ODESSA, Texas (October 9, 2026) – The No. 23 University of Texas Permian Basin football team (4-1 overall, 3-0 LSC) is riding a four-game winning streak and will look to keep it going as the Falcons return to conference play with a battle at West Texas A&M University (1-4, 1-1) during "Week 6". The Falcons will square off against the Buffaloes starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 10, from Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium in Canyon, Texas.

FALCONS' LAST TIME OUT
Fueled by five interceptions, UT Permian Basin upset No. 21 Northeastern State 38-27 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Nicholas Butler had two interceptions, including one for a touchdown, while McKyle So'oto, Leonard Adams and Dwayne Wingfield had one pick each. UTPB, which has won four games in a row, had interceptions on four straight drives during the second half. Nate TenBarge passed for 224 yards and ran for 52 yards, totaling two touchdowns (one passing and one rushing). So'oto added 15 tackles and one sack and Eli Leiataua had 12 tackles. Diego Chavarria had a 32-yard field goal for UTPB. For Northeastern State, Deuce Robinson had 14 catches for 168 yards and two scores, while Michael Parker had two sacks. It was the first meeting between the two teams.

SCOUTING UTPB
UT Permian Basin enters the matchup riding four straight victories after opening the season with a loss at (FCS) UT Rio Grande Valley. The Falcons responded with a 69-14 home victory over Western New Mexico before defeating Sul Ross State 66-7 and Eastern New Mexico 56-10 both on the road. After starting 3-0 in Lone Star Conference play, the Falcons then turned their attention to their final nonconference game of the season and upset No. T-21 Northeastern State University 38-27.

UTPB leads the Lone Star Conference in scoring offense (45.8 ppg) and scoring defense (20.4 ppg). The Falcons are averaging 174.6 rushing yards and 231.8 passing yards per game, and are eighth in the conference in total offense (406.4 ypg) but are also third in total defense (383.8 ypg). Their defense has surrendered just 12 touchdowns through its first five contests, the fewest in the LSC. The Falcons' defense also leads the league in sacks (17) and interceptions (13), and is tied for first in forced fumbles (8).

UTPB was picked fifth in the conference's preseason poll and after receiving votes in the AFCA Top 25 Poll for the first five weeks of the regular season, is now nationally-ranked for the first time during the regular season.

FALCONS IN THE NEWS
Falcons Crack the National Rankings: After upsetting Northeastern State University 38-27 on Saturday, the UT Permian Basin football team has been ranked No. 23 in both the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Coaches' Poll and the latest D2Football.com Top 25 Media Poll.

So'oto Named D2Football.com National Defensive Player of the Week: Linebacker McKyle So'oto of the No. 23 University of Texas Permian Basin football team has been named the D2Football.com Defensive Player of the Week for "Week 5." So'oto led a Falcon defense that produced five turnovers in an upset road victory over No. 15 (D2Football.com Poll) Northeastern State. So'oto's day included 15 total tackles, 10 solo tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack. He also added an interception that he returned 28 yards into plus territory.

Horak Named Edgardo Madrid & Associates Men's Student-Athlete of the Month for September: Thanks to the generosity and support of Edgardo Madrid & Associates, The University of Texas Permian Basin Athletics Department has announced and Layne Horak (Football) as the September Men's Student-Athlete of the Month. Horak made his mark in the UTPB record books with an interception in three straight games vs. Western New Mexico University (Sept. 12), at Sul Ross State University (Sept. 19) and at Eastern New Mexico University (Sept 26), including back-to-back games to open conference play with an interception returned for a touchdown against the Mustangs and the Lobos. He is the second player in program history to record an interception in three consecutive games, is the first with back-to-back pick-sixes, and has already set a school record with 135 interception return yards on the season. Horak's three interceptions are tied for the third most in a single season in program history, and are just one off the school record. He is tied for first in the conference in interceptions and was first in interception return yards.

THE SERIES (UTPB VS. WT)
West Texas A&M returns to Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium as they host the UT Permian Basin Falcons on "West Texas Classic" night, presented by Street Auto Group. The Falcons currently sit tied atop of the LSC standings heading into "Week 6".

The Falcons and Buffaloes will meet for the 10th time on the gridiron this Saturday. The Buffaloes hold a 5-4 advantage in the series with the Falcons that dates back to 2016.

