Silver City, N.M. – It was a scoring mayhem by both teams last Saturday, as Tarleton State University was able to snug by the Western New Mexico University football team for a 44-41 win.
The Texans came out strong in the opening kickoff as they returned the kick 65 yards for a touchdown. After forcing the Mustangs to punt, TSU took the ball downfield for a 6 play, 83 yard drive, extending their lead to 14-0. On the ensuring drive, WNMU had a chance to put points on the board with a 33-yard field goal but the kick went wide left. Three possessions later, another 33-yard field was set up for the Mustangs, but again the attempt failed keeping the score 14-0.
In the opening of drive of the second quarter, the Texans offense went to work offensively and drove the ball 80 yards downfield that would lead to a touchdown, 21-0. Following the next drive for WNMU, they were able to drive the ball down field thanks to a couple passes from quarterback Javia Hall and rushes from DeAndre Williams. The drive ended with a touchdown when Williams rushed into the end zone for a 13-yard run that cut the deficit 21-7.
Halfway into the second quarter, TSU set up the punting unit on a fourth-and-five. Before the kick was off, Romello Prichett blocked the kick which would be recovered on TSU’s 35. The Mustangs offense went to work with great field position. As time was ticking down in the quarter, Hall would find Raeshawn Lee in the end zone for a 13-yard pass. After a missed field goal, the Texans were still on top, 21-13, going into halftime.
Beginning the third quarter, WNMU scored on the opening drive in two plays. Hall passed to an open Henry Norman for 46 yards then Lee for 33 yards and a touchdown. The game would soon be knotted up when Hall completed a pass to Rodney Lawson for the two point conversion, making the score 21-21. TSU responded on the ensuring drive with their own touchdown to take the lead, 27-21.
After forcing the Mustangs to punt, the Texans capped off a 6 play, 46 yard drive to push the lead to double digits, 34-21. Western went to work on the following drive as Hall’s passing and William’s rushing brought them down into Tarleton territory. WNMU’s Oly Ta’ase ran in for a 1-yard run to finished the drive and bring them within six, 34-28.
After a back to back scoreless drive from both teams to start the fourth quarter, the Texans put three points up on the board after a 35-yard successful field goal making the score 37-28. WNMU would answer back quickly on the ensuring drive, as Hall threw the ball down field to Treydonte Hill for a 65-yard touchdown pass to put them within three, 37-34.
It did not take long for TSU to answer back as they put together a 10 play, 64 yard touchdown drive that made the score 44-34. With 1:40 left to play, Williams caught a pass from Hall for a 37-yard touchdown that cut the Mustangs deficit, 44-41.
In need of stop, Mustangs’s defense came up successful and forced TSU to punt with 30 seconds left. Starting the drive on their own 23, Hall went to work and found Lawson for ten yards. This would be as close as Western would get as Tarleton sacked Hall on the following play. After an incomplete pass, WNMU faced a third and long. Hall would pass to an open receiver for a short gain but this would be the last play of the game as time expired. TSU came away with the win, 44-41.
WNMU outnumbered TSU in first down (29-26), passing yards (447-303), and total yards (515-450) but not in rushing yards (68-147).
Offensively for WNMU, Hall passed for 447 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Hill led the team in receiving with 122 yards and one touchdown followed by Norman with 110 yards. Williams came away with 77 rushing yards and one touchdown. Defensively, Dominic Barry led the team with 14 tackles. Curtis Palacio and Alfonso Wilson brought in an interception each.
The Mustangs (2-4 , 2-3 Lone Star Conference) face nationally-ranked Texas A&M-Commerce this Saturday at home with the game beginning at noon.
