Jordan Smart was having a huge freshman season already before exploding for his best game of the season on Saturday. The Round Rock native had 156 yards, setting a single game program freshman record, and two touchdown catches in the final game of the season. Smart combined for 14 catches, 216 yards, and four touchdowns over the final two games for UT Permian Basin.
The Falcons got things going just two plays into the game at Midwestern State.
Miquon Mayes intercepted a pass setting the Falcons up in great field position. Two plays later
Kevin Young Jr. scampered 32 yards for the 7-0 lead less than a minute into the action. On the ensuing Mustang possession,
JT Walker intercepted a pass at the Falcon 29. Two offensive plays later,
Suddin Sapien found Smart for the 69-yard catch-and-run to go up 14.
The Mustangs responded with a touchdown and a pair of field goals to get back in the game. The Falcons went deep into the playbook to score on their next possession.
MJ Link lined up in shotgun and found Smart on a trick play in the corner of the end zone for another score. A pair of Mustang field goals sent the game into the half 21-19.
Turnovers in the third quarter put the Falcons down 15 heading into the fourth. It was the special teams that got the Falcons back into the game.
Carson Roberts punted 63 yards to pin the Mustangs at their own one where the Falcons forced a safety. A 14-yard completion to Smart followed by a run of 20 yards by
Nathan Tilford, and a 19-yard completion to
Matt Zubiate put the Falcons deep into the red zone. Sapien then found
Brock Johnson in the flat for a touchdown and cut the deficit to just a score.
The Falcons forced a punt giving them a chance with just 2:28 on the clock to finish the comeback. Sapien, making his first career start, drove the Falcons down to the Mustang 9-yard-line before being stopped on fourth down and the 36-30 final.
Sapien finished the game with 263 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air. Young Jr. had a huge game on the ground with 106 on 20 carries. Download the UTPB Athletics App to follow your favorite Falcon teams all season long.
