Despite facing a tough opening slate and coming off a three-way quarterback battle, Head Coach Mike Nesbitt and the West Texas A&M Buffalo football team appear up to the challenge for the 2014 campaign. The Buffs begin their season against the Colorado State University-Pueblo Thunderwolves on Thursday, Sept. 4 at the Neta and Eddie McRose Thunderbowl in Pueblo, Colo.
“It’s great going back,” junior defensive lineman Jacob Laguna said. “We’re going to find out who we are, and we’re going to show the nation what we’re about.”
In the face of losing Harlon Hill runner-up Dustin Vaughan and a core of playmakers, Nesbitt will turn to junior quarterback Preston Rabb and a youth movement on defense. The defensive unit will be led by Laguna, junior free safety Ethan Morriss and sophomore linebacker Patric Youngman, who earned honorable mention all-conference honors.
“We’re really starting to come together as a group,” Youngman said. “A lot of the guys are in the same situation as I was last year. So far in practice, everything been going along great.”
As the Buffs are set to reload, the Thunderwolves return two First-Team Preseason All-Americans in senior defensive lineman Darius Allen and senior defensive back C.J. Roberts. CSU-Pueblo also possess Second-Team preseason All-American quarterback Chris Bonner. Bonner passed for 33 touchdowns and more than 3,400 yards in 2013.
Since the two began playing each other in 2011, the young rivalry between the two Division II powerhouses have been close. However, the Buffs seek to even out the series at two games apiece.
“The rivalry [between WT and CSU-Pueblo] is that we’re always ranked and it’s a regional game,” Nesbitt said of a potential contention between the two programs. Nesbitt also noted that the trip to Pueblo is a close one and that the Buffs and Thunderwolves have met before in the Division II playoffs.
“If you’re not ready, they’re going to beat you,” sophomore offensive lineman Austin Carson said. “If you should be fine.”
The game will be featured on KCIT (FOX-Channel 14) at 7 p.m.
