The Matchup
>> Texas A&M-Kingsville will make its final road trip of 2018 with an LSC game against West Texas A&M on Saturday, November 3
>> Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT
>> The game will be carried by GoBuffsGo.com
>> KTAI 91.1 will also have the game broadcasting live with Mark Inserra on the call
>> This will be the 33rd matchup all-time between the programs
>> TAMUK won the two most recent meetings between the teams with a 37-9 win in Kingsville in 2017 after a 51-34 victory in Canyon in 2016
>> Prior to that, WT won six straight over TAMUK, capped with a 51-45 win in the 2015 LSC Playoffs
 
Scouting the Buffs
>> West Texas A&M was receiving votes in the AFCA poll for the previous three weeks before back-to-back losses against Eastern New Mexico and then-No. 18 A&M-Commerce knocked the Buffs out
>> Justin Houghtaling has led the air attack with 917 yards in nine games with a 63.9 completion rate and four touchdowns
>> Duke Carter IV has been the primary workhorse as he has 818 yards on the ground with eight scores
>> Five receivers have over 100 yards on the year, led by Semaj Mitchell's 317 yards on 32 catches
>> Payton Gonzales and Markel Steward both have 254 yards on the year while Gonzales has one touchdown
>> Jordan Johnson has caught two touchdown passes on the year alongside 110 receiving yards
>> Christopher Thomas leads the defensive unit with 82 tackles, seven for loss, and 2.5 sacks
>> Tobias Harris has a conference-high six interceptions on the year to go with five pass breakups
>> Lance Hyder owns the most sacks with 3.5 as the Buffs have 17 as a team
>> WT started the year 1-2 with losses to Azusa Pacific and Tarleton before reeling off four straight wins, including a 26-18 victory over Angelo State
 
Last Time Out
>> The Javelinas found their way back into the win column with a 37-34 decision over Western New Mexico for the 2018 Homecoming Game sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank
>> Nick Pelrean led the offense with 153 yards on the ground and a single score, while Koy Detmer Jr. threw for three touchdowns
>> Ryan Martinez caught a 39-yard pass from Detmer late in the first quarter before Pelrean broke off a 62-yard run in the second to put the Hogs up for good
>> Detmer Jr. connected with Brent Hertel on a 19-yard touchdown ahead of Jeff Carr's 15-yard run, while Aaron Dilworth provided the final punch on a five-yard touchdown catch late in the fourth
 
Check the Rankings
>> Despite the win in the top-10 matchup, Tarleton remained steady at No. 8 in the AFCA poll following a win over MSU Texas
>> A&M-Commerce received a bump to No. 16 with the win over the Buffs
>> The Mustangs fell to No. 18 after the loss to the Texans
>> West Texas A&M dropped out of the rankings as a result of the loss to the Lions
 
Hogs on the Road in the LSC under Wilkinson
>> The Javelinas are currently 4-11 on the road in LSC games with head coach Daren Wilkinson at the helm
>> TAMUK fell to then-No. 1 A&M-Commerce, 37-36, in double overtime to open the 2018 slate
>> The Hogs also suffered a defeat at the hands of Angelo State, 30-14, back on Sept. 15
>> The most recent road LSC loss came against then-No. 9 Tarleton, 59-21, on Oct. 20
 
Home Non-Conference Matchups
>> The Hogs are currently 5-3 all-time at home in non-conference matchups under Wilkinson
>> TAMUK is currently 2-1 this year with a 52-10 win over Texas Wesleyan to open the 2018 home slate, a 33-30 comeback win over New Mexico Highlands on Sept. 29 and a 13-7 loss to Western Oregon on Oct. 6
>> The Javelinas went 1-1 in 2017 after dropping a 34-10 decision to Central Washington to begin the year but rebounded with a last-minute 38-34 win over William Jewell to close the season
>> Texas A&M-Kingsville won its only home non-conference game in 2016, a 68-7 thrashing of Simon Fraser
>> The Hogs went 1-1 in Wilkinson's first year after defeating Missouri S&T, 38-20, and falling to West Alabama, 31-22
 
On the Books
>> Senior defensive end Brandon Jones has the most tackles for loss in program history as he now owns 50.5 in his four-year career for the Blue and Gold, alongside the third-most sacks at 24
>> Senior kicker Julio De La Garza in closing in on several Javelina kicking records in his fourth year while currently ranking in the top five in program history in a hanful of categories
>> De La Garza has made 37 field goals in his four-year career, good for second all-time at TAMUK
>> The Brownsville, Texas, native is also third in PAT conversion percentage at 97.9% with a minimum of five attempts
>> Among kickers with 100+ PAT attempts, De La Garza has the highest conversion percentage
>> De La Garza is currently fourth in program history in PATs made at 151
>> The top spot for field goals made is owned by Richard Hammond (2002-05), who kicked 49 in his career
>> Hammond also made 155 PATs in his career for third all time, while Richard Ritchie (1973-76) has made 156 for second
>> The top spot in PATs made is owned by John Cortez (1992-95), who made 176
>> De La Garza had his consecutive PAT streak snapped last week at 101 after failing on his first attempt of the game in a 37-34 win over WNMU
 
Showcase Showdown
>> This is the second year in a row where the Hogs have been featured on the NCAA Division-II Showcase
>> Top-ranked A&M-Commerce held on for a 37-36 win in double overtime in the season opener for both programs after the Hogs went ahead 36-30 in the second extra frame
>> TAMUK and Tarleton faced off in Kingsville in 2017 on ESPN3 as the Texans took away a 41-34 decision
 
The Javelina Connection
>> Assistant coaches Scott Brown and Eddie Moten have had football careers that went beyond the college gridiron
>> Brown coached in Division-I up until 2012 when he became the scout for the San Francisco 49ers and eventually the defensive line coach
>> Brown has coached several players who played into the NFL, including Craig Sauer (Atlanta Falcons - 1996, 6th round) and Fred Washington (Chicago Bears - 1990, 2nd round)
>> Brown also played under legendary TAMUK coach Ron Harms, who coached at Adams State from 1970-73 when Brown was a student-athlete for the Grizzlies
>> Moten had a successful career in the Arena Football League for the Philadelphia Soul, winning the 2008 ArenaBowl XXII