The 2012 West Texas A&M Buffaloes football team represented West Texas A&M University in the 2012 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference. The Buffaloes ended the regular season with 9–2 record (7–1 in the LSC) which was enough to claim a share of the Lone Star Conference title and to qualify for the NCAA tournament as a six seed in region 4. West Texas A&M went on to win the NCAA Super Region Four Tournament but ended the season with a loss to Winston-Salem State in the National semi-final. With the 57–20 win over Western State on September 8, eighth-year head coach Don Carthel tied former head coach Joe Kerbel for the most wins in school history with 68, passing him a week later with a win over Texas A&M–Kingsville. The Buffaloes had multiple shutouts for first time since 2008.
West Texas A&M was ranked No. 24 the initial AFCA poll of the season.
Dismissal of Don Carthel and NCAA investigation This was Dan Carthel's final season as the Buffaloes head coach as he was fired by the university on August 22, 2013, two weeks before the first game of the 2013 season. According to the university's press release, Carthel misled university officials about buying tickets to a Texas Rangers game for two players on the football team and instructed the players to lie about who bought the tickets. The NCAA launched an investigation that lasted for almost two-and-a-half years; the investigation found other infractions, such as defensive coordinator Colby Carthel providing impermissible benefits to a student-athlete and an academic fraud violation that occurred during the 2014 season. As punishment, the program was placed on probation from March 23, 2016 to March 22, 2019, had to vacate four wins from the 2014 season, and was fined $5,000.
Schedule
Rankings
Game summaries At No. 6 CSU Pueblo
Statistics WTAMUCSUP First downs 25 27 Total yards 541 487 Rushing yards 75 265 Passing yards 466 222 Turnovers 2 1 Time of possession 25:45 34:15
Team Category Player StatisticsWest Texas A&M Passing Dustin Vaughan 30/47, 398 yards, 3 TD, INT Rushing Aaron Harris 9 rushes, 28 yards, TD Receiving Torrence Allen 9 receptions, 164 yards, TDCSU Pueblo Passing Ross Dausin 20/24, 222 yards, 2 TD Rushing J. B. Matthews 23 rushes, 153 yards, TD Receiving J. B. Matthews 4 receptions, 78 yards, TD
Western State (CO)
Statistics WSCUWTAMU First downs 16 29 Total yards 278 677 Rushing yards 65 170 Passing yards 213 507 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 30:38 29:22
Team Category Player StatisticsWestern State Passing Brian Duboski 15/30, 213 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Germaine Daniels 19 rushes, 48 yards Receiving Lukas Adams 4 receptions, 59 yards, 2 TDWest Texas A&M Passing Dustin Vaughan 22/32, 409 yards, 5 TD Rushing Geremy Aldridge 11 rushes, 102 yards Receiving Nate Slaughter 6 receptions, 132 yards, TD
Vs. No. 14 Texas A&M–Kingsville
Statistics TAMUKWTAMU First downs 19 18 Total yards 285 368 Rushing yards 88 112 Passing yards 197 256 Turnovers 3 1 Time of possession 34:14 25:46
Team Category Player StatisticsTexas A&M–Kingsville Passing Nate Poppell 19/32, 188 yards, TD, INT Rushing Randall Toney 10 rushes, 42 yards Receiving Sherman Batiste 6 receptions, 86 yards, TDWest Texas A&M Passing Dustin Vaughan 19/29, 250 yards, 3 TD Rushing Khiry Robinson 17 rushes, 110 yards, TD Receiving Lance Ratliff 3 receptions, 76 yards, 2 TD
At Incarnate Word
Statistics WTAMUUIW First downs 18 10 Total yards 361 146 Rushing yards 105 15 Passing yards 256 131 Turnovers 3 1 Time of possession 24:43 35:17
Team Category Player StatisticsWest Texas A&M Passing Dustin Vaughan 19/32, 243 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Khiry Robinson 13 rushes, 58 yards Receiving Torrence Allen 9 receptions, 86 yardsIncarnate Word Passing Taylor Woods 14/26, 123 yards, INT Rushing Trent Rios 14 rushes, 66 yards Receiving Trent Rios 6 receptions, 67 yards
Tarleton State
Statistics TSUWTAMU First downs 23 27 Total yards 389 502 Rushing yards 193 171 Passing yards 196 331 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 32:06 27:54
Team Category Player StatisticsTarleton State Passing Aaron Doyle 15/27, 196 yards, TD Rushing Vaughn Smith 24 rushes, 134 yards, TD Receiving Arthur Buckingham 4 receptions, 69 yards, TDWest Texas A&M Passing Dustin Vaughan 23/37, 331 yards, 4 TD Rushing Khiry Robinson 18 rushes, 125 yards Receiving Torrence Allen 5 receptions, 104 yards, 2 TD
At Angelo State
Statistics WTAMUASU First downs 17 23 Total yards 398 332 Rushing yards 154 49 Passing yards 244 283 Turnovers 2 3 Time of possession 29:23 30:37
Team Category Player StatisticsWest Texas A&M Passing Dustin Vaughan 17/32, 241 yards, 3 TD, INT Rushing Khiry Robinson 17 rushes, 143 yards Receiving Alphonse Coleman 3 receptions, 75 yardsAngelo State Passing Blake Hamblin 23/50, 264 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing Donovan Roberts 7 rushes, 41 yards Receiving C. J. Akins 7 receptions, 70 yards
Abilene Christian