The Falcons will be looking to take down the Buffs for the fourth year in a row after winning 41-40 in overtime three seasons ago (2024) inside Astound Broadband Stadium. The Falcons then won 21-7 two years ago (2024) for the team's first win in program history in Canyon, Texas (1-3). Last year (2025), UTPB was coming off of back-to-back losses and needed a big win to right the ship and keep its playoff hopes alive, and the Falcons responded with a dominant defensive performance en route to a 22-6 win inside Astound Broadband Stadium.

The Falcons have held to the Buffs to a combined 13 points in their last two matchups. Just like this year, UTPB was ranked No. 23 in the AFCA during their meeting last year.

THE LAST TIME THEY MET
No. 23 UT Permian Basin tops West Texas A&M, 22-6: No. 23 UT Permian Basin allowed just six first downs and 187 yards of total offense to defeat West Texas A&M 22-6 at Astound Broadband Stadium. UTPB snapped a two-game skid and halted WT's three-game winning streak. UTPB also recorded a third-quarter safety courtesy of freshman linebacker Warren Richardson. UTPB's offense was led by Kanon Gibson, who led a 12-play, 75-yard TD drive on the game's first possession. Angel Diaz connected on two field goals over 40 yards – one in each half. WT's RJ Martinez was 29-for-45 passing for 293 yards and two scores without an interception. David deMenezes had a game-high 12 tackles and Andre Johnson had 2.5 sacks for the Buffs. WT's James Ingham averaged 48 yards on six punts.

BUFFALOES' LAST TIME OUT
Second Half Comeback Sinks the Buffs in South Texas, 28-21: Edward Chumley and Christian Kretz each scored two second-half touchdowns to complete a 28-21 comeback victory over West Texas A&M at Javelina Stadium in Kingsville, Texas. TAMUK, which is now 3-0 in conference play, trailed 21-0 midway through the third quarter. Kretz had the game-winning score, hauling in a 37-yard pass from Mills Dawson with 18 seconds remaining. Chumley finished with 182 yards on 31 carries and Kretz caught five passes for 120 yards. Mills was 13-for-26 with three TDs. TAMUK's Jeremiah Conaway had eight tackles and forced two fumbles. WT's Porter Know was 17 of 33 for 180 yards passing for three TDs and no interceptions. Trace Clarkson was his top target, catching six passes for 100 yards and a TD. Miles Hill had 11 tackles and Dominick Toulon had two sacks for the Buffs.

BUFFALOES UNDER THE LENS
2025 Rewind: The Buffs made an appearance in the program's seventh bowl game in 2025 as they defeated Arkansas Tech in the Heritage Bowl Powered by Riot. WT finished the season riding a four-game win streak with an 8-4 overall record. Josh Lynn guided the Buffs to the most victories in a season since 2021 as well as the most LSC wins since 2012.

WT Head Coach Josh Lynn: Josh Lynn is now in his fourth season at the helm of the West Texas A&M Football program after being named the 29th head coach in WT history. Lynn, widely regarded as one of the nation's up-and-coming head coaches, came to Canyon following six seasons at the University of Nebraska-Kearney where he led the Lopers to an overall record of 35-25 including a run to the Second Round of the 2021 NCAA Playoffs.

New Faces on the Sideline: WT Football welcomes six new faces to the coaching staff. Kevin Bleil was named the new Offensive Coordinator for the Buffs in February while Kendrick Marshall will work with the linebackers and serve as Special Teams Coordinator. Vic Wharton III (cornerbacks), Blake Crandall (wide receivers), Ben James (offensive line) and Avery Morrow (running backs) also joined the staff. Garrett Meyer has been added to the full-time staff and will work with the tight ends while Koby Schroeder (defensive line) returns for his second season as a graduate assistant.

WT Against Ranked Opponents: The Buffs are looking for their first top-25 victory under head coach Josh Lynn and the first since knocking off #17 Western Colorado (44-6) back on September 3, 2022.

LSC Preseason Poll: The Buffaloes have been tabbed third in the 2026 LSC Preseason Poll announced during the league's annual Media Day in McKinney, Texas.

Buffs Open Season Receiving Votes in the AFCA Division II Preseason Coaches' Poll: The Buffaloes found their way into the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Preseason Coaches' Poll as WT was receiving votes prior to the start of the 2026 campaign.

