KINGSVILLE, Texas – The Western Oregon Wolves continued their roll with a third consecutive win on Saturday, topping Texas A&M – Kingsville 13-7 at Javelina Stadium.

"This is a tough place to play," said Western Oregon head coach Arne Ferguson. "The guys rallied and we got some big performances. I was very proud of how the defense played."

The game got off to a conspicuous start with a flurry of action on the first play following the kickoff.  After a touchback, Texas A&M – Kingsville (2-4, 0-3 LSC) quarterback Koy Detmer completed a pass to Tyler Wilson for 50 yards, taking him down to the Western Oregon (3-3, 2-2 GNAC) 25-yard line. Before being downed, Ryan Minniti forced a fumble which was recovered by Dominic Akina and returned 39 yards to erase the big play.

Kingsville had a chance immediately to take back possession. Brajhon Crenshaw intercepted Ty Currie three plays into the drive, but a defensive holding penalty nullified the turnover. Adrian Saldana completed a 43-yard field goal attempt four plays later to get the Wolves on the board with a 3-0 lead under four minutes into the game. It was the beginning of a big game for Saldana who scored seven of the Wolves' 13 points.

Starting the second quarter with possession, the Javelinas missed an opportunity to tie the game. Detmer completed five passes for 36 yards to help get his team in scoring position in the drive, but it was not enough. Julio De La Garza missed wide right on his 49-yard, game-tying field goal attempt.

Western Oregon extended their lead early in the third quarter with their first and only touchdown of the night. Anthony Bradley pulled in two passes on the drive including a six-yard touchdown catch from Currie to make it a 10-0 Wolves lead.

TAMUK responded just two minutes later with a takeaway and their lone touchdown. Currie's first pass attempt of the series was intercepted by Jordan Semanat and returned 31 yards for the score.

Saldana set a conference and school NCAA-era record early in the fourth quarter with a 55-yard field goal. The kick breaks the school mark by two yards and the conference record by one yard, topping the record previously held by Western Washington's Michael Koenen who kicked a 54-yard field goal in 2001 against Central Washington.

"There was never a question about Adrian kicking from that distance," added Ferguson. "He's got such a huge leg and we had a ton of confidence in him."

Trailing 13-7 late in the game, the Javelinas had one last push in them to look for a lead. Donovan Moore returned a punt 61 yards to start a drive at the WOU 29-yard line. Starting the series with 5:34 remaining in the game, the Javelinas knew they needed a touchdown and ran the drive accordingly.

Facing 4th and 5 at the WOU 11, Kingsville opted to go for it on fourth down with just over two minutes remaining. Casey Rossellini, who entered as the quarterback just before the end of the second quarter, attempted a pass to the left side of the end zone for Jacob Armstrong. The pass bounced off the turf, giving the Wolves the ball after a turnover on downs to run out the clock.

Western Oregon's defense held TAMUK to just 58 rushing yards and 199 passing yards in the game. The Javelinas went 4-for-13 on third down conversions and 0-for-2 on fourth downs.

"Their corners and safeties were really good. The way each defense played, every yard in this one was crucial. It was a pure defensive battle and we were able to control the ball at the end which was a huge deal."

Western Oregon improves to 3-0 all-time against TAMUK, winning their first meeting since 2007.

The Wolves continue their road swing next week when they visit No. 14 Central Washington. Kickoff from Tomlinson Stadium is set for 6 p.m.