Special teams play led to two early touchdowns for No. 14 West Texas A&M en route to a 45-14 win over Texas A&M University-Commerce at Kimbrough Stadium on Saturday night.
The Lions (1-3) utilized two quarterbacks – Terry Mayo and Trent Miller – in the defeat. A&M-Commerce completed 17-of-39 passes for 165 yards and one touchdown. Mayo and Miller spread the 17 receptions among seven-different receivers.
Junior punter Daniel Swaim had six punts for 313 yards, including a career-long 70 yard punt.
West Texas A&M (3-0) quarterback Keith Null completed passes to 11-different receivers en route to throwing for a career-high 394 yards. One of his favorite receivers on the night was running back Keithon Flemming, who hauled in a team-high eight passes for 115 yards; in addition to 82 yards on the ground.
Null completed six of seven passes, including a 23-yard strike to Kolo Kapanui for an early 7-0 lead. The Lions fumbled the ball on their first play from scrimmage and WT capitalized, going nine plays and 35 yards for a 10-0 advantage.
Null continued to maneuver his way through the Lion defense. He completed seven-straight attempts; however, two incompletions set up a 4th and goal from the Lions 3. After a WT time out, head coach Don Carthel called for a fake field goal and holder Matt Manley rushed up the left side for a three-yard touchdown to put the Buffalos in front 17-0.
Behind 17-0, sophomore quarterback Trent Miller entered the game for the Lions, marching A&M-Commerce down the field on the strength of Nabil El-Amin running. The junior running back picked up 15 yards on a third and 14 play to keep an A&M-Commerce drive alive. El-Amin and the arm of Miller continued to
move the Lions down the field. Facing third and goal, the Buffalos held the Lions off the scoreboard when Steve Allen picked off a pass in the end zone.
West Texas A&M added to its lead when Keyon Kiles blocked a Swaim punt and Cashmin Thomas picked it up and ran 18 yards to extend the lead to 24-0. The Buffalos came back to recover the ensuing on-side kick. Three plays later, junior Courtney Edmond picked off a Null pass and returned it 65 yards to set up first and 10 at the A&M-Commerce 26. Next, a pair of completions by Terry Mayo to Anthony Eustace set the stage for the first touchdown reception of the career of freshman wide receiver Chris Miller.
On third and goal, the Carrollton, Texas native settled in between a pair of WT defensive backs for the touchdown to trim the lead to 24-7 heading into the halftime break.
WT added to its lead in the second half on its first drive when Fleming scored on a 44-yard touchdown run. The lead remained 31-7 until Null completed his second touchdown pass of the contest, hooking up with B.J. Vickers on a two-yard touchdown pass that culminated with a 14-play, 74-yard drive that took nearly six minutes off the c lock.
After a Miller interception, the lead grew to 45-7 when Taylor Harris hooked up with Vickers for a 36-yard touchdown pass.
In the final drive of the game, Miller completed three passes to Eustace, ending with a 26-yard touchdown strike for the final margin.
The Lions will remain on the road for its next contest when they travel to Stephenville, Texas to face Tarleton State in a 7 p.m. kickoff.
NOTES: Entering his senior season, JaMichael Palmer had made only two career catches. Through the first four games in 2007, Palmer has hauled in a team-leading 13 receptions and three touchdowns. The 65-yard interception by Courtney Edmond was the longest return since the 90-yard interception return by Chris Boykins, who would go on to run it back for a touchdown, against Midwestern State on Sept. 23, 2000. Edmond has led the Lions in tackles in two of the four games for A&M-Commerce from his safety position. In his most significant action to date, junior linebacker Alonzo Meinfield made the most of his action against West Texas A&M to make five tackles, including a team-high two for minus four yards. Freshman Chris Miller hauled in his first touchdown pass in the defeat. He caught an 11-yard touchdown reception from Terry Mayo between two West Texas defenders. He becomes the sixth-different person to haul in a touchdown reception in 2007; whereas, in 2006 only three players caught touchdown passes.