#22 West Texas A&M edges MSU 47-44

            WICHITA FALLS, Texas - West Texas A&M senior Jacob Felton nailed a 27-yard field goal with no time remaining to lead the 22nd ranked Buffaloes to a 47-44 victory over Midwestern State University in Lone Star Conference South action Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.

            The field goal capped a wild, offensive-laden affair that featured 1,109 combined yards of offense for the two teams and 91 points.

            The loss dropped MSU to 2-3 overall, 1-3 in all LSC games and 0-2 in LSC South action.  WTAMU vaulted to the top of the LSC standings as the only unbeaten squad with a 6-0 overall record, 4-0 in all LSC games and 2-0 in LSC South action.

            The loss exposed an Achilles' heel for the Indians as they missed five point after touchdown attempts in seven tries.

            While the MSU defense kept the high-powered WT offense out of the endzone four times in the last 17 minutes, Felton hit four field goals in that time, including the game-winner.

            MSU junior Ross Harrison had a career night in the losing effort.  The Petrolia running back ran for 188 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown.  Redshirt freshman Ryan Roberts threw for 230 yards, hitting 16-of-30 passes with three touchdowns and one interception.

            WT's Dalton Bell completed 40-of-54 passes for 452 yards and three touchdowns with one interception as well.  Tonae Martin had 143 yards receiving for WT with Ramon Perry adding 107 receiving yards.

            West Texas A&M piled up 611 total yards in the game and MSU 498 for the contest.

            Midwestern held the lead most of the night, leading 31-20 at the half.  MSU used a Daniel Polk 14-yard run with 6:40 to play in the third quarter to lead 37-27, when WT started a comeback.

            The MSU defense held, but Felton hit field goals on three consecutive drives to pull within one at 37-36.

            MSU made a run at a score, but when Harrison suffered his first loss of the season at the WT 20, trouble brewed for the Indian offense.  Without regular kicker Kristian Foster who was out with an injury, MSU elected to make to attempt a fourth-down conversion and was held.

            WT turned the field around and scored a go-ahead touchdown with 5:15 to play when Dalton Bell found Joe Harris for a 15-yard touchdown, then Jon Lockett caught a two-point conversion to grab a 44-37 lead.

            MSU returned the favor, but left too much time on the clock as the Buffaloes drove down for the game-winning kick.

            Midwestern State next faces a formerly unbeaten team, 18th ranked Tarleton State.  Tarleton lost at 11th ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville 24-21 for its first loss of the season.  Kickoff for the TSU-MSU matchup is 7 p.m. in Stephenville.

+++ MSU +++