Statistics ACUWTAMU First downs 15 26 Total yards 210 475 Rushing yards 3 92 Passing yards 207 383 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 28:59 31:01
Team Category Player StatisticsAbilene Christian Passing Mitchell Gale 17/29, 207 yards, 2 INT Rushing Charcandrick West 6 rushes, 17 yards Receiving Darian Hogg 2 receptions, 75 yardsWest Texas A&M Passing Dustin Vaughan 32/46, 359 yards, 3 TD Rushing Khiry Robinson 15 rushes, 102 yards, TD Receiving Jarrian Rhone 9 receptions, 106 yards, TD
At Eastern New Mexico
Statistics WTAMUENMU First downs 18 19 Total yards 454 391 Rushing yards 123 205 Passing yards 331 186 Turnovers 2 1 Time of possession 21:56 38:04
Team Category Player StatisticsWest Texas A&M Passing Dustin Vaughan 20/33, 321 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing Khiry Robinson 16 rushes, 131 yards, 4 TD Receiving Nate Slaughter 7 receptions, 133 yards, TDEastern New Mexico Passing Wesley Wood 15/31, 188 yards, 2 TD Rushing Wesley Wood 15 rushes, 79 yards, TD Receiving Chase Kyser 7 receptions, 92 yards, 2 TD
At West Georgia
Statistics WTAMUUWG First downs 19 21 Total yards 463 267 Rushing yards 119 151 Passing yards 344 116 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 24:52 35:08
Team Category Player StatisticsWest Texas A&M Passing Dustin Vaughan 28/37, 331 yards, 5 TD Rushing Khiry Robinson 15 rushes, 89 yards Receiving Torrence Allen 4 receptions, 97 yards, TDWest Georgia Passing Dallas Dickey 7/10, 112 yards, 2 TD Rushing David Bailey 17 rushes, 70 yards, TD Receiving Joey Eliezer 2 receptions, 45 yards, TD
No. 10 Midwestern State
Statistics MSUWTAMU First downs 24 30 Total yards 565 525 Rushing yards 317 134 Passing yards 248 391 Turnovers 2 3 Time of possession 29:52 30:08
Team Category Player StatisticsMidwestern State Passing Brandon Kelsey 14/22, 248 yards, TD Rushing Keidrick Jackson 20 rushes, 133 yards, 2 TD Receiving Keivin Swanson 6 receptions, 91 yardsWest Texas A&M Passing Dustin Vaughan 30/47, 391 yards, 3 TD, INT Rushing Khiry Robinson 23 rushes, 147 yards, 3 TD Receiving Lance Ratliff 11 receptions, 180 yards, TD
At Texas A&M–Commerce
Statistics WTAMUTAMUC First downs 28 16 Total yards 510 328 Rushing yards 199 111 Passing yards 311 217 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 27:35 32:25
Team Category Player StatisticsWest Texas A&M Passing Dustin Vaughan 20/29, 278 yards, 2 TD Rushing Khiry Robinson 16 rushes, 110 yards, 2 TD Receiving Torrence Allen 5 receptions, 113 yards, TDTexas A&M–Commerce Passing Kevin Vye 15/31, 217 yards Rushing Jamar Mosley 12 rushes, 72 yards, TD Receiving Tyler Rawlings 4 receptions, 81 yards
At No. 20 Chadron State (NCAA Division II First Round)
Statistics WTAMUCSC First downs 25 27 Total yards 580 455 Rushing yards 311 72 Passing yards 269 383 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 29:38 30:22
Team Category Player StatisticsWest Texas A&M Passing Dustin Vaughan 19/31, 269 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing Khiry Robinson 30 rushes, 235 yards, 3 TD Receiving Torrence Allen 7 receptions, 142 yardsChadron State Passing John McLain 32/49, 331 yards, 2 TD Rushing Michael Madkins 11 rushes, 54 yards Receiving Nathan Ross 8 receptions, 76 yards, TD
At No. 4 Ashland (NCAA Division II Second Round)
Statistics WTAMUAU First downs 19 22 Total yards 451 366 Rushing yards 53 200 Passing yards 398 166 Turnovers 2 4 Time of possession 31:24 28:36
Team Category Player StatisticsWest Texas A&M Passing Dustin Vaughan 35/50, 398 yards, 4 TD, INT Rushing Khiry Robinson 21 rushes, 58 yards Receiving Torrence Allen 13 receptions, 185 yards, 3 TDAshland Passing Taylor Housewright 20/34, 166 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT Rushing Anthony Taylor 22 rushes, 156 yards, TD Receiving Logan Slavinski 7 receptions, 43 yards
At No. 1 CSU Pueblo (NCAA Division II Quarterfinal)
Statistics WTAMUCSUP First downs 24 17 Total yards 517 225 Rushing yards 193 32 Passing yards 324 193 Turnovers 2 2 Time of possession 31:09 28:51
Team Category Player StatisticsWest Texas A&M Passing Dustin Vaughan 24/38, 324 yards, 3 TD, INT Rushing Khiry Robinson 26 rushes, 176 yards Receiving Nate Slaughter 7 receptions, 170 yards, 2 TDCSU Pueblo Passing Ross Dausin 22/33, 193 yards, TD, INT Rushing J. B. Matthews 16 rushes, 75 yards Receiving J. B. Matthews 6 receptions, 58 yards
At No. 2 Winston-Salem State (NCAA Division II Semifinal)
Statistics WTAMUWSSU First downs 19 28 Total yards 302 510 Rushing yards 133 261 Passing yards 169 249 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 27:02 32:58
Team Category Player StatisticsWest Texas A&M Passing Dustin Vaughan 21/35, 169 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing Khiry Robinson 20 rushes, 137 yards, TD Receiving Torrence Allen 6 receptions, 74 yardsWinston-Salem State Passing Kameron Smith 15/23, 233 yards, 2 TD Rushing Maurice Lewis 21 rushes, 118 yards, 2 TD Receiving Jamal Williams 5 receptions, 99 yards, TD
Personnel
TV and radio West Texas A&M road games were brotcasted on KAMR-TV.
References