Orlandi Named LSC Special Teams Player of the Week: WT freshman wide receiver Isaiah Orlandi was named the LSC Special Teams Player of the Week. Orlandi took back a fourth-quarter kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown during the Buffs' game against Midwestern State. Orlandi's kickoff return – just the third in the league this season – brought the Buffs to within 41-31 with 6:09 to play. He finished with 122 yards on three kickoffs. The yardage is tops for a single game in the conference this year.

Simmons Named LSC Offensive Player of the Week: WT senior running back Tory Simmons has been named the LSC Offensive Player of the Week. Simmons had 133 yards and three touchdowns – two in the fourth quarter – on just nine carries to fuel a 27-19 road win over Angelo State. Simmons' first TD run was for 44 yards and came in the third quarter to give the Buffs their first lead, 14-12. He then provided WT another lead, 20-19, on a 10-yard run with 8:04 to play. The Florida product sealed the Buffs' first win in San Angelo, Texas, since 2018 with a 49-yard scoring run with 6:14 remaining. His three rushing TDs are tied for the second most in a single game in the LSC this season. Simmons also caught one pass for seven yards.

Buffalo Stampede Named the Second-Best Tradition in Division II: The running of Thunder by the WT Herdsmen at Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium has been named the second-best tradition in NCAA Division II announced via an online article by Sofie Davis on NCAA.com. Traditions are what make collegiate athletics so great and there's no shortage of them at the Division II level. When the West Texas A&M football team scores a touchdown, you'll see Thunder XV the Buffalo running across the end zone with the Herdsmen handlers by his side. The WT Herdsmen are responsible for the safety, care and management of Thunder XV and XVI, the Thunder Lodge, and serve as ambassadors to broadly share the values and heritage Thunder brings to the WTAMU community.

Drawing a Crowd: West Texas A&M is fortunate to boast one of the top football facilities in all of NCAA Division II Football as Buffalo Stadium opened on September 7, 2019 with a record crowd of 10,145 in a 35-16 victory over Azusa Pacific. Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium has welcomed 234,357 fans over 38 contests as the Buffs are 25-13 (.658) in the facility highlighted by five victories during both the 2021 and 2025 campaign.

CONFERENCE OUTLOOK
Texas A&M-Kingsville and Sul Ross State earned conference victories, while UT Permian Basin won a non-conference matchup over No. 21 Northeastern State during Week 5 of Lone Star Conference football. UTPB has a four-game winning streak and CWU, MSU and TAMUK have all won three games in a row. SRSU snapped a two-game skid.

Week 6 will feature all 10 teams in conference action (Eastern New Mexico at Western New Mexico; TAMUK at Western Oregon; SRSU at Angelo State; UTPB at WT; and MSU and CWU).

MSU is tops in the league in total offense (583.4 yards per game), while TAMUK is tops in defense (372 yards per game). UTPB is scoring a conference-best 45.8 points per game and allowing a league-low 20.4 points per game. CWU (46.8 yards per game) is the least penalized team in the LSC.

CWU was picked to repeat as the LSC champion this season, according to the league's preseason poll. WOU senior quarterback Jordan McCarty and CWU senior linebacker Brycen Indell were predicted to win preseason player of the year honors.

LIVE COVERAGE
Saturday's contest will be broadcasted on FloCollege. The LSC and FloSports reached a historic agreement in August of 2024 for the largest streaming rights deal in NCAA Division II history. LSC fans will have three subscription plans to choose from: Standard, Student or Family. The Standard Plan is $24.99 per month or $119.88 per year ($9.99/month). The Student Plan is $12.99 per month or $95.88 per year ($7.99/month). Subscribers must have a valid .edu email address from an LSC member institution or affiliate. The Family Plan is $155.88 per year ($12.99/month). FloCollege's newest subscription plan is only available annually. The primary account owner will be able to invite up to two additional individuals to join their account. Each added account will receive its own login with full access to FloCollege and can stream the same or different content from completely different locations.

To follow the action for the Falcons all season long, please check out our Live Events page for all of the video and live stats details: https://utpbfalcons.com/coverage.

In addition, all UTPB home and away football games can be heard live on KQRX 95.1 FM, 95X, a West Texas Radio Group station" with the pre-game show beginning 30 minutes prior to kickoff.