LSC Football Recap 9-26

Wildcats erase memory of last year's stumble in Stephenville - Joey Richards, Abilene Reporter News
A year ago, the Abilene Christian University football team hit rock bottom in Stephenville, not only losing the game, but not scoring a touchdown in a 13-6 loss to Tarleton State.

What a difference a year makes.

The Wildcats scored on offense, defense and special teams in a 65-3 victory over the Texans in a Lone Star Conference game Saturday at Shotwell Stadium.

“I was proud of all three phases,” ACU coach Chris Thomsen said. “I think our guys are really taking their preparation seriously and working real hard, making sure they know what they’re doing, whether it’s offense, defense or the kicking game. I’m proud of the way they competed tonight.”


Jackson leads Mustangs to comeback victory - J. Scott Russell, Times Record News
EDMOND, Okla. — Midwestern State found itself in an unfamiliar spot Saturday night at Wantland Stadium — behind on the scoreboard.

But the 10th-ranked Mustangs used a steady diet of Keidrick Jackson — the fifth back to carry the ball — and they scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns, taking a 30-24 win over the Central Oklahoma Bronchos in a Lone Star Conference crossover game.

The win improves the Mustangs to 4-0 on the season and 3-0 in the LSC, while the Bronchos fall to 1-3 and 1-2. MSU will host Incarnate Word next Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.

“This was a hard-fought win,” MSU head coach Bill Maskill said. “I loved it. There was no panic on our sideline when we got behind. The offense never gave up and the defense didn’t either. It was a real nice win. We really needed a win a game like this. It’ll make us a better football team.”

Javelinas bend a little in breaking UIW - George Vondracek, Corpus Christi Caller Times

SAN ANTONIO — Beginning the game as if its offensive consistency issues might be coming to a close, Texas A&M-Kingsville had to once again rely on defense and special teams to remain undefeated.

Facing upstart Incarnate Word, the sixth-ranked Javelinas scored four touchdowns — one on special teams — in the first two quarters and then sputtered on offense. The Javelinas’ defense, however, pitched a second-half shutout and A&M-Kingsville prevailed in a 37-9 win over the Cardinals in the Lone Star Conference South Division opener at Benson Stadium.

“This is what we’re here for. We’re trained to get the ball back and to stop them right there for the offense,” said senior defensive end Mike Talamantez, who knocked down two passes and had two tackles. “We’re here for the offense, and that’s how it’s going to be.”

Javelinas' 37-9 win against Cards less than impressive - David Flores, KENSTV
The University of the Incarnate Word learned another important lesson in its football education Saturday night at Benson Stadium.

Don’t fall behind by three touchdowns in the first quarter, especially against a ranked opponent with the best defense in NCAA Division II.

Texas A&M-Kingsville stunned the Cardinals by scoring on its first three possessions, and then did just enough to record an uninspiring 37-9 victory in the first Lone Star Conference football game between the two schools.

“Texas A&M-Kingsville is a very good and athletic team,” UIW coach Mike Santiago said. “Our kids played their tails off. I think we were a little intimidated at the beginning. You have to play excellent and damn near perfect. You can’t give them 21 points.”


Javelinas pile on Cards in first quarter - BLAKE HURTIK, San Antonio Express-News
The 37-9 score suggests that sixth-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville rolled to an easy victory over Lone Star Conference newcomer Incarnate Word at Benson Stadium on Saturday.
But the Cardinals (1-3, 1-2 LSC) were left feeling they had let one get away.

“We know we can battle with these guys,” safety Chaz Pavliska said. “We know we're good enough to compete with whoever comes in. I think we showed that tonight.”

ASU upset bid falls short - Nathan Wright, San Angelo Standard Times
SAN ANGELO, Texas — Just a few minutes into the second quarter, the Angelo State University football team appeared to have No. 9 West Texas A&M just where it wanted it.

The Rams were inside the Buffaloes’ 10-yard line poised to take their first lead of the game.

But ASU quarterback Josh Neiswander’s pass to V’Keon Lacey in the end zone was intercepted, killing the drive and the Rams’ momentum.

The Buffs turned the interception into an 80-yard scoring drive to extend their lead, and they eventually defeated ASU 37-27 in the Lone Star Conference South Division opener for both teams Saturday at San Angelo Stadium.

“We had our chances,” ASU head coach Dale Carr said. “I wouldn’t lay the blame with one group or the other. We just made a lot of mistakes that we have to fix.”

