WTAMU players pick up the Wagon Wheel trophy for the 5th year in a row Saturday. They defeated Eastern New Mexico 34-24 and now prepare to take on No. 1 Abilene Christian. Photo by MICHAEL JOHNSON
“Every day we have been talking about it, let’s get that wagon wheel and run up that hill,” said WT’s strong safety Shad Baichtal.
“We put our foot to the ground and said this is a game we are going to keep in people’s minds and send a little message out there to everyone that we are playing.
“This year hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to, but tonight we proved what we can do.”
In conjunction to fighting for the Wagon Wheel trophy, WT also celebrated their Homecoming and the win gave a breath of hope to a season that has been seemingly sidelined by an array of injuries.
For the first time in the 2009 season, Keithon Flemming came off the injured list and started for the Buffs.
He did not waste time making his presence known, rushing 15 times, receiving 10 catches and finding the end-zone one time through a 15 yard pass from quarterback Taylor Harris.
“It’s been a long time since I played and it feels good to be out there,” Flemming said.
Harris also had a stellar performance completing 27 passes, for 371 yards and three touchdowns.
Harris only let one slip into defender’s hands and evaded all defensive pressure, thanks to his offensive line’s efforts.
Wide receiver Stephen Burton and Josephius Martin provided easy targets as Harris delivered the ball to them five times each for 87 yards and 77, respectively.
With this confidence booster under their belts, the Buffaloes must now prepare to face another No. 1 ranked team.
Abilene Christian continued their seven win streak as they took down No. 23 Angelo State, 38-14, last weekend.
The Wildcats seem to be firing on all cylinders this year as the offense averages 401 yards and 71 plays per game.
This dominance not only allows the offense to eat away the clock, but also move the ball with precision through the air and on the ground, alike.
Abilene has also posted relatively few offensive errors. The team has not thrown more than two interceptions or lost more than two fumbles in any one game.
The ACU defense is also going to pose a problem for the Buff offense.
They have limited their opponents to an average of 241 yards per game and only allowing a 29 percent conversion rate on third-down attempts.
This offense and defense will be by far the biggest test of WT, just shy of Grand Valley State.
“It’s just another game for us, we can’t look at a national championship game,” Harris said.
“We have to come in and get prepared and go at them. It’s a challenge and we like it that way.”
WT must look to duplicate their performance against Eastern New Mexico, capturing 300 yards or more from the Wildcats.
Offensive dominance will steal valuable time from the Wildcat possession time and provide ample time for the defense to recover.
The game will kickoff at 2 p.m. Saturday at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene.
