LSC Roundup 9-13

Cotton Bowl thriller: ACU runs back pick in OT to beat A&M-Commerce
DALLAS — Drew Cuffee was sprawled out on the training room table after the game getting an IV. Just minutes earlier, the Abilene Christian cornerback saved the Wildcats’ unbeaten season.

Cuffee returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown on the first play of overtime Saturday to lift No. 2 ACU past Texas A&M-Commerce, 20-14, at the second annual Harvey Martin Classic at the Cotton Bowl.

It was a joyous moment for the sophomore from nearby Arlington — and a big one in the Lone Star Conference opener for the defending LSC champs. ACU was playing in the famed Dallas stadium for the first time.

“I knew the defense needed to make a play,” Cuffee said. “The defense needed to make a stop. I didn’t imagine it would be a turnover like that. But I had the opportunity, and God saw me through that moment. I’ve got to give all the praises to him.”

Davis carries Javs to rainy triumph
KINGSVILLE — Connell Davis has enough talent and physical skills to not be considered as a “mudder” as far as running backs are concerned.

It didn’t hurt him or Texas A&M-Kingsville that Davis handles a bad track well.

Davis’ second and third touchdown runs of the game Saturday night was all the offense of consequence in the second half after a third-quarter downpour. Those scores and a dominating first half enabled the 11th-ranked Javelinas quash No. 24 Central Oklahoma 46-17.

There were no big plays like the ones the 3-0 Javelinas had in the first half after the 15-minute deluge turned an already soggy turf at Javelina Stadium into mush.

It didn’t seem to bother Davis, who with 138 yards turned in A&M-Kingsville’s first 100-yard rushing performance of the season.

Smith ties TD mark as No. 22 Tarleton overpowers ECU
Roderick Smith tied the Tarleton school record for career touchdowns with his 33rd as part of a first half that saw the Texans rush for 316 yards and build a 34-0 lead en rout to an easy 41-2 win against East Central at Memorial Stadium Saturday night.

Smith's 49-yard scoring sprint with 5:41 left in the opening half inked his name beside Gaylon Bowser (1984-87) as the Texans' all-time touchdown king. The senior had 204 rushing yards before the break and sat out the second half.

Smith, who has run for 342 yards through three games, needs just 640 more to be the school's all-ime leading rusher.

Evan Robertson rushed for 110 yards in the first two periods, including pair of TD runs covering 15 and 25 yards. Robertson saw little action after the break and finished with 115 yards.

Rams Roll
ASU hits 50 points for first time in four seasons
On a dark, wet and gloomy night at San Angelo Stadium, the Angelo State University football team lit up the scoreboard all night long — and more than it has in the last four years.

The Rams scored five times in the first half and went on to rout Southwestern Oklahoma 55-10 Saturday night. It was the Rams’ largest margin of victory since they defeated Adams State 53-7 in 1999 — and the first time they scored 50 points since defeating Texas A&M-Kingsville 54-51 in 2005.

Josh Neiswander passed for 311 yards and tied a school record with six touchdown passes while Dwight Pete scored three times as the Rams improved to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the Lone Star Conference.

“We should be doing this every time,” Pete said. “We have the weapons on offense to do it. This is what we are supposed to do.”

Mustangs 'D' grounds Hawks
The way the Midwestern State offense is playing, the defense has been spending quite a bit of time on the field.

But they’ve been using their time wisely.

The Mustangs picked off three passes and kept their opponents out of the end zone for the third straight week as they crushed Northeastern State 52-3 Saturday night in a Lone Star Conference crossover game at Memorial Stadium.

MSU will take a week off from conference play next week as it travels to San Antonio to take on first-year program and future LSC foe Incarnate Word in a 7 p.m. game at Tom Benson Stadium.

Oh, my: Buffs 0-3
ELLENSBURG, Wash. - It's been roughly 10 months since West Texas A&M last met Central Washington on the gridiron.

However, Saturday afternoon's contest was night and day different than last year's playoff tilt.
The sixth-ranked Wildcats scored twice in the first quarter and put three more scores on the board by halftime in Central Washington's 34-10 victory against West Texas A&M.

WT dropped to 0-3 on the season.

After a 3-and-out by the Buffs early in the first quarter, the Wildcats netted 27 yards in two plays on the ground - something severely lacking against the Buffs in WT's 49-42 first round playoff victory in Canyon in November - before quarterback Ryan Robertson found Jamal Weems for an 18-yard score.

"We were expecting a smash-mouth football game," WT head coach Don Carthel said. "You've got to give them credit."

Midwestern State routs Northeastern
WICHITA FALLS, Texas — Zack Eskridge passed for 224 yards and four touchdowns to lead Midwestern State to a dominating 52-3 win over Northeastern State in a driving rainstorm Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.

The Mustangs defense intercepted RiverHawks quarterbacks three times and limited them to 208 yards. MSU has not allowed a touchdown in its first 12 quarters of the 2009 season.

State college football roundup: A&M-Kingsville too much for University of Central Oklahoma

In a matchup of ranked teams, Central Oklahoma’s defense was no match for Texas A&M-Kingsville who won in a rout, 46-17.

Only the rain slowed down the eighth-ranked Javelinas, who averaged almost eight yards per play and scored 34 first-half points before weather forced both teams away from the passing game.

The 24th-ranked Bronchos scored twice in the first on a 23-yard pass from Brandon Noohi to Ryan Gallimore and a 29-yard run by Noohi.

Javelinas strike early in win
KINGSVILLE — Texas A&M-Kingsville scored four times in the first quarter en route to a 46-17 victory Saturday over Central Oklahoma.

Connell Davis had a 1-yard run, DeIra Glover ran back an interception 65 yards, quarterback Billy Garza ran for a 70-yard TD and then Garza threw an 88-yard scoring pass to Sherman Batiste with 4:40 left in the first quarter.

Storm holds off Greyhounds for wild win
PORTALES, N.M. — Eastern New Mexico broke countless records, but the Southeastern Savage Storm broke the hearts of Greyhound fans in wild, 49-47, win that went tit-for-tat for much of Saturday’s contest.

Although ENMU quarterback J.J. Harp set NCAA D-II and Lone Star Conference records while slinging 64-for-95 for 767 yards with three scores and two picks, the biggest offensive play of the night belonged to the Storm. SE trailed 44-43 in the fourth quarter when Baylen Laury broke free of defenders and went 75 yards for a touchdown. SE failed on the 2-point conversion, but finally managed to get a stop on the next series.