KINGSVILLE, Texas – Looking to snap a two-game skid, the Texas A&M-Kingsville football program got late heroics from junior transfers Koy Detmer Jr. (Somerset, Texas) and Donovan Moore (San Diego, Calif.) on Saturday at Pepsi Field at Javelina Stadium to turn in a 33-30 win over New Mexico Highlands in thrilling fashion.

"It's always great to get a victory," said head coach Daren Wilkinson. "Having played New Mexico Highlands twice before during my time at CSU-Pueblo, this was by far the best team I've faced in terms of how they competed and battled, and they came back to give us everything they've got.

"I thought we did a great job on offense in controlling the football and doing what we needed to do, and I'm proud of the way our team battled back. We could've easily folded after [NMHU] went up early in the fourth but our guys found ways to get back, especially when Koy [Detmer Jr.] made those plays in the last drive to put us ahead."

Detmer Jr. found Moore for 30 yards with 4:23 to play in the game to cap off a 75-yard drive, and gave the Javelinas (2-3) a decisive 33-30 victory over the Cowboys (2-3), snapping a two-game losing streak in the process.

"We put a challenge on our receivers and on myself to make this our week," said Detmer Jr. "You have to give credit to the blocking scheme, to the receivers and to the backs because they got everything done."

NMHU opened the scoring early in the first after Israel Farfan booted a 49-yard field goal at the 10:04 mark. Senior kicker Julio De La Garza (Brownsville, Texas) evened the count not long after when he sent a 33-yarder through the uprights with six minutes remaining in the frame.

The Hogs took the lead after Detmer Jr. connected with redshirt-junior Devin Milburn (Galveston, Texas) on a 48-yard touchdown pass following a turnover from Dione Alston. Alston had the ball stripped, and summarily recovered, by redshirt-sophomore Aaron Jackson (Houston, Texas) less than a minute earlier to set up the drive.

TAMUK added another touchdown with 34 seconds left in the first after senior Nick Pelrean (Houston, Texas) broke off a 69-yard dash for a 16-3 Javelina lead.

The Cowboys trimmed the lead down to one score later in the second after Danny Cameron found Darrell McIntyre on a three-yard route with 5:07 remaining to set the score at 16-10.

NMHU got the ball after Detmer Jr. was intercepted on a pass that was bobbled in the air before Malik Brown came down with the rock and returned it back to the Hogs' three yard line to set up the ensuing score.

The Blue and Gold had the response, however, when redshirt-sophomore Nick Stiff (Cypress, Texas) had his own theatrics later in the quarter, making a running dive for the ball after Cameron's pass was deflected up in the air at TAMUK's 45 yard line.

Senior Jeff Carr (Temple, Texas) took matters into his own hands on the very next play from scrimmage and dodged six Cowboy defenders on his way to a 55-yard touchdown run and a 23-10 TAMUK lead.

NMHU took advantage of another Hog miscue on the following drive after a punt from Matthew Rodriguez caromed off a Javelina helmet and the ensuing scramble for the live ball ended in the hands of the visitors in Blue and Gold territory.

The Cowboys took the next five plays down to the one yard line and Cameron found Jason Aguirre for one yard to cut the lead down to 23-17 going into halftime.

De La Garza put the hosts back up by two scores with a 39-yard field goal early in the third quarter before NMHU fired off 14 straight points behind a 33-yard run from Aguirre and a one-yard run from Kamari Mosby. Mosby drove the ball in to cap a six-play, 99-yard drive to put the Cowboys up 30-26 with 14:31 to play in the fourth.

Following a pair of punts, the Hogs got the ball on their own 25 and took the next six plays down to the NMHU 30 to set up the game-winning heroics from Moore.

Detmer Jr. connected with redshirt-junior Aaron Dilworth (Corpus Christi, Texas) for 34 yards on a 3rd-and-14 to get the Javelinas into NMHU territory, before he tagged sophomore Ryan Martinez (Kingsville, Texas) for a 13-yard catch that led up to the touchdown pass to Moore.

Detmer Jr. ended the game with two touchdowns and 296 yards on 18 completions, including a 64-yard throw to Dilworth in the third to set up De La Garza's second field goal. Dilworth led all TAMUK receivers with 98 yards, setting a new season-high for the receiving corps.

Milburn ended with 83 yards and one touchdown on three catches, while senior Roe Posada (Katy, Texas) came away with eight catches for 59 yards.

Carr and Pelrean were the one-two punch yet again for the Javelina backfield as Carr ended with 101 yards on the ground through 10 carries and one touchdown, his second of the year, while Pelrean added 74 yards on 10 carries and a single score, his fourth of the season.

Junior Caleb Valentine (Fulshear, Texas) led the defensive effort for the Blue and Gold with nine tackles and a half sack to go with one QB hurry and one forced fumble. Redshirt-sophomore Jalen Harrison (Crosby, Texas) was the other half of the sack as he added five tackles and a pass breakup.

The Hogs will return to action next week for the final non-conference game of the year when they host Western Oregon at Pepsi Field at Javelina Stadium for Family Weekend sponsored by Pueblo Tires and Service. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.

To keep up-to-date with Javelina football, follow the program on Facebook at /JavelinaFootball and on Twitter @JavelinaFB

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