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WEEK FIVE
-RIVALRY GAME-
NEW MEXICO ST. AGGIES (1-2, 0-0)
VS.
WEST TEXAS OUTLAWS (1-1, 0-0)
Coming into Saturday's contest, there was no question that DeShaun Sands could run...but the multi-talented runningback showed another side against the Aggies, leading the team in total receiving yards as well as he guided WTU to a 31-14 victory despite injuries to three offensive players.
The Outlaws have established themselves as a run-first team this season and stuck to the plan against New Mexico State, racking up 269 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. This mindset allowed WTU to control the clock for nearly 40 minutes on Saturday, and while the Aggies struggled to find their offensive rhythm, the Outlaws scored 17 unanswered points to break a 14-14 tie, and close out the game. Charles Dickson played a small role in the win, completing 10 of 29 passes for 148 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. But it was DeShaun Sands who truly carried the team, as he rushed for 214 yards and a touchdown off 38 carries for an average of 5.6 yards per touch, and also led the receiving corps with three catches for 75 yards. Backup runningbacks Tyree Melton and Andrew Brown also reached the endzone. As for the defense, senior Tom Terry (MLB) led the charge with four tackles, one sack, and his first interception of the year. As a unit, the Outlaws recorded four sacks, forced two turnovers, limited the Aggies to 239 yards of total offense, and held them scoreless in the second half.
As for their opponents, Tanner Rust completed just 7 of 20 passes for 130 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions on Saturday. Most of that yardage went to junior James Wright, the team's #1 receiver who only had two catches, but gained 71 yards through the air. Amir Walters performed well, rushing for 91 yards and a touchdown off 18 carries, but didn't get enough touches due to the team falling behind by two scores in the third quarter. New Mexico State's defense was led by senior Bryan Bonilla (OLB), who recorded an incredible 18 tackles and one sack, while the defense as a whole forced two turnovers. Still, the Aggies also allowed over 400 yards of total offense, and simply couldn't overcome the inadequacy of their own offense.
Quickly headed down the path of yet another losing season, the Aggies will look to turn it around in the next two weeks when they play host to in-state rival New Mexico (1-2) in their WAC conference opener before facing off against Kent State (2-1). As for the Outlaws, they'll face a big test next week when they host in-state foe SMU (2-1, 1-0), one of the newest additions to the revamped Big East conference.
New Mexico State Aggies at West Texas Outlaws Sep 21, 2013 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH SCORE New Mexico State Aggies (1-3, 0-0) 7 7 0 0 14 West Texas Outlaws (2-1, 0-0) 7 10 7 7 31 Team Stats Comparison NMSU WTU Total Offense 239 417 Rushing Yards 109 269 Passing Yards 130 148 First Downs 14 25 Punt Return Yards 19 10 Kick Return Yards 170 46 Total Yards 428 473 Turnovers 2 2 3rd Down Converstion 4-11 (36%) 12-18 (66%) 4th Down Conversion 0-0 (0%) 0-1 (0%) 2-Point Conversion 0-0 (0%) 0-0 (0%) Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals 2-2-0 (100%) 6-4-0 (66%) Penalties 11-108 6-40 Posession Time 21:56 38:04 Scoring Summary FIRST QUARTER SCORING NMSU WTU 9:17 (WTU) TD: Chad Clark, 2 yard pass from Charles Dickson 0 7 7:20 (NMSU) TD: Austin Franklin, 13 yard pass from Tanner Rust 7 7 SECOND QUARTER SCORING NMSU WTU 13:24 (WTU) TD: Tyree Melton, 4 yard run 7 14 9:11 (NMSU) TD: Amir Walters, 2 yard run 14 14 0:09 (WTU) FG: Caleb Reynolds, 49 yard kick 14 17 THIRD QUARTER SCORING NMSU WTU 6:24 (WTU) TD: DeShaun Sands, 12 yard run 14 24 FOURTH QUARTER SCORING NMSU WTU 10:48 (WTU) TD: Andrew Brown, 4 yard run 14 31 Comment
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AROUND THE LEAGUE
-WEEK FIVE-
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Screw SMU! You goin 3-1 man! Sands is going off as well.