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LSC Football Recap: Sept. 25

No. 5 Abilene Christian 65, Tarleton State 3
ABILENE, Texas - Abilene Christian University quarterback Mitchell Gale threw for a career-high 344 yards and two scores Saturday night to lead the No. 5 Wildcats to a 65-3 win over Tarleton State in the Lone Star Conference South Division opener for both teams at Shotwell Stadium.
The win pushes the Wildcats to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the LSC South, while the Texans fall to 0-4 and 0-1. ACU will be back in action next Saturday at 7 p.m. when they take on No. 6 Texas A&M-Kingsville at 7 p.m. in Kingsville.

After completing 13 of 23 passes for 212 yards and a score in the first half, Gale helped the Wildcats outscore the Texans 38-0 in the second half as he completed 12 of 15 passes for 132 yards and one score in the blowout victory.

The loss was the worst for Tarleton State since it became a senior college in 1961, and for the Wildcats it was their most points in a regular season game since a 66-7 win over East Central on Oct. 4, 2008.

One week after throwing a career-best five touchdown passes, Gale had his way with the Tarleton defense, completing a season-high 24 passes on career-high 38 attempts.

He completed passes to seven different receivers, including hitting senior wideout Kendrick Johnson six times for 80 yards and senior receiver Edmund Gates five times for 91 yards.

Incredibly, however, this offensive showcase for the Wildcats turned on a defensive play in the first quarter.

With the game tied 3-3 and the Texans driving late in the first quarter, ACU defensive end Aston Whiteside came up with an interception, kept his feet and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown to make it a 10-3 ACU lead with 1:52 left in the first quarter.

That took the wind out of the Texans and was the first of 24 straight points for the Wildcats to end the half, who took a 27-3 lead to the locker room.


No. 6 Texas A&M-Kingsville 37, Incarnate Word 9

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – It was not the prettiest of victories, but in college football all that matters is the winning part and #6 Texas A&M-Kingsville took care of that by jumping all over University of the Incarnate Word on Saturday night at Benson Stadium. The Javelinas led 21-0 after one quarter and finished with a 37-9 win in Lone Star Conference South Division play.


The Javelinas (4-0, 3-0, 1-0) came out of the gates ready to play as they scored on each of their first three drives of the game. The first score was a 31-yard run by junior quarterback Nate Poppell (Spring/Spring HS) with 9:59 left in the first quarter. The touchdown was set up by a 22-yard run by Connell Davis (Portland/Gregory-Portland HS).

After forcing a Cardinal (1-3, 1-2, 0-1) punt the Hoggies drove 75 yards in nine plays. The offense used a nice mix of run and pass as Poppell scored again on a quarterback sneak from the 1-yard line with 3:13 left in the quarter.

The Hoggie defense forced another three-and-out possession by the Cardinals and the offense took advantage. A long 37-yard pass from Poppell to Delashaun Dean (Fairfield, CA/Fairfield HS) gave the team a first-and-goal at the 10. On second down, sophomore Jonathon Woodson (Missouri City/Marshall HS) scored his first career touchdown on a 10-yard sweep with 36 seconds left in the quarter.

The Cardinals finally picked up their initial first down of the game on the third play of the second quarter, but were forced to punt shortly after. The Javelinas found themselves pinned back at their own 5-yard line after a block in the back penalty on the return. After an incomplete pass, Davis was smothered in the end zone for a safety by Anthony Vela with 11:53 remaining in the second quarter.

After the free kick by the Javelinas, the Cardinals had good field position at their own 40. The Hoggie defense stood strong and forced the Cardinals to punt. A bad snap forced punter Aaron Willis to field the ball and he then fumbled when he was hit by Paul Fontenot (Dayton/Dayton HS). Corey Robertson (Denison/Denison HS) was there for the recovery and returned the fumble for a 24-yard touchdown with 10:37 to play in the half.

Just when it looked like the game would turn into a blowout, the Cardinals bounced back with an 11-play, 68-yard scoring drive that culminated in a 26-yard pass from Eric Massoni to Dominic Hamilton with 5:59 left in the half. The score ended the Javelinas’ streak of not allowing an offensive point at 189:36 covering 12 full quarters.

Woodson returned the ensuing kickoff 59 yards to give the Javelinas great field position at the UIW 36-yard line. On the first play, Poppell hit Ryan Lincoln (Bastrop/Bastrop HS) with a little swing pass that he took all the way down to the 3-yard line, but the play was called back for a holding call. It was just one of many penalties that would slow down the Javelina offense the rest of the game.

The Javelinas led 28-9 at halftime and the score remained that way through the entire third quarter. Each team managed only two first downs in the period. The Javelinas gained 54 yards from scrimmage while the Cardinals were held to 16 yards.

The fourth quarter was marked by a pair of long drives by each team. First, the Cardinals drove 60 yards in 15 plays only to have Thomas Rebold’s 47-yard field goal attempt hit the right upright and bounce wide.

