SILVER CITY, N.M. – With the season quickly winding down, the Western New Mexico University football team is down to just three games. This week the Mustangs will welcome in Angelo State for another Lone Star Conference battle this Saturday with kickoff set for noon.
WNMU is 2-6 overall and 2-4 in the LSC after dropping a non-conference game at Fort Lewis this past weekend. The previous two home games, the Mustangs had their chances before falling just short to nationally-ranked Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Commerce.
The Mustangs average 28.6 points per game, while allowing 34.9. The pile up 406.4 yards and allow 446.8. The air raid has been in full effect with the team passing for 2,335 yards and 21 touchdowns. In terms of where the teams stands in the conference, WNMU lands in the top-five in several categories. The Mustangs are tied for the conference lead in both blocked punts (2) and blocked punts allowed (0), which ranks them 13th and first nationally. The team comes in third in the conference in fumbles lost (6), net punting (35.05), 44th nationally and in tackles for loss allowed (5.94), 63rd nationally. WNMU is fourth in the LSC in turnovers gained (17), 45th nationally, passing offense per game (291.9), 29th nationally, passes intercepted (9), 65th nationally and in third down conversion percentage (.385). The Mustangs also have a few in which they are fifth in the conference including blocked kicks (3), 47th nationally, fewest penalties (56), fewest penalties per game (7.00), first downs (165), fumbles recovered (8), 29th nationally, kickoff returns (20.58), passing yards allowed per game (213.5), passing yards per completion (12.97), punt returns (11.00) and sacks allowed (2.25).
Senior All-American wide receiver
Xavier Ayers (Albuquerque, NM/Albuquerque) is having another outstanding season and ranks high in a multitude of categories. He leads the conference in receiving touchdowns (9), 14th nationally, receiving yards (780), 26th nationally, receiving yards per game (97.5), 31st nationally and in receptions per game (7.1), 12th nationally. He is second in both total points scored (54) and total touchdowns (9). The person responsible for getting him the ball, senior
Javia Hall (Dallas, TX/Skyline) has his name all over the top of the charts as well. He leads the conference in points responsible for (134), 22nd nationally and is second in several areas including passing touchdowns (20), 18th nationally, passing yards (2,140), 23rd nationally and total offense per game (275.9), 40th nationally. He checks in third in completions per game (20.75), 32nd nationally and in points responsible for per game (16.8), 31st nationally. He is fourth in passing efficiency (141.2), passing yards per game (267.5), 30th nationally and in passing yards per completion (12.89). Redshirt freshman
Tyler Vargas (Ramona, CA/Ramona) is second in the conference and 18th nationally in punting (41.6) and is also in the top-10 in field goal percentage and field goals per game. Redshirt freshman
Romello Pritchett (North Las Vegas, NV/Legacy) is third in the conference and eighth nationally with two blocked kicks. Senior
Leo Marin (Carlsbad, CA/Carlsbad) is fifth in forced fumbles per game (.25), junior
Ian Davis (Grass Valley, CA/Nevada Union) and sophomore
Connor Mowat (Lahaina, HI/Lahainaluna) are tied for third and 13th nationally in fumbles recovered (2), Davis is second in interceptions per game (.4) freshman
Nolan Grigsby (Los Angeles, CA/Crenshaw) leads the conference in kickoff return average per game (26.3) and redshirt junior
Dominic Barry (Moreno Valley, CA/Vista Del Lago) averages 9.1 tackles per game to sit fourth in the conference.
Outside of those numbers, freshman
DeAndre Williams (Tucson, AZ/Tucson Magnet) leads the team on the ground with 77 carries for 388 yards and three scores. Redshirt junior
Tracy McNair (San Diego, CA/Morse) and senior
Preston Blincoe (El Centro, CA/Imperial) are each over 100 yards with McNair going for 159 yards on 27 carries and Blincoe with 155 on 38 attempts. Senior
Rodney Lawson (Hayward, CA/Patterson) is second to Ayers in receptions with 26 going for 281 yards and two scores. Sophomore tight end
Henry Norman (Fontana, CA/Henry J. Kaiser) continues to make and impact and is second on the team in receiving yards with 388 on 22 catches.
On defense, Barry leads the way with 73 total tackles, with 28 coming solo. He also is tied with senior
Steven Stewart (Fremont, CA/Irvington) in tackles for loss with six, has 1.5 sacks, three pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. Stewart is second in tackles with 47. He is tied with junior
Aaron Leauma (San Marcos, CA/Mission Hills) in sacks with two, Davis leads in interceptions with three and senior
Alfonso Wilson (San Diego, CA/Morse) has seven pass breakups.
Angelo State has had a rough season so far and are 3-5 overall and 2-4 in the conference and are currently on a two-game losing streak having fallen to Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Commerce. They are 2-3 away from home this season. The Rams average 21.63 points per game and allow 31.75. They pile up 330.3 yards per game and allow 353.9.
Josh Stevens powers the rushing attack with 757 yards on 155 attempts and four scores. Carsen Cook (301) and Trey Green (238) each have over 200 yards on the ground. Cook has been the main QB throwing for 646 yards, completing 64-133 with six touchdowns. Jake Faber has also seen time, completing 37-72 for 480 yards, but has thrown just one TD to eight INT. Donovan Thompson has caught 42 passes for 360 yards. Mark Munson leads the team with four TD, catching 17 for 298 yards.
On defense, Justin Jackson leads the team with 66 tackles, 36 solo. Willie Brown adds 64 stops. Jackson had 8.5 tackles for loss and two INT. Markus Jones leads the way in sacks with 6.5 and has seven QB hurries.
Live video, stats and audio will be available for the game with Mike Rowse on the call for KSCQ 92.9 and streamed live beginning with the pregame show 30 minutes prior to kickoff.
