The road woes for West Texas A&M continued Saturday afternoon as they dropped a 41-37 Lone Star Conference contest to the Western New Mexico Mustangs at Altamirano Field in Silver City, New Mexico.
The Mustangs started off the scoring in the first as Devin Larsen found Vincent Rankin from 30 yards out for a touchdown and the 7-0 lead. The Buffs would get on the board later in the quarter as Gage Urias connected on a 23-yard field goal to finish off a 16-play drive to make it 7-3.
The WT defense forced a punt on Western's next drive to setup a 21-yard keeper by Nick Gerber for the 10-7 lead. Cole Oster came up with a big sack on the next Mustang drive to hold WNMU to a 21-yard field goal by Adrian Zamudio. WNMU would take advantage of a fumbled punt return as Larsen found Charles Byers from 27 yards out for the 17-10 lead.
WT used the long ball on their next possession as Gerber connected with Noah Bogardus from 64-yards out to finish off a four-play drive to tie it up again at 17-17. WNMU would drive down the field on their next possession as Zamudio hit a 21-yard field goal with just 22 seconds left in the half for a 20-17 lead. The Buffs would respond again as a four-play drive was finished off by a 45-yard field goal from Urias to send the teams into the locker room tied at 20-20.
The second half started off with a seven-play Mustang drive down the field highlighted by a Maurice Smith three-yard touchdown rush for the 27-20 lead. The Buffs would respond again as they went 75 yards in just three plays as Gerber found Tyler Sweet for a 61-yard touchdown pass to tie it up at 27-27.
The Mustangs would answer with a long drive of their own as they went 75 yards on 12 plays capped off by a Larsen one-yard touchdown rush for the 34-27 lead. WT would cut into the lead on their next possession as Urias hit from 38-yards out to make it 34-30.
The Buffs would retake the lead again later in the quarter as Gerber found Shakell Brown from 28 yards out for a 37-34 advantage. WNMU drove down the field and won the game late in the fourth as they used a fourth and long conversion inside of WT territory leading to a Larsen two-yard touchdown run with just seven seconds left for the 41-37 win.
Gerber finished the afternoon completing 18-of-28 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns to go along with 57 yards on the ground on five carries and a score. Jarrod Compton carried the ball 15 times for 56 yards followed by Isaiah Smallwood who finished with 36 yards on the ground. Bogardus led the WT receiving core with 86 yards on three catches and a touchdown.
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