# 2023 UT Permian Basin Falcons football team

The 2023 UT Permian Basin Falcons football team represented the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) in the 2023 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). They were led by first-year head coach Kris McCullough. The Falcons finished the regular season 10–1, going 8–0 in LSC play to win the conference title for the first time in program history. The Falcons received a bid for the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time in program history, being selected as the third seed in Super Region 4.
The Falcons played most of their home games at Astound Broadband Stadium in Midland, Texas while Ratliff Stadium in Odessa, Texas only hosted one home game.

## Offseason
### Coaching changes

On November 28, 2022, head coach Justin Carrigan announced that he would be stepping down as the program's head coach. The following day it was announced he would be stepping into an administrative role, being named the university's deputy athletic director.

## Preseason
### LSC media poll

The LSC media preseason poll was released on July 27, 2023. The Falcons were predicted to finish seventh.
LSC media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Angelo State | 241 (25) |
| 2 | Central Washington | 198 (1) |
| 3 | Texas A&M–Kingsville | 174 |
| 4 | Midwestern State | 147 |
| 5 | West Texas A&M | 123 |
| 6 | Western Oregon | 118 (1) |
| 7 | UT Permian Basin | 98 |
| 8 | Eastern New Mexico | 59 |
| 9 | Western New Mexico | 57 |

## Season summary

The Falcons opened the season on September 2, hosting NAIA Texas College from the Sooner Athletic Conference. In McCullough's debut, UTPB won 96–0, breaking the program record for most points scored in a single game. Two weeks later, against Southwest Baptist of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, the Falcons defeated the Bearcats 86–7, the second-most points scored in a single game in program history. On September 30, the Falcons defeated no. 16 Texas A&M–Kingsville, 29–17, for the program's first win over a ranked opponent.
On October 14, the Falcons defeated Eastern New Mexico, 52–29, improving to 6–1 overall, breaking the program record for most wins in a single season. In the D2 Football poll released the following Monday, October 16, the Falcons were ranked no. 25, marking the first time in program history that the Falcons were ranked in a national poll. In the next game, on October 21, the Falcons defeated no. 19 Angelo State to improve to 5–0 in LSC play, breaking the program record for most conference wins in a season. The Falcons would be ranked in the AFCA poll released the following Monday, on October 23, at no. 22, marking the first time in program history that the Falcons were ranked in the AFCA poll. In the regular season finale the Falcons hosted the no. 23 Central Washington Wildcats with both teams entering the game with a 7–0 record in LSC play, meaning the winner of the game would win the conference title. UTPB won the game 42–14 to win the LSC title for the first time in program history. Head coach Kris McCullough was named LSC Coach of the Year while quarterback Kenny Hrncir was named LSC Offensive Player of the Year. Additionally, Jeremiah Cooley won Receiver of the Year, Dominique Varela won Defensive Lineman of the Year, and Hayden Kelly won Linebacker of the Year.
UT Permian Basin was selected for the Division II playoffs, marking the program's first appearance in the playoffs. The Falcons faced Bemidji State from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in the first round of the playoffs.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 6:00 p.m. | Texas College* | | Astound Broadband StadiumMidland, TX | W 96–0 | 3,579 |
| September 9 | 1:00 p.m. | at Western Colorado* | | Mountaineer BowlGunnison, CO | L 27–35 | 103 |
| September 16 | 1:00 p.m. | at Southwest Baptist* | | Plaster StadiumBolivar, MO | W 86–7 | 1,247 |
| September 23 | 6:00 p.m. | West Texas A&M | | Astound Broadband StadiumMidland, TX | W 41–40 $^{OT}$ | 7,018 |
| September 30 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 16 Texas A&M–Kingsville | | Ratliff StadiumOdessa, TX | W 29–17 | 3,233 |
| October 7 | 7:00 p.m. | at Midwestern State | | Memorial StadiumWichita Falls, TX | W 21–13 | 6,122 |
| October 14 | 6:00 p.m. | Eastern New Mexico | | Astound Broadband StadiumMidland, TX | W 52–29 | 1,792 |
| October 21 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 19 Angelo State | | LeGrand Sports ComplexSan Angelo, TX | W 28–23 | 4,828 |
| October 28 | 6:00 p.m. | Western Oregon | No. 22 | Astound Broadband StadiumMidland, TX | W 28–16 | 5,127 |
| November 4 | 1:00 p.m. | at Western New Mexico | No. 18 | Altamirano StadiumSilver City, NM | W 56–3 | 678 |
| November 11 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 23 Central Washington | No. 17 | Astound Broadband StadiumMidland, TX | W 42–14 | 6,477 |
| November 18 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 21 Bemidji State* | No. 12 | Astound Broadband StadiumMidland, TX (NCAA Division II First Round) | L 3–10 | 2,697 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time |||||||
    Schedule Source:

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Final |
| AFCA | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | RV | 22 | 18 | 17 | 12 | 18 |
| D2 Football | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 10 | 17 |

## Game summaries
### Texas College

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Falcons | 20 | 34 | 28 | 14 | 96 |
at Astound Broadband Stadium, Midland, Texas
* Date: September 2
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Mild, 75 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 3,579
* Referee: Jerry Springer
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | TC | TPB |
| First downs | 18 | 31 |
| Total yards | 2 | 564 |
| Rushing yards | -36 | 254 |
| Passing yards | 38 | 310 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 27:45 | 32:15 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Texas College | Passing | Isiah Saddler | 8/28, 38 yards, 3 INT |
| Texas College | Rushing | Tamauge Sloan | 12 rushes, 18 yards |
| Texas College | Receiving | Terrell Hookfin | 2 receptions, 19 yards |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Kenny Hrncir | 19/25, 284 yards, 6 TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Kory Harris | 8 rushes, 75 yards, TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | Brock Johnson | 2 receptions, 70 yards 2 TD |

