MONMOUTH, Ore.—It was the kind of game where you figured whomever had the ball last would probably win.
It did end that way, but it was with Texas A&M-Kingsville taking a knee to kill the last few seconds on the clock during a wild 58-51 Javelinas win over host Western Oregon on Saturday afternoon at McArthur Field.
Previously, WOU's last hope and drive ended on fourth down with 26 seconds left on one of the few drives that didn't end in points for the Wolves on the day. The two teams combined for 1,068 yards of total offense and 58 first downs.
Texas A&M-Kingsville improved to 4-0 in the Lone Star Conference, winning its fourth straight game. The Javelinas are 4-2 overall. Western Oregon is now 2-4 on the season and 0-4 in conference action.
Wolves quarterback Jordan McCarty finished with 248 yards passing on 12-of-23 accuracy, with one touchdown pass and one interception. He rushed for 58 yards and was sacked five times. Eight different Wolves caught passes from McCarty, led by Jaylen Fite's three grabs for 63 yards. Jayshon Limar led the WOU ground game with 59 yards on five carries. The Wolves had 439 yards of total offense and 23 first downs.
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Javelina quarterback Mills Dawson threw for 408 yards (28-for-40) and three TDs. Edward Chumley led the Texas A&M-Kingsville rushing department with 99 yards and a score. The visitors had 629 yards of total offense. TAMUK moved the chains 35 times.
All the numbers were big, including the penalty totals. The Javelinas were tagged 11 times for 97 yards and Western Oregon had eight penalties for 84 yards.
The Wolves led at the end of the first quarter 14-3, thanks to a Tyler Konold 5-yard run and an 87-yard kickoff return by Tony McAdoo. The Javelinas settled for field goals for their first three scores before finally finding the end zone after a 7-play, 74-yard drive and touchdown by Chumley from five yards out. That gave them their first lead of the game at 16-14.
McCarty and the Wolves answered quickly with a 27-yard strike to McAdoo to regain the lead at 21-16. After another Javelina score, McCarty moved his team down the field and ran it in himself with one second left on the clock to give WOU a 28-23 lead at the break.
After a WOU interception, TAMUK covered 67 yards in six plays to take the lead back (30-28). A few plays later, WOU's Isaiah Mosley tackled Dawson in the end zone to tie the game at 30-30. Both teams scored twice more in a wild third quarter, with McCarty running it in from three yards out and Limar dashing in from 46 yards, to make it 44-37, WOU. But on the very next play after the kickoff Dawson found Christian Kretz for 75 yards to tie the game at 44-44 heading into the fourth quarter.
A 12-play, 74-yard drive that ended in a 4-yard run by Limar gave the lead back to WOU, 51-44, but the Javelinas answered with a long drive and score of their own to knot it at 51-51 with eight minutes left. The Wolves then had a drive stopped and had to punt, which ended up being a key point in the game. TAMUK proceeded to march down the field on a 71-yard drive that ended in a rushing score by Levi Fontenot to put the Javelinas up 58-51 with less than two minutes to play.
Western Oregon picked up one first down after the kickoff, but the Javelinas held after that to get the ball back with 26 seconds left and end the wild affair with a kneel down.
The Wolves will hit the road next week for a contest against UT-Permian Basin in Odessa. Start time is 4 p.m. Pacific.
