The No. 17 WTAMU Buffalo football team ventured to Portales, New Mexico to take on the Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds in the annual Wagon Wheel Game on Oct. 20. The Buffs defeated ENMU 44-21 to win their seventh-straight game in the Wagon Wheel series with the help of a career-high four rushing touchdowns by senior back Khiry Robinson.

Robinson carried the ball 16 times for 137 yards and had three catches for 30 yards. Robinson has a total of 675 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the season.

“We got the win and that’s all that matters to me,” Robinson said. “I give all the credit to our o-line.”

WT scored first on a one-yard run by Robinson to take a 7-0 lead with 13:27 remaining in the first quarter. The Buffs scored again when junior Dustin Vaughn hit fellow junior Nathan Slaughter for a 27-yard touchdown that gave WT a 14-0 lead that lasted until the second quarter.

The Greyhounds cut the lead to 14-7 when Wesley Wood threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Chase Kyser with 9:38 left in the half. The Buffs answered with a 58-yard scoring pass from Vaughn to redshirt freshman Jarrian Rhone to put WT back on top by 14 at 21-7. ENMU found the end zone again on a 34-yard run by Wood to make the score 21-14 in favor of WT going into the locker room.

The Buffs would score twice in the third quarter on runs of eight and 12-yards, respectively, by Robinson giving WT a 35-14 lead entering the fourth. The Greyhounds made a last stand when Wood found Kyser for a 32-yard score to make the score 35-21. After junior Eric Finefeuiaki blocked a punt through the end zone for a safety, Robinson completed the scoring with another one-yard TD run.

The Buffs now stand at 7-1 overall and 6-0 in the Lone Star Conference. WT is 14-11 all-time in the Wagon Wheel Game and 15-11 versus ENMU. The Buffs will take a break from LSC action, as they play West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia on Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.