In the second game of their four-game homestand, the Texas A&M University-Kingsville Javelinas outlasted the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys, 33-10, at Pepsi Field at Javelina Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28.
On a cloudy fall night in Kingsville, in front of 2,842 fans in attendance, the blue and gold would go into battle with another non-conference opponent. The Cowboys from Las Vegas, N.M., won the opening toss of the game and would drive the ball down the field on the first possession of the game. The defense for the Javelinas would stiffen up, and hold the Cowboys to an early 3-0 lead off a 49-yard field goal by Isreal Farfan. After the first score of the game, the Javelinas would not look back.
Koy Detmer Jr. led the offense down the field, but would eventually fall short of the goal line as Julio De La Garza would put it through the uprights to even the score at 3-3 at 6 minutes in the first quarter. After the early score from the offense, the defense led by Caleb Valentine, Tre’Michael Tutt and Brandon Jones found their rhythm for the remainder of the first quarter as they would only allow 44 yards in three possessions to end the quarter. While the defense was in sync, the offense would do the same, as Detmer would find Devin Milburn for 48 yards into the end zone to increase the lead to 9-3 (extra point: fumbled). Then, in the ensuing offensive possession, on the first play of the drive from the TAMUK 31, Nick Pelrean found himself in the end zone after a 69-yard touchdown run to put the home team in front, 16-3. After the scores, each teams’ defensives would get stops to give their offensives a chance. At the 5:12 mark in the second quarter, a key defensive interception of Detmer by Cowboys’ Malik Brown put the visitors in the red zone of the blue and gold. On the next play of the Cowboys’ offensive drive, Danny Cameron completed a 3-yard touchdown strike to D. McIntyre to inch closer at 16-10 with 5:12 left in the game. The Javelinas were forced to a three-and-out on the next possession, but the defense of Texas A&M-Kingsville would respond as Nick Stiff intercepted Cameron to put the Javelinas in good shape for their next possession. The offense would respond to the momentum of their defense, because Jeff Carr would rush for 55 yards to the end zone to increase the lead for the Javelinas, 23-10. Unfourtanely, as they did for most of the night, the Cowboys would capitalize on an unsportsmanlike penalty from Valentine as Cameron threw another touchdown pass to Jason Aguirre for 1-yard to make the score 23-17 at the break.
The Javelinas would receive the opening kickoff of the second half, and the offense led by the balanced attack of Pelrean, Oglesby, Dilworth, Detmer, and Carr for the entire night drove the ball down the field but would settle for a Julio De La Garza field goal kick to increase the lead to 26-17. As they did all night, New Mexico Highlands would counter with a bizarre play that would end up in the end zone, as Aguirre recovered a forced fumble by Valentine and take it 33-yards to the end zone to decrease the deficit, 26-24 with 8:47 in the third quarter. Neither offense would capitalize on defensive stands in the third quarter. So, heading into the final quarter at Pepsi Field at Javelina Stadium, it would be 26-24 Javelinas.
The Cowboys opened up the fourth quarter with a six-play, 99-yard drive that would be capped off with a Kamari Mosby 1-yard rush to put the Cowboys up 30-26 early in the fourth. This would be their first lead since the first quarter. Later in the quarter, the Javelinas faced a third- and-14, but Detmer maneuvered through pressure to find Dilworth for a 34-yard conversion. Then, he later found Ryan Martinez to convert on yet another third down. The drive would be capped off with an unbelievable over the shoulder pass from Detmer to Donovan Moore for 30-yards to put the Javelinas back ahead, 33-30. From this point forward in the game, everything would be focused on a key defensive stand to end the game, and the Javelinas defense would do just that as they forced the Cowboys to a turnover on downs to end the game.
Final stats:
Koy Detmer Jr. 18-30, 296 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
Jeff Carr: 10 attempts, 107 yards, 1 touchdown
Nick Pelrean: 10 attempts, 83 yards, 1 touchdown
Aaron Dilworth: 2 receptions, 98 yards
Roe Posada: 8 receptions, 59 yards
Caleb Valentine: 9 tackles, 1 forced fumble
Payton Hendrix: 9 tackles
After the game in McCulley Hall at the post-game conference, head coach Darren Wilkinson discussed his thoughts about the game.
“It is always great to get a victory,” he said. “A lot of credit goes to them (New Mexico Highlands). We did a great job on offense and controlled the football while doing things we needed to do. The biggest thing as a football team I see is that we have to be smarter, we had 15 penalties. We have to fix personal foul penalties. We talked this week about controlling what we can control. We can’t count on having help from those guys in the stripes all the time, they do their jobs. We have to go play every play. I’m proud of the way our team battled back.”
Detmer discussed the team’s passing attack.
“We felt the way their defensive schematic was, we could go deep,” he said. “We put the challenge on our receivers this week saying this is you all’s week. It was key to our game plan.”
Detmer discussed the winning score to Moore.
“We felt the way Donovan was playing, we felt we could do a lot on number 20 (the corner for Cowboys). We got on the field, and we got what we wanted and executed it,” Detmer said.
Carr talked about the successes early in the game.
“We just got out into space, and the O Line getting bodies out of the way, and just letting us do what we do,” Carr said.
As far as Wilkinson’s message to the team going forward for the upcoming weeks, he told his team to have fun.
“Have fun, and play hard. Good things happen in the game of football when you play hard,” he said. “When you do things correctly, good things will happen. Guys made plays when they were asked to, and it was a good thing.”
The Javelinas next play at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at Pepsi Field at Javelina Stadium to face Western Oregon on Family Weekend sponsored by Pueblo Tires & Services to continue their four-game homestand.