ARLINGTON, Texas – Geremy Alridge-Mitchell ran for 236 yards and three touchdowns, while Ethan Brinkley tossed three TD passes – providing West Texas A&M’s final three scores – to lead the Buffaloes to a wild 52-38 win over Tarleton State in the Lone Star Football Festival on Saturday at AT&T Stadium.
It was the Lone Star Conference opener for West Texas A&M (2-1, 1-0 LSC) and Tarleton State (0-2, 0-1 LSC), who were tied at three different times – 14-14, 31-31 and 38-38 – and combined for exactly 1,000 yards of offense. The 90 combined points were the most ever in the five-year history of the festival.
The only scores in the fourth quarter were both by the arm of Brinkley, who finished 15 of 22 without an interception. He broke the 38-38 tie at the 14:15 mark by connecting with Xavier Amey from 53 yards out. After the Buffaloes’ defense forced a three-and-out, Brinkley engineered a seven-play, 52-yard drive that ended in a 24-yard strike to Dimitri Donald to provide the final outcome.
TSU jumped out to a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter using an 8-yard TD pass to Cooper Cole from Zed Woerner and an 8-yard run by Jabari Anderson. WT cranked out two scores of its own with Alridge-Mitchell 55-yard and 29-yard scampers, respectively.
TSU regained the lead with 6:33 left in the first half on a 22-yard field goal from Blake Barnes. WT responded with two TDs to take a 28-17 lead at halftime thanks to a Davontae Merriweather 43-yard interception return and an Alridge-Mitchell 6-yard run.
TSU came out strong of the locker room as Chase Varnado returned a fumble 48 yards for a score and Anderson ran 7 yards for a TD. Those two scores sandwiched a 52-yard field goal by WT’s Conner Hollabaugh.
With the score knotted at 31-31 with 4:49 left in the third quarter, Brinkley hit Word Hudson for a 73-yard TD. Once again, TSU tied it right back up as Zach Henshaw barreled in from 1 yard out.
Trevor Myklebust led WT with 17 tackles. Hunter Streuling had 13 stops and a fumble recovery, while Merriweather added 11 tackles. The Buffaloes produced 4.5 sacks for a loss of 42 yards. RaShawn DuPree had an interception. WT overcame 18 penalties for 227 yards.
Worner finished 36 of 57 for 327 yards and one TD. Daniel McCants had 91 yards on the ground, Anderson scored two rushing TDs and Henshaw – who wowed the crowd by hurdling a defender in the fourth quarter – added one score and caught nine passes for 68 yards. Kevin Baker had a game-high 18 tackles, while Varnado and Savion Washington had nine stops each.
Both teams continue LSC play on Sept. 26. West Texas A&M hosts Angelo State with a 5 p.m. kickoff, while Tarleton travels to Midwestern State for a 7 p.m. start.
The one-day, six-team Lone Star Football Festival concludes at 7:30 p.m. with Angelo State playing Bacone (Okla.). The event began with Midwestern State topping Eastern New Mexico 28-24.
2015 Lone Star Football Festival
AT&T Stadium / Arlington, Texas
(All times CT)
Saturday, Sept. 19
Midwestern State 28, Eastern New Mexico 24
West Texas A&M 52, Tarleton State 38
Bacone vs. Angelo State, 7:30 p.m.