It had been 59 years since a football program from the Pacific Northwest came down to Alpine, Texas.
On Saturday afternoon, the Western Oregon University Wolves came into Jackson Field with a deceiving 0-2 record after suffering two losses to a pair of Division I FCS programs.
Western Oregon controlled the running game by taking a dominating 32-3 lead in the third quarter to eventually take the contest, 39-17.
>> HOW IT HAPPENED:
It was a low-scoring start after the Wolves got on the board with a 25-yard field goal from Keaton Emmett with 9:02 in the opening quarter.
The scoring drive stemmed from an interception by Tyler Copeland on Sul Ross State's first offensive series.
Sul Ross State used a 13-play drive that resulted in a game-tying 37-yard field goal by
Carlos Arreola with 1:47 to go in the opening quarter.
Western Oregon scored four-straight touchdowns to lead 32-3.
The Wolves took the lead on a 44-yard run by Jermain Lane with 19 seconds to go in the first quarter. Garrett Olson completed the two-point conversion to give Western Oregon an 11-3 lead.
Jordan McCarty later capped off a nine-play drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Keyvaun Eady.
Western Oregon scored its next two touchdowns on a pair of runs by Kainoa Jones and McCarty.
It wasn't until there were 19 seconds remaining in the third quarter when the Lobos ended the scoring drought with a 75-yard touchdown run by
Carson Workman.
The Wolves answered back with a 10-play drive with 4:56 in the fourth quarter as Fresh Ison scored on a seven-yard run.
Sul Ross State managed to score one more time late in the fourth quarter after a spark from the special teams when
Ebenezer Malone recovered a muffed punt to setup the Lobo offense in good field position.
Backup quarterback
Tucker Bridwell came in and threw a 14-yard touchdown strike to
Yamil Oaxaca with 2:25 left in the contest.
>> RECORDS: Western Oregon (0-2, 1-0); Sul Ross State (1-3, 0-2)
>> GAME NOTES:
- Western Oregon had 259 yards on the ground compared to 129 for the Lobos.
- The Wolves had 389 total yards of offense while SRSU had 295 yards.
- Andrew Martinez went 18 for 31 with 112 passing yards. He also rushed for 33 yards on 11 carries.
- Bridwell finished 5 for 7 with 54 yards passing and one touchdown.
- Workman had two carries for 72 yards.
- Kendrick Jefferson carried the ball five times for 23 yards.
- Oaxaca had seven catches for 57 yards.
- Austin Ogunmakin tallied 47 yards receiving on four catches.
- Liam Lowe caught four passes for 37 yards.
- Quincy Blair led the defense with 12 tackles.
- Brendon Martin added with six total tackles.
- Kameron Dickerson had five total tackles and two tackles for loss.
>> UP NEXT: The Lobos travel to Kingsville, Texas for a 7 p.m. CST kickoff with Texas A&M – Kingsville on Saturday, Sept. 28.