### At Western Colorado

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 3 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
| Mountaineers | 14 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
at Mountaineer Bowl, Gunnison, Colorado
* Date: September 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT/12:00 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 73 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 103
* Referee: Aaron Olivares
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | UTP | WCU |
| First downs | 24 | 15 |
| Total yards | 472 | 175 |
| Rushing yards | 178 | 112 |
| Passing yards | 294 | 63 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 35:33 | 24:27 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Kenny Hrncir | 20/52, 294 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Kenny Hrncir | 12 rushes, 105 yards |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | Ben Patterson | 3 receptions, 70 yards, TD |
| Western Colorado | Passing | Drew Nash | 14/27, 63 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Western Colorado | Rushing | Deyvon Butler | 15 rushes, 81 yards |
| Western Colorado | Receiving | Andrew Montez | 4 receptions, 30 yards, TD |

### At Southwest Baptist

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 16 | 28 | 21 | 21 | 86 |
| Bearcats | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at Plaster Stadium, Bolivar, Missouri
* Date: September 16
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 78 °F (26 °C)
* Game attendance: 1,247
* Referee: David Green
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | TPB | SBU |
| First downs | 27 | 8 |
| Total yards | 574 | 197 |
| Rushing yards | 219 | 21 |
| Passing yards | 355 | 176 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 5 |
| Time of possession | 31:58 | 28:02 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Kenny Hrncir | 15/20, 291 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Kory Harris | 18 rushes, 80 yards, 2 TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | Deon Cook | 2 receptions, 116 yards |
| Southwest Baptist | Passing | Collin Sutton | 10/21, 139 yards, INT |
| Southwest Baptist | Rushing | Abel Carter | 10 rushes, 25 yards |
| Southwest Baptist | Receiving | Kylan Herrera | 1 reception, 67 yards |

### West Texas A&M

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Buffaloes | 7 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 40 |
| Falcons | 3 | 0 | 7 | 24 | 7 | 41 |
at Astound Broadband Stadium, Midland, Texas
* Date: September 23
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Hot, 90 °F (32 °C)
* Game attendance: 7,018
* Referee: Joe Greer
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | WT | TPB |
| First downs | 20 | 25 |
| Total yards | 380 | 498 |
| Rushing yards | 183 | 179 |
| Passing yards | 197 | 319 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 33:40 | 26:20 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| West Texas A&M | Passing | Kanon Gibson | 23/26, 197 yards, 3 TD |
| West Texas A&M | Rushing | Kanon Gibson | 14 rushes, 123 yards, TD |
| West Texas A&M | Receiving | Isai Smallwood | 5 receptions, 64 yards, TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Kenny Hrncir | 19/40, 319 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Kenny Hrncir | 20 rushes, 105 yards, 2 TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | Jeremiah Cooley | 5 receptions, 120 yards, TD |
The Falcons trailed 10–24 entering the 4th quarter but outscored the Buffaloes 24–10 in the final quarter of regulation to tie the game 34–34 and force overtime. UTPB's final drive started with Rafael Vargas recovering his own onside kick. The Falcons converted twice on fourth down, converting a 4-and-1 and a 4-and-10, capping the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Kenny Hrncir. UTPB received the ball first in overtime. Facing a 4th-and-4 at the West Texas A&M 19-yard line, the Falcons went for it, gaining 18 yards, then scored a touchdown to go up 41–34. The Buffaloes would respond with a touchdown on the ensuing drive and opted to try a two-point conversion to win the game. Kanon Gibson attempted a pass on the conversion but the ball was batted out of the end zone, securing the 41–40 win for the Falcons.

### No. 16 Texas A&M–Kingsville

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 16 Javelinas | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Falcons | 7 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 29 |
at Ratliff Stadium, Odessa, Texas
* Date: September 30
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 3,233
* Referee: Kerry Moore
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | TAK | TPB |
| First downs | 14 | 16 |
| Total yards | 241 | 342 |
| Rushing yards | 97 | 222 |
| Passing yards | 144 | 120 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 23:25 | 36:35 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Texas A&M–Kingsville | Passing | Kannon Williams | 10/16, 130 yards, INT |
| Texas A&M–Kingsville | Rushing | Christian Anderson | 16 rushes, 59 yards, TD |
| Texas A&M–Kingsville | Receiving | Jason Gaines | 2 receptions, 71 yards |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Kenny Hrncir | 10/24, 120 yards, INT |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Kory Harris | 19 rushes, 104 yards, TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | Jeremiah Cooley | 3 receptions, 61 yards |

### At Midwestern State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Mustangs | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
at Memorial Stadium, Wichita Falls, Texas
* Date: October 7
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 66 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 6,122
* Referee: Bernard Johnson
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | TPB | MSU |
| First downs | 19 | 19 |
| Total yards | 381 | 334 |
| Rushing yards | 149 | 249 |
| Passing yards | 232 | 85 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 26:15 | 33:45 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Kenny Hrncir | 14/27, 232 yards |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Nemier Herod | 14 rushes, 81 yards, 2 TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | Ben Patterson | 4 receptions, 100 yards |
| Midwestern State | Passing | James Cooper Jr. | 7/11, 47 yards |
| Midwestern State | Rushing | Devin Cross | 19 rushes, 131 yards |
| Midwestern State | Receiving | Jalen Austin | 2 receptions, 17 yards |

### Eastern New Mexico

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Greyhounds | 7 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 29 |
| Falcons | 6 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 52 |
at Astound Broadband Stadium, Midland, Texas
* Date