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Some BIG news out of the Sun Belt conference:
Troy' senior quarterback Corey Robinson (95 OVR) suffered a foot fracture in the team's 24-19 loss to Ohio last week, and will miss the rest of the regular season (10 weeks). Robinson completed 69% of his passes for 1,064 yards, 13 touchdowns, and just one interception in his first four games, and led the nation with a QB rating of 211.2 as well as in passing TDs and completion percentage. He was one of my personal early favorites to win the Heisman this year. Replacing him will be true sophomore Ryan Hackett (67 OVR).
Ladies and gentlemen, the race for the Sun Belt conference title is now wide open! Although it is sad to see such a great player end his collegiate career on a sour note.Comment
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WEEK SIX
SMU MUSTANGS (3-1, 2-0)
VS.
WEST TEXAS OUTLAWS (2-1, 0-0)
The Mustangs played four games in September, all of them on the road. Normally, it's a tall order to expect a team to win even half of those games, but SMU defied all expectations by making a clean sweep of their opponents, finishing off the four-week road stretch with a convincing 35-10 win over in-state foe West Texas.
While they weren't as impressive offensively as they had been in recent weeks, the Mustangs still put up 328 total offensive yards and 35 points in the victory. They were led by junior quarterback Stephen Kaiser (pictured above), who completed 14 of 27 passes for 190 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, and also scored on the ground to account for four of the team's five touchdowns on the day. His go-to man was the ever-present Keenan Holeman, who broke the 500-yard mark on the season with six catches for 112 yards and a touchdown. Kaiser also received a healthy dose of help from the ground game, where runningbacks K.C. Nlemchi and Darryl Fields combined for 135 yards and a touchdown off 27 carries, average five yards per touch. As for the defense, SMU recorded one sack, forced two turnovers, and limited the Outlaws to less than 100 passing yards.
As for the home team, Charles Dickson continued to struggle under center, completing 9 of 24 passes for 97 yards and an interception on Saturday. DeShaun Sands had another outstanding performance, rushing for 151 yards off 33 carries, and leading the receiving corps with three catches for 41 yards, but couldn't carry the offense to victory by himself. Defensively, the Outlaws recorded four sacks and an interception, but couldn't contain the Mustangs when it mattered the most: in the redzone. In their five redzone trips, SMU scored four touchdowns, effectively sealing the game in the third quarter when they scored 21 unanswered points.
The team's impressive performance in the opening weeks of the season has SMU fans excited for 2013, but the next week weeks will be very telling. The Mustangs will return home in October to host conference foes Rutgers (2-3), Connecticut (3-2), and #23 USF (4-1) before getting a much-deserved bye week. As for the Outlaws, they'll look to get back on the winning track next week when they travel to face off against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (1-3).
Southern Methodist Mustangs at West Texas Outlaws Sep 28, 2013 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH SCORE Southern Methodist Mustangs (4-1, 2-0) 7 7 21 0 35 West Texas Outlaws (2-2, 0-0) 3 0 0 7 10 Team Stats Comparison SMU WTU Total Offense 328 262 Rushing Yards 138 165 Passing Yards 190 97 First Downs 20 18 Punt Return Yards 45 20 Kick Return Yards 35 102 Total Yards 408 384 Turnovers 1 2 3rd Down Converstion 7-14 (50%) 5-14 (35%) 4th Down Conversion 2-2 (100%) 2-2 (100%) 2-Point Conversion 0-0 (0%) 0-0 (0%) Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals 5-4-0 (80%) 2-1-1 (100%) Penalties 6-65 11-85 Posession Time 30:14 29:41 Scoring Summary FIRST QUARTER SCORING SMU WTU 4:31 (WTU) FG: Caleb Reynolds, 21 yard kick 0 3 0:46 (SMU) TD: Darryl Fields, 6 yard run 7 3 SECOND QUARTER SCORING SMU WTU 5:57 (SMU) TD: M. Holyfield, 6 yard pass from Stephen Kasier 14 3 THIRD QUARTER SCORING SMU WTU 11:43 (SMU) TD: A. Miller, 30 yard pass from Stephen Kaiser 21 3 5:13 (SMU) TD: Stephen Kaiser, 1 yard run 28 3 1:21 (SMU) TD: Keenan Holeman, 15 yard pass from Stephen Kaiser 35 3 FOURTH QUARTER SCORING SMU WTU 10:17 (WTU) TD: Derrick Thomas, 2 yard run 35 10 Comment
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AROUND THE LEAGUE
-WEEK SIX-
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WEEK SEVEN
WEST TEXAS OUTLAWS (2-2, 0-0)
VS.
LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS (1-3, 0-0)
The Bulldogs fully expected DeShaun Sands to show up in a big way on Saturday. What they didn't see coming was the play of Charles Dickson, who put up one of his best performances of the season as the Outlaws finished their non-conference schedule on a high note with a solid 34-17 victory over Louisiana Tech.
Charles Dickson didn't exactly light the world on fire, but he played very well considering his past, completing 60% of his 22 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown, and most importantly no interceptions. His go-to man was senior Michael Maynard, who had six catches for 67 yards. Naturally, it was DeShaun Sands who took center stage once again, rushing for 146 yards and two touchdowns in the second half off 29 carries for an average of five yards per touch. Sand is just 177 yards away from breaking the 1,000-yard mark on the season, and is 2nd in the NCAA in rushing yards behind South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore. Defensively, the Outlaws recorded four sacks and forced a turnover in addition to holding their opponents to fourteen points in three redzone trips.
As for the Bulldogs, senior quarterback Zach Griffith completed just 16 of his 38 attempted passes for 172 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. His biggest target was senior Andrew Guillot, who had four catches for 78 yards, while true sophomore tight end Matt McCoy caught a team-leading seven balls for 48 yards and a score. On the ground, senior runningbacks Tyrone Duplessis and Lyle Fitte combined for 91 yards and a touchdown off 22 carries. Louisiana Tech's defense recorded three sacks, but couldn't force any game-changing turnovers, and allowed the Outlaws to put points on the board in all six of their redzone trips.
Louisiana Tech's non-conference schedule has come to a merciful end, and the team will now turn to trying to salvage their season with a solid showing in the C-USA. They'll kick off their conference schedule with a road game against winless Appalachian State (0-4) next week. As for the Outlaws, they are now winners in three of their last four games, and will look to carry that momentum into next week's road contest against the Troy Trojans (3-3, 0-2), their 2013 Sun Belt conference opener.
West Texas Outlaws at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Oct 5, 2013 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH SCORE West Texas Outlaws (3-2, 0-0) 3 14 7 10 34 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (1-4, 0-0) 7 0 10 0 17 Team Stats Comparison WTU LT Total Offense 330 285 Rushing Yards 170 113 Passing Yards 160 182 First Downs 21 18 Punt Return Yards 47 22 Kick Return Yards 129 171 Total Yards 506 478 Turnovers 0 1 3rd Down Converstion 3-11 (27%) 6-16 (37%) 4th Down Conversion 1-1 (100%) 0-2 (0%) 2-Point Conversion 0-0 (0%) 0-0 (0%) Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals 6-4-2 (100%) 3-2-0 (66%) Penalties 5-57 12-93 Posession Time 32:24 27:36 Scoring Summary FIRST QUARTER SCORING WTU LT 5:51 (LT) TD: Tyrone Duplessis, 2 yard run 0 7 4:03 (WTU) FG: Caleb Reynolds, 36 yard kick 3 7 SECOND QUARTER SCORING WTU LT 9:53 (WTU) TD: Chad Clark, 4 yard pass from Charles Dickson 10 7 4:30 (WTU) TD: Joe Lilly, 1 yard run 17 7 THIRD QUARTER SCORING WTU LT 6:26 (LT) TD: Matt McCoy, 6 yard pass from Zach Griffith 17 14 3:29 (WTU) TD: DeShaun Sands, 4 yard run 24 14 0:58 (LT) FG: DeAndre Chapman, 38 yard kick 24 17 FOURTH QUARTER SCORING WTU LT 10:45 (WTU) TD: DeShaun Sands, 5 yard run 31 17 4:01 (WTU) FG: Caleb Reynolds, 42 yard kick 34 17 Comment
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AROUND THE LEAGUE
-WEEK SEVEN-
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WEEK EIGHT
WEST TEXAS OUTLAWS (3-2, 0-0)
VS.