Then, the Javelinas methodically drove 70 yards in 14 plays while eating up 7:41 on the clock. Sophomore Myron Brew (San Antonio/Jay HS) capped off the drive with an 18-yard scoring run on his only carry of the night.

The Javelinas also tacked on a field goal at the beginning of the fourth quarter after recovering a Cardinal fumble at the UIW 8-yard line. Christian Brom (McAllen/McAllen HS) drilled a 25-yarder to improve to 4-for-5 on the season.

The Javelina defense held their fourth straight opponent to under 200 yards of offense. The Cardinals gained 40 yards rushing on 36 carries and added 147 yards passing. Junior linebacker Marcus Sanders (Houston/Westfield HS) led the team with nine tackles and a half sack. Overall, the team had nine tackles for losses totaling 54 yards.

The Javelina offense picked up 321 total yards of offense as they sputtered over the final three quarters of action. Davis led the team with 44 yards rushing while Poppell added 35 and Woodson 34 yards. Poppell went 14-of-24 for 131 yards passing while Daniel Ramirez (Sinton/Sinton HS) when 6-of-8 for 53 yards. Robert Armstrong (Cuero/Cuero HS) led the team with five catches for 28 yards while Dean added 3 receptions for 59 yards. Woodson led the team with 114 all-purpose yards.

Trent Rios led the Cardinal ground game with 39 yards on 19 carries. Eric Massoni went 14-of-25 passing for 141 yards and a touchdown. Dominic Hamilton led all receivers with six catches for 87 yards and a score.

The Cardinal defense had a pair of sacks in the game by Diego McClain and Hakim Blackwell. Juan Asencio and Todd Lyons each had six tackles to lead the team.

The Javelinas return home next weekend for a match up with #5 Abilene Christian at 7 p.m. at Javelina Stadium.


No. 9 West Texas A&M 37, Angelo State 27

SAN ANGELO, Texas - West Texas A&M quarterback Taylor Harris didn't find the end zone but still racked up 320 yards through the air while leading the No. 9 Buffs to a 37-27 Lone Star Conference South Division-opening win over Angelo State at San Angelo Stadium Saturday.

Harris completed 29-of-55 passes to help the Buffs (3-1, 3-0 LSC, 1-0 LSC South) capture their third-consecutive Lone Star Conference victory and jump to the top of the South Division standings. The national leader in yards per game, West Texas A&M tallied 532 yards in the win and benefited from two interceptions.

West Texas A&M did all its scoring in the opening half, taking advantage of two turnovers and a blocked extra point returned for a score to build a 37-13 lead at the break. Buffs running back Jay Tillman scored twice in the opening half, once on a one-yard plunge and again on a 10-yard fake field goal pass from holder Tim Cowdrey.

The Buffs accounted for 378 total yards in the first half, but were kept off the scoreboard and held to 154 yards after halftime. Angelo State scored touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters to make it a 10-point contest, but a late fourth-down stand by West Texas A&M ended the threat.

West Texas A&M running back Kelvin Thompson carried the ball 20 times for 127 yards and a touchdown. Tommy Hampton also found the end zone for the Buffs backfield as the trio helped the ground attack run up 202 yards. Tyson Williams led the receiving corps with eight catches for 75 yards and Stephen Burton had seven grabs for 94 yards.


Rams (2-1, 2-1 LSC, 0-1 LSC South) running back Tristan Carter topped the century mark for the second time in his three game career with 129 yards, thanks largely to a 75-yard touchdown run on ASU's first offensive play. Angelo State quarterback Josh Neiswander was limited to just 110 yards, his career low as a starter, and was picked off twice. The Ram defense recorded three interceptions for the third time this season.

The Buffs continue LSC play with a crossover match-up against Northeastern State next Saturday while Angelo State keeps it in the LSC South Division with a trip to Tarleton State.



No. 10 Midwestern State 30, Central Oklahoma 24

EDMOND, Oklahoma – Keidrick Jackson and Chauncey Harris had fourth-quarter touchdown runs to spark No. 10-ranked Midwestern State to a 30-24 Lone Star Conference crossover victory over upset-minded Central Oklahoma here Saturday night.

The Bronchos took a 24-17 lead on the first play of the final period on Ethan Sharp’s 21-yard TD pass to Tucker Holland, but the Mustangs answered back a minute later with Jackson’s 69-yard scoring dash to tie it.

UCO missed a 45-yard field goal on its next possession and MSU then drove for the winning score, marching 73 yards in 11 plays before Harris’ 11-yard TD run capped it with 5:13 left to play.

The Bronchos had two more possessions, but were forced to punt on the first and then Sharp was intercepted by Austin McDaniel with just over a minute remaining to clinch it.

