West Texas A&M begins a new era of Buffalo Football on Saturday afternoon as they travel to Gunnison, Colorado to take on the Western Colorado Mountaineers with kickoff set for 2:00 p.m. CT at Katy O. Rady Field.
A LOOK AT THE MOUNTAINEERS
Western Colorado finished off the 2022 campaign with an overall record of 7-4 including a 7-2 mark in RMAC play to finish third in the league standings.
The Mountaineers averaged 31.3 points per game last season while allowing 25.6 per contest. Deyvon Butler is the top returning rusher for the Mountaineers as the senior from Thortnon, Colorado registered 318 yards on the ground with five touchdowns. Ethan Sanchez Maxwell anchors WCU's defense as the senior from Albuquerque registered 51 total tackles (6.5 for loss) last season to go along with four interceptions.
WCU HEAD COACH JAS BAINS
Jas Bains enters his 13th season at the helm of the Western Colorado football team in 2023, the second-longest consecutive tenure in the program's history. He is 44-79 during his time in Gunnison.
THE SERIES
The Buffaloes and Mountaineers meet for the eighth time in school history on the gridiron on Saturday afternoon. WT is a perfect 7-0 all-time in the series that dates back to 1938. The Buffs are 2-0 all-time in Gunnison and Saturday marks their first trip since 2013. The game will be played at Katy O. Rady Soccer Field due to the ongoing renovation construction at the Mountaineer Bowl.
HEAD COACH JOSH LYNN
Josh Lynn is in his first season at the helm of the West Texas A&M Football program after being named the 29th head coach in program history in December of 2022.
Lynn, widely regarded as one of the nation's up-and-coming head coaches, came to Canyon following six seasons at the University of Nebraska-Kearney where he led the Lopers to an overall record of 35-25 including a run to the Second Round of the 2021 NCAA Division II Playoffs. Lynn coached 61 all-conference selections during his time in Kearney while being named the MIAA Coach of the Year in 2021.
THIS IS LSC FOOTBALL
LSC football began in 1931. Texas A&M-Kingsville posts a conference-best 27 championships, with its first coming in 1959 and last in 2009. West Texas A&M (1986, 2005-2007 and 2012) has won five LSC crowns.
LSC PRESEASON POLL
The Buffaloes have been tabbed fifth in the 2023 Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll announced during the league's annual Football Media Day.
Defending LSC Champion Angelo State picked up 25 of the possible 27 first place votes for a total of 241 points to sit atop of the poll followed by Central Washington (one first place, 198), Texas A&M-Kingsville (174), Midwestern State (147), West Texas A&M (123), Western Oregon (one first place, 118), UT Permian Basin (98), Eastern New Mexico (59) and Western New Mexico (57).
OPENING THE SEASON
The Buffs open their 111th season of collegiate football on Saturday afternoon as they are 49-61 all-time in season openers. WT has claimed three straight victories on opening night against Azusa Pacific (2019), Oklahoma Panhandle State (2020), Texas College (2021) and Western Colorado (2022).
WT has averaged 23.5 points per game during their opener as they have outscored their opponents 2,608-1,998 dating back to the 1910 campaign.
HOME OF CHAMPIONS
West Texas A&M is home to one of the most successful athletic programs in all of NCAA Division II.
For just second consecutive season, the Buffs and Lady Buffs finished second in the Division II LEARFIELD Director's Cup standings. It marked the fifth straight and seventh overall time that WT has finished inside of the Top-10 including the fourth straight inside of the Top-5.
ON THIS DAY
The Buffs are 2-4 all-time on September 2nd with all six contests being played in Canyon.
1978 - Mississippi State - L, 28-10
1989 - Sacramento State - L, 35-22
1995 - Western New Mexico - W, 35-23
2010 - Grand Valley State - L, 34-31
2017 - Azusa Pacific - L, 34-13
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