TROY TROJANS (3-3, 0-2)
Troy entered Saturday's contest with a +13 turnover differential, the best in the nation...but against the Outlaws, the tables were turned. While the Trojans' ball-hawking defense forced just one turnover, West Texas recorded three interceptions, recovered a fumble, and scored a defensive touchdown which allowed their offense to build a 28-0 lead in the first half and cruise to victory in their Sun Belt conference opener.
Midway through his second full season as starter, junior quarterback Charles Dickson seems to finally be hitting his stride. Against the Trojans, Dickson completed 13 of 18 passes for 158 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. A healthy chunk of those yards went to senior C.J. Bellamy, who had six catches for 103 yards and a score. As for the ground game, DeShaun Sands rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns off 22 carries for an average of 4.7 yards per touch. Backup runningback Andrew Brown also saw his fair amount of playing time, rushing for 68 yards off 20 carries. Defensively is where the Outlaws truly shined as they limited Troy to a 36% conversion rate on 3rd downs, and allowed just two touchdowns despite the Trojans racking up 387 total offensive yards. Senior Alfred Billings (SS) led the charge with five tackles, one sack, and an interception, while second-year freshman cornerback Thomas Bray (pictured above) recorded his team-leading third pick of the season, and returned it 71 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.
On the other side of the ball, true sophomore quarterback Ryan Hackett continued to struggle in his relief role for injured starter Corey Robinson, completing 43% of his 30 passes for 257 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. His biggest target was senior tight end Jim Teknipp, who had five catches for 159 yards and a score. Groundwise, backup runningback Justin Albert and Hackett combined for 127 yards off 25 carries for an average of five yards per touch, but four offensive turnovers doomed the Trojans from being competitive in this contest. Troy's defense recorded three sacks and an interception, but also allowed 353 total offensive yards, and 21 points in four redzone trips.
Troy has now suffered four straight losses since losing their star quarterback, including three inside the conference. But the team hopes to turn their fortunes around next week when they play host to Texas State (1-4, 0-0). Meanwhile, the Outlaws will get a week of rest before facing off against in-state foe North Texas (3-3, 1-0) in week ten.
West Texas Outlaws at Troy Trojans Oct 12, 2013 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH SCORE West Texas Outlaws (4-2, 1-0) 14 14 7 0 35 Troy Trojans (3-4, 0-3) 0 0 7 7 14 Team Stats Comparison WTU TROY Total Offense 353 387 Rushing Yards 169 130 Passing Yards 184 257 First Downs 20 12 Punt Return Yards 24 23 Kick Return Yards 61 102 Total Yards 438 512 Turnovers 1 4 3rd Down Converstion 8-16 (50%) 4-11 (36%) 4th Down Conversion 1-1 (100%) 1-1 (100%) 2-Point Conversion 0-0 (0%) 0-0 (0%) Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals 4-3-0 (75%) 1-1-0 (100%) Penalties 5-25 6-54 Posession Time 34:55 25:05 Scoring Summary FIRST QUARTER SCORING WTU TROY 5:32 (WTU) TD: Chad Clark, 6 yard pass from Charles Dickson 7 0 1:32 (WTU) TD: Thomas Bray, returned interception 71 yards 14 0 SECOND QUARTER SCORING WTU TROY 7:29 (WTU) TD: C.J. Bellamy, 19 yard pass from Charles Dickson 21 0 1:06 (WTU) TD: DeShaun Sands, 5 yard run 28 0 THIRD QUARTER SCORING WTU TROY 14:04 (TROY) TD: Jim Teknipp, 79 yard pass from Ryan Hackett 28 7 9:57 (WTU) TD: DeShaun Sands, 15 yard run 35 7 FOURTH QUARTER SCORING WTU TROY 1:45 (TROY) TD: Eric Thomas, 16 yard pass from Ryan Hackett 35 14 Comment
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4-2
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AROUND THE LEAGUE
-WEEK EIGHT-
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