Last Second touchdown hands WTAMU football second straight heartbreaking loss

Though there is much growth and improvement seen in this year’s West Texas A&M football team, the 2023 season has been defined so far much like the 2022 campaign was.

Heartbreaking.

For the second straight week, WTAMU suffered a gut-wrenching defeat in the closing moments. Last week, it was a missed overtime two-point conversion at UT-Permian Basin. On Saturday, it was a last second touchdown pass and wild ending that led to a WTAMU missed field goal that gave Western Oregon a thrilling 37-36 win in front of an announced 6,553 fans at Bain-Schaeffer Buffaloes Stadium.

It’s the Buffs second straight one-point loss and the sixth dating back to last season.

This finish was as wild as any fan will see at any level of college football. With WTAMU leading 36-30 with 5:13 to play, UWO took a calculated 10-play, 69-yard drive right at the Buff defense behind powerful running and a clutch 41-yard seam pass from quarterback Gannon Winker to tight end Kade Hustler setting the Wolves up first and goal with two minutes remaining.

UWO ran three plays for six yards, then decided to run the clock down to six seconds for a fourth and ballgame at the WTAMU three-yard line.

“That was our plan, “Western Oregon head coach Arne Ferguson said. “We were going to win it or lose it on that fourth downplay.”

On that fourth and ballgame, Winker hit receiver Brenden Hodges, who had broken inside of WTAMU linebacker Koby King for a three-yard slant that tied the game up 36-36 with two seconds left. The extra-point was good, and the game looked over at 37-36.

But this is where things started picking back up. WTAMU took over at the 25-yard line with one play left. Freshman quarterback Kannon Gibson rolled to his right and delivered a desperation heave that was answered by receiver Kenneath Redd for 34 yards. On that play, UWO was called for roughing the passer with no time left giving the Buffs an extra 15-yards from the catch and one untimed down.

In a stunning turn of events, head coach Josh Lynn sent kicker Preston Gregg out to attempt a game-winning 44-yard attempt, however, Gregg’s kick pushed wide right and after all of that commotion the Wolves left Canyon with a 37-36 unbelievable victory.

“We didn’t play good enough to win,” Lynn said. “We had penalties and though we didn’t play good enough to win we still had a chance there at the end. I think on both sides of the ball we were lucky to be in the game. We have to be cleaner.”

The loss drops the Buffs to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the Lone Star Conference. The victory pushes the UWO to 2-3 overall and also at 1-2 in the LSC.

The Buffs seemed to have all the momentum after a flat start to the third quarter. Trailing 30-21, WTAMU used a JT Cavender 65-yard scoop and score to cut the Wolves lead 30-28 with four minutes remaining in the third. The WTAMU defense made another stop in the early stages of the fourth quarter, the Buff offense went back to work on a seven play, 68-yard drive capped off by a Gibson nine-yard touchdown run that gave WTAMU the lead 36-30 with 5:31 to play before all the chaos ensued.

The WTAMU offense still had its struggles totaling 315 yards on the night and were 6-of-16 on third down conversions. The Buffs did do excellent work in the redzone scoring on all three chances. Gibson finished 18-of-29 for 210 yards passing with two scores and ran rushed it for 69 yards with two more TDs.

Winker led the UWO offense with a 13-of-19 outing for 232 yards passing with three touchdowns and running back Dominique Loggins had a physical style going for 121 yards on 32 carries with a TD.

Defensively for the Buffs, linebacker Jimmy Harrison was all over the field with 19 total tackles, nine of those solo with two for a loss.

Next up

The Buffs face their longest road trip of the year when they travel to face Texas A&M-Kingsville (3-1, 1-1) in a LSC Clash set for 7 p.m., on Saturday.