The Mustangs finished with 475 yards, picking up 149 of their 263 rushing yards in the final 15 minutes. Jackson ended with 137 yards on 11 carries and Zack Eskridge was 21-of-33 passing for 212 yards with one TD passing and another rushing.

Josh Birmingham rushed for 183 yards and two TDs on 18 carries, with his 81-yard scoring sprint early in the third quarter giving UCO a 14-10 lead. Sharp ended up 25-of-37 passing for 224 yards.

MSU improved to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the league, while the Bronchos fell to 1-3 and 1-2. The Mustangs host Incarnate Word next week and UCO stays home to take on East Central.

Eastern New Mexico 44, Texas A&M-Commerce 21

PORTALES, N.M. - The Eastern New Mexico University football team (2-2; LSC North 1-0) successfully debuted in the Lone Star Conference North Division, taking a 44-21 decision from Texas A&M-Commerce (1-3; LSC North, 0-1), Saturday afternoon at Greyhound Stadium. With the win, the Hounds snapped the Lions six-game LSC North winning streak, dating back to the 2008 finale.

Eastern's defense allowed just seven points on the game, but TAMU-Commerce converted two turnovers into 14 points in the second quarter. The Hounds' defense allowed just five third down conversions in 19 attempts, sacked TAMU-C quarterback Adam Farkes four times and hurried him on 11 other occasions. ENMU out-gained the Lions by a 590-249 margin in total offense.

Wesley Wood hit 44 of his 73 passes for 437 yards for ENMU, while the Lions' Marcus Graham rushed for 123 yards. Tony Valenzuela ran for 74 of the Hounds' season-high 153 yards, while Jesse Poku caught 12 passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns.

Eastern will travel to Southwestern Oklahoma State next Saturday, while the Lions with host Southeastern Oklahoma State.

Northeastern State 26, Southeastern Oklahoma State 24
DURANT, Oklahoma – Northeastern State’s (Okla.) Drew Patton connected on a 20 yard field goal as time expired to lift the RiverHawks past Southeastern Oklahoma State, 26-24, on Saturday night at Paul Laird field in Durant, Okla.

The win moves NSU to 2-2 on the season and 1-0 in Lone Star Conference North Division play, while SE falls to 1-3 and 0-1 in divisional play.

The connection was his second of the night after having an attempt blocked in the first half.

For NSU, Kenny Davis was 17-of-34 passing for 245 yards and two TD’s, completing eight passes to Trey McVay who finished with `126 yard of receiving and two TD’s.

Prince McKinney carried the load on the ground for the RiverHawks, finishing with 98 yards on 20 carries with one score.

For the Savage Storm, Logan Turner completed 19-of-35 passing for 211 yards and one touchdown, with Robbie Morris serving as his main target with five grabs for 78 yards.

Both teams tallied over 400 yards of offense on the night, with SE leading the way at 418 and NSU right behind at 406.

Southeastern will be back in action when it heads to Texas A&M-Commerce for a 6 p.m. contest on Oct. 2, while Northeastern State will be back on the field on Oct. 2 when it hosts West Texas A&M for a noon kickoff.

East Central 23, Southwestern Oklahoma 0

ADA, Oklahoma – East Central University snapped a 16-game losing streak with a punt return for a touchdown, three field goals and an interception return for a score as the Tigers knocked off Southwestern Oklahoma State 23-0 Saturday night at Norris Field.

The win was the first for ECU since the 2008 season. It was also the first time that the Tigers had a shutout victory since the 1993 campaign when they accomplished the feat in the second round of the NAIA playoffs on their way to the national title (a 27-0 triumph over Arkansas-Monticello).

ECU improved to 1-3 overall and 1-2 in the LSC.

Markell Walker returned a punt 39 yards for a touchdown in the opening quarter, Matt Berrey booted field goals of 39, 32 and 38 yards and Armonty Bryant picked off an errant Bulldog pass and returned it 65 yards for a TD with 14 seconds remaining.

SWOSU, which fell to 0-4 overall and 0-3 in the LSC, actually edged ECU in total offensive yards, 224-194, and had two more first downs, 15-13.

Bulldog quarterback Dustin Stenta was 16-of-23 passing for 101 yards.

ECU’s Tyler Vanderzee was 12-of-24 for 98 yards. Zack Patteson caught four of those passes for 45 yards.

SWOSU lost two fumbles in the game and the Tigers’ only turnover was an interception by Shane Scott.

DeMarcus Miller topped the Bulldog tackle chart with nine tackles, including six solo efforts.

Bryant led ECU with six total stops, including four solo, to go with his pick and two tackles for lost yards. He also had 1.5 sacks on the night.

The Bulldogs host Eastern New Mexico next Saturday at 2 p.m. while the Tigers visit the University of Central Oklahoma for a 7 p.m. kickoff.