SILVER CITY, N.M. – A three-touchdown performance from redshirt senior Luis Lopez (San Diego, Texas), combined with four defensive stops in the second half, propelled the Texas A&M-Kingsville football program to a 44-30 road win over Western New Mexico at Ben Altamirano Field on Saturday in Lone Star Conference action.

"I'm proud of the way our guys battled," said head coach Daren Wilkinson. "We buckled down near the end of the first quarter, got that touchdown at the end of the half, and we really felt like they couldn't stop us from there.

"Our defense did a nice job in the second half figuring some things out and making the stops they needed. Then it became about big plays on both sides of the ball, we got it done on offense and defense and it allowed us to win the game."

The Javelinas (2-7, 1-5 LSC) fell behind early to the Mustangs (1-8, 1-5 LSC), but outscored the hosts 30-7 in the second half to pull away with the decision.

The Mustangs struck first after C.J. Fowler scrambled his way for 15 yards on the first possession of the game to cap off an 80-yard drive for a 7-0 WNMU lead before two minutes had run off the clock.

A two-yard scamper from DeAndre Williams midway through the opening stanza set the score at 14-0 favoring the hosts, but the Javelinas finally found purchase at the start of the second quarter after senior Koy Detmer Jr. (Somerset, Texas) found redshirt sophomore Ryan Martinez (Kingsville, Texas) for 18 yards to cut the lead in half at 14-7.

Fowler teamed up with Isaac Crichton on the following WNMU drive to keep the cushion at two scores, while a 29-yard field goal from Ignacio Correa just past the five-minute mark of the quarter put the Hogs in a 23-7 deficit.

TAMUK had the last say in the opening half as a 10-play, 75-yard drive was punctuated by a 15-yard rushing touchdown from Lopez that cut the lead to 23-14 heading into the locker rooms.

The visitors bookended the break with another touchdown on the opening drive of the second half as Detmer Jr. found redshirt junior Darrian Hambrick (Nashville, Tenn.) for 29 yards that set the score at 23-21 favoring WNMU with 12:10 showing on the clock.

The Mustangs had the response on the following drive after Fowler struck Reggie Colson III for 28 yards to keep the Hogs at arms' length, but a 33-yard boot from freshman Romario Perez (Corpus Christi, Texas) and a six-yard rumble from Lopez that capped a critical 98-yard drive knotted the game at 30 apiece heading into the fourth.

A 63-yard completion from Detmer Jr. to Hambrick on the drive leading up to Lopez's second rushing touchdown gave the visitors some breathing room. WNMU took its drive down to the TAMUK two-yard line before a fumble recovery by redshirt sophomore Alec Lewis (Crosby, Texas) swung momentum back the other way

The Javelinas took the first lead of the game just eight seconds into the final quarter after redshirt freshman Amos Coleman III (Houston, Texas) cut off the pass from Fowler and ran it back for 15 yards for a pick-six that set the lead at 37-30. Lopez put the finishing touch on the evening with his third score, this time from one yard out, after the Hogs recovered a muffed punt with 3:53 remaining in the game, while the final Mustang drive of the game ended on a pass intercepted by redshirt sophomore Kason Franklin (Cypress, Texas) to cement the score at 44-30.

In total, the final five WNMU drives all ended in a TAMUK defensive stop, with two ended by fumbles, two by interceptions, and one by turnover on downs.

Lopez finished the game with 122 yards on 17 carries for three touchdowns to push his season total to 11. It was his second three-score performance of the year as he rushed for the same amount in the shutout of Sul Ross State on September 14.

Detmer Jr. ended up with 296 yards on 18 completions and two touchdowns through the air. Hambrick led the receiving corps with five catches for 119 yards and one touchdown, his second straight 100-yard game.

The TAMUK defense, alongside its four takeaways, added four sacks from four different defenders. Senior Josh Wilson (Corpus Christi, Texas) had one sack to go with 10 tackles and one forced fumble to lead the defense.

Junior Jacob Clarkson (Houston, Texas) added two tackles for loss, one from a sack, and was matched by both redshirt sophomore Cody Gardner (Spring, Texas) and redshirt junior Jimmar Davis (Willis, Texas).

The Javelinas return to Pepsi Field at Javelina Stadium next week for their final home game of 2019. They will host West Texas A&M with kickoff set for 3 p.m. CT as the game will be broadcast on the Nexstar Media Group as part of the LSC Showcase.

Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network sponsored by Mendoza's Pharmacy. For more information on Javelina football visit JavelinaAthletics.com, or follow the team on Facebook /JavelinaFootball and Twitter @JavelinaFB

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