Gallery: (4-3-2021) Football vs. Langston
LANGSTON, Okla. – After falling behind in the first half, Wayland Baptist battled back in the third quarter but couldn't complete the comeback as the Pioneers fell to the Langston Lions in Sooner Athletic Conference play Saturday afternoon, 38-17.
"We didn't make plays early when we had the opportunity. We fought back early in the second half to get back into the game, but we just couldn't keep it rolling," Wayland coach
Butch Henderson said.
Wayland scored off of two of three Langston turnovers, including a fumble on the first drive of the game. Linebacker
Tyrel McCalester forced a fumble which
Carl Walker-Lane recovered near midfield. The Pioneer offense, mostly on the strength of a 21-yard pass from
Brook Quinones to
Skyler Whitten, drove to the Langston 11 before settling for
Jeffery Lucido's 28-yard field goal that put Wayland up 3-0.
Langston took the lead on its next possession, scoring on a 19-yard run. The Lions made it 14-3 on the first play of the second quarter, a 25-yard pass, then got the ball right back following a fumble on Wayland's next play.
It took Langston eight plays to drive 40 yards, getting the payoff on a 1-yard touchdown run for a 21-3 lead.
The Lions upped it to 28-3 on its next possession, finding the end zone on a 32-yard pass as Langston took a comfortable lead into intermission.
Wayland made it less comfortable with two touchdowns in the first six minutes of the third quarter just 18 seconds apart. First,
Christian Vaughn capped an impressive 16-play, 55-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, then on Langston's next play junior linebacker
Casey Buck returned an interception 29-yards for a score. Lucido's third PAT made it 28-17.
"
Casey Buck's pick-six in the third quarter was huge," Henderson said. "That was a big-time play."
Unfortunately, Wayland's offense couldn't get rolling on its next two possessions, while Langston kicked a 21-yard field goal then scored one play after a 36-yard pass to the WBU 1-yard line, completing the score at 38-17 with 5½ minutes left in the game.
The Pioneers, on their final possession, drove to the Langston 18 before turning it over on downs.
Vaughn ended with 68 yards rushing on 15 carries, but as a team Wayland was outrushed 253-75. The Lions added 218 yards in the air for 471 yards total, compared to WBU's 242.
WBU converted 3-of-13 third-downs, compared to 9-of-14 for Langston.
The Pioneers end their season next Saturday, April 10 by hosting conference-leading, 14
th-ranked Arizona Christian (8-1, 5-0) at 2 p.m. It will be a rematch of the thrilling first game of the season in Phoenix, won by the Firestorm, 31-28 in overtime.
