West Texas A&M waited until the second half to get rolling Saturday night, but once the Buffaloes found their rhythm, Angelo State couldn't slow them down.

Tory Simmons rushed for 133 yards and three touchdowns as WT erased a 12-point deficit and scored 27 second-half points to knock off Angelo State, 27-19, at LeGrand Stadium in San Angelo.

The victory gave the Buffaloes a strong start to Lone Star Conference play and ended a long drought in the Concho Valley. WT had not won on the road against the Rams since 2018.

For much of the first half, it looked like points might be hard to come by.

WT turned the ball over on its opening possession, giving Angelo State a short field. The Buffaloes defense responded immediately, however, keeping the Rams off the scoreboard when a 44-yard field goal attempt missed.

That became a theme for the WT defense.

Early in the second quarter, Quincy Eutsay and Johnny Taylor III combined to sack Angelo State quarterback Ayden Arp on third down. Herschel Craig III followed with a blocked field goal to keep the game scoreless.

Angelo State finally broke through just before halftime. Taking possession with 1:14 remaining, the Rams went 79 yards and scored on a two-yard touchdown pass from Arp to Donny Bishop. A botched snap on the extra point left ASU with a 6-0 halftime advantage.

Things got worse for the Buffs immediately after the break.

Angelo State drove 75 yards in six plays, with Cameron Dischler scoring from one yard out. The Rams failed on the two-point conversion but suddenly held a 12-0 lead.

That's when the game changed.

WT answered with its best possession of the night, going 72 yards in seven plays. Knox Porter connected with Joseph White for a nine-yard touchdown, with replay overturning the original call and putting the Buffaloes on the board at 12-7.

The momentum didn't stop there.

Dayton Navy intercepted Arp on Angelo State's next possession, giving the WT offense another opportunity. Seven plays later, Simmons broke loose for a 44-yard touchdown run that gave the Buffaloes their first lead at 14-12.

Angelo State responded, with Dischler scoring on a 15-yard run to put the Rams back in front, 19-14.

But Simmons was just getting started.

WT benefited from a personal foul and an overturned fumble call on its next possession before converting a critical fourth down. Simmons finished the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run, putting the Buffs ahead 20-19 with 7:54 remaining.

The Buffaloes defense then forced a turnover on downs, and Simmons delivered the knockout punch on the very next snap.

The WT running back raced 49 yards for his third touchdown of the night, stretching the lead to 27-19 and putting the Rams in desperation mode.

Angelo State made one final push deep into WT territory, but Eutsay stopped Arp on fourth down to slam the door. From there, the Buffaloes ran out the clock and celebrated a hard-earned conference road victory.

Porter finished 23-of-35 passing for 159 yards and a touchdown. Trace Clarkson was his favorite target, hauling in 10 passes for 74 yards, while White finished with 39 receiving yards and the touchdown.

Defensively, Lucas Jarnagin led WT with 10 tackles, including eight solo stops and a tackle for loss. Miles Hill added eight tackles.

Still, Saturday night belonged to Simmons and a Buffaloes team that refused to let a 12-point second-half deficit spoil its conference opener.

WT scored all 27 of its points after halftime, came up with timely defensive stops and left San Angelo with a win that had been eight years in the making.

Now the Buffaloes head home.

WT returns to Canyon next weekend to face Midwestern State in another Lone Star Conference matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium.