Kingsville – Javelina redshirt freshman quarterback David Garza (Laredo United) threw for a career-high 256 and ran for another 55 yards, but it wasn't enough as #14 Tarleton State beat the Javelinas 31-21. Click here for stats.
Texas A&M-Kingsville came into the game with one of the top rushing defenses in the conference, but 14th ranked Tarleton State rumbled for 179 yards and shutout the Javelinas in the second half on the way to a 31-21 victory.
The Texans improved to 6-0 overall and 1-0 in the Lone Star Conference South Division while the Javelinas fell to 1-5 and 0-2.
Michael Sampson ran for 141 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown to lead the Texan attack. Ranardick Phillips led the Texans with 15 tackles.
The Javelinas produced a season-high 377 yards and outgained the Texans 377 to 303, but A&M-Kingsville turned the ball over five times.
A&M-Kingsville senior running back Raymorris Miller had 45 yards rushing and 68 yards receiving.
Tarleton State scored on all three of their trips into the redzone while the Javelinas were just one for two.
A&M-Kingsville turned the ball over for the fourth time in the game on their first possession of the second half as Garza was intercepted by Texan linebacker Ben Dambold. The Texans drove to the Javelina 29-yard line, but the Hog defense held and the Texans missed a 46-yard field goal.
But on their second possession, the Texans stuck to the ground and drove 80 yards on five plays with Roderick Smith scoring on a 40-yard run with 5:45 left in the third quarter to increase the Texan lead to 31-21.
The Javelina defense forced the Texans to punt from their own 10 yard line to start the fourth quarter and the Hogs took over at the Texan 44-yard line with 13:07 left in the game.
Garza completed a 14-yard pass to Derrick Carter on the first play, but the Javelinas dropped two consecutive passes and Garza nearly threw an interception on third down to halt the drive. Scott Schlebach missed a 47-yard field goal and Tarleton State took over with 12 and a half minutes left in the game.
The Javelinas stopped the Texans on their next drive, but pinned the Hogs back on their own six-yard line.
But the Javelinas did fold thanks to the arm and legs of Garza. His 41 yard, the longest of the season for Texas A&M-Kingsville, gave the Javelinas first and ten on the Tarleton State 16-yard line. Then on second 17, he ran 15 yards to the Texan eight yard line. But the Hogs couldn’t convert on third and two.
A bad snapped resulted in a missed 25-yard field goal with 5:13 left in the game to end any chance the Hogs had to rally for the win.
The Javelinas scored two touchdowns in the final two minutes to cut a 24-7 deficit to 24-21 by halftime.
The game did not start off well for the Hogs as Texan return specialist Travis Evans returned the opening kickoff 60 yards to the A&M-Kingsville 31-yard line.
Eight plays later Grantham ran it in from the one-yard line to give the Texans a 7-0 lead just over four minutes into the game.
But the Javelinas responded with an opening touchdown drive of their own, going 63 yards on nine plays with Garza hitting Dante Higgins over the middle for a 22-yard score on third and 11 to tie the game at 7-7 with just over six minutes left in the quarter.
It was Higgins’ first touchdown catch of his Javelina career. Junior Derrick Carter caught two passes for 30 yards on the drive as Garza completed three of four passes for 52 yards.
Evans had another near game-breaking return on the kickoff as he rambled 51 yards to the Javelina 45-yard line.
Rod Mosley then picked off his fifth pass of the season on Tarleton State’s next possession, but the Javelinas turned it over on a fumble on the first play from scrimmage.
The Javelinas hurt themselves with another turnover as they lost a fumbled punt on their own 30 yard line with under a minute left in the quarter.
The turnover was converted into a Texan touchdown as Michael Sampson capped a four-play, 30-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run just a minute into the second quarter to make it 14-7.
After the Javelinas were stopped on their offensive possession, Tarleton State drove to the Javelina four yard line, but Joe Williams and Hector Sobers stopped Texan running back Travis Evans for a loss of two on third and goal and the Texans had to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Garrett Lindholm to make it 17-7.
On A&M-Kingsville’s next possession, Garza through an interception that was returned to the A&M-Kingsville 34-yard line with just under four minutes left in the half.
On the first play following the turnover, Grantham hit Devin Guinn in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown for a 24-7 halftime advantage.
Garza completed a 48-yard pass to Raymorris Miller on third and six to give the Javelinas the ball first and goal from the Texan five yard line. On the next play, junior fullback Adrian Brooks scored his first A&M-Kingsville touchdown to cut the lead to 24-14 with 1:52 left in the half.
Arlen Childress then picked off a pass at the Javelina 49-yard line and returned it to the Texans 23-yard line with 1:05 left in the half.
On the very next play, Garza hit Rony Perard in the end zone for his second touchdown of the season to cut the lead to 24-21 with 59 seconds left in the half.
