Thursday, October 3, 2013

No. 4 West Texas A&M Hosts Central State for Homecoming 2013

CANYON, Texas – The No. 4 West Texas A&M football team returns home for Homecoming 2013 Saturday at 3 p.m. versus Central State (Ohio) at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium. The Buffs enter with a 4-0 record, while the Marauders are 0-4. WT is coming off of a 69-7 drubbing of Texas A&M-Kingsville last week, while Central State lost 73-6 to Football Championship Subdivision foe Tennessee State in St. Louis, Mo.

HOW TO CATCH THE GAME - The game will be streamed live on www.gobuffsgo.com and radio coverage can be heard throughout the Texas Panhandle on KGNC 710 AM with Neil Horn and Brice Sheets having the call. Live stats and links for the audio and video can be found at www.gobuffsgo.com. The game also can be heard on

THE SERIES - This is the first meeting between the two teams and the second consecutive season WT has played a team from Ohio. Last season WT won 33-28 at Ashland University in the second round of the NCAA playoffs. WT is 8-2 all-time against teams from Ohio.

HOMECOMING - WT is 42-26-2 all-time in Homecoming games and has won the past eight, outscoring the opposition 322-171. Last season WT blanked Abilene Christian 36-0 on Homecoming.



THE COACHES - West Texas A&M interim head coach Mike Nesbitt took over the reigns of the program on Aug. 22 after former head coach Don Carthel was relieved of his duties. Nesbitt is no stranger to WT as he was on Carthel's staff from 2007-2010 prior to stints at Stephen F. Austin and University of Houston before returning to Canyon for the 2013 season. Before taking over the interim duties, Nesbitt was assistant head coach and coached the offensive line.

Central State head coach E.J. Junior III is in his fifth season at the helm of the Marauders. He was an All-American linebacker at Alabama under Paul "Bear" Bryant where Junior helped lead the team to two national championships and was selected in the first round of the 1981 NFL draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He played 13 seasons in the NFL (1981-1993) and was a two-time Pro Bowl selection. He also played for the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Seattle Seahawks. He served with a number of NFL teams on the coaching staff and in the front office and was inducted into Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

A WIN OVER CENTRAL STATE WOULD. . .

Give WT a 5-0 record for the first time since 2008 (11-2, NCAA Second Round)
Be the first win in the series vs. Central State and ninth win against a team from Ohio in school history.
Give WT a 9-0 record in the past nine seasons on Homecoming
Be the 483rd win in school history and give WT a .500 record all-time (482-483-22)
Be the 43rd win on Homecoming (42-26-2)
Be the 188th home win since 1946 (187-147-4)

ON THIS DAY - The Buffs are 4-4 since 1946 on Oct. 5 and all eight games have been played at home. Angelo State won the last meeting on this day, 19-0 in 2002.

A LOOK AT CENTRAL STATE - The Marauders enter with an 0-4 record after a 73-6 loss in St. Louis, Mo., to Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) foe Tennessee State last Saturday. Central State has been outscored 195-52 thus far (48.75 ppg. to 13). Quarterback Michael Wilson has 243 rushing yards on the season and 203 passing yards, while Jonathon Jones leads the team in solo tackles averaging 4.3 per game and tackles for loss at 1.0 per game. Zachary Thomas leads the team in receiving yards per game at 42.0, while Aaron Wade leads the team in receptions per game at four. As a team, the Marauders are 17th nationally in passing yards allowed at 171.5 per game. They are 18th in punt returns at 16.33 per return.

BUFFS REMAIN FOURTH IN BOTH POLLS - The West Texas A&M Buffaloes remained fourth in both the AFCA Coaches Poll and the D2Football.com Poll this week. It is the fourth-straight week the Buffs have been fourth in both polls.

CASTILLO AND McCULLER NAMED LSC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK - Senior kicker Sergio Castillo, Jr., and senior linebacker Taylor McCuller were named LSC Players of the Week. It was the first weekly honor for Castillo this season and second for McCuller.

SPORTSCENTER TOP PLAYS - Senior wide receiver Nathan Slaughter had a spectacular one-handed catch which made ESPN Sportcenter's No. 7 Play that night. Chadron State running back Glen Clinton also had a play make the Top 10.

COURTESY WEST TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

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