games. WT also posted a whitewash victory on Sept. 22 of this year when it downed the Riverhawks of Northeastern State 38-0.

After they took the opening kick off to begin the contest, the Buffs marched 68 yards on four plays to put the first points of the night on the scoreboard. Starting his second straight contest in place of regular starting quarterback Keith Null, back-up Taylor Harris completed all four of his passes on the opening drive, the final coming on a 33-yard completion to Kolo Kapanui, who found the end zone for the sixth time on the year.

The senior tight end also proved his value on the extra point attempt as he took a direct snap from Jonathan Granger to execute the swinging gate two-point conversion and put the Buffs up 8-0.

For his part, Harris posted the most yards in a single game by any WT quarterback this season as he completed 30-of-50 passes for 401 yards with three touchdowns and one interception against UCO.

After forcing a punt from the Bronchos, Harris and the Buffalo offense went back to work and Harris again was lethal, converting three passes on the drive including a 26-yarder to Dale Davis which he followed with another 26-yard completion to Carl Johnson that set up a first-and-goal situation from the UCO nine-yard line. Redshirt freshman running back Keithon Flemming did the rest as he put the Buffs up by two scores with his 12th rushing touchdown of the season.

Flemming, who sat out the fourth quarter, finished with 51 yards rushing on 11 carries to give him 1,046 yards on the season, becoming the first Buff running back since DeWayne Miles in 2000 to rush for over 1,000 yards. He also pulled down five passes for 31 yards on the night.

Following dueling punts by the offensive units, the Buffalo defense was put in a tough situation with Central Oklahoma beginning their third possession of the night at the WT 32 yard line. But the Buff defenders stood strong as senior defensive back Bret Jones broke up a fourth down pass attempt inside the red zone. Jones finished with a team-high eight tackles, tying with fellow secondary mate Darnell Johnson.

On the next UCO possession, junior Jared Brock would provide the stop all by himself as he stepped in front of a Ryan O'Hara pass to collect his second interception of the season. Brock, who was selected as an All-American following his standout sophomore campaign, showed that same brilliant form on Saturday as he also scooped up a loose ball in the fourth quarter and returned it 26 yards into UCO territory.

Another Buffalo pick would end another potential Broncho scoring opportunity later in the second quarter as WT's Johnson intercepted a long pass from UCO's Colin Clancy at the WT two-yard line.

Dale Davis would factor in another important play in the fading minutes of the second quarter as the senior from Amarillo was the rusher on a fake punt that set up a 24-yard field goal by Jon Roberts to extend the WT lead to 18-0.

After two straight punts by the Buffalo offense to begin the third quarter, junior All-American wide out Charly Martin stepped up. The Farmington, N.M., native took a short pass out in the flats and wove his way 61 yards to the end zone to put WT up 25-0.

For Martin, who hauled in five receptions for 112 yards, Saturday marked the ninth time in his career that he has topped the 100-receiving yard mark.

Martin made a second visit to the end zone and put a dent in the scoreboard in the fourth quarter as he capped off a 12-play, 69-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Harris. The touchdown tied Martin with redshirt freshman A.J. Ruffins for the team lead in receiving scores on the year with eight.

Next weekend, the Buffs conclude the regular season with a pivotal match-up against No. 16 Tarleton State, who defeated Angelo State 38-10 on Saturday to move to 9-1 on the season and 7-1 in LSC play. The game is slated for a 7 p.m. kickoff from Tarleton Memorial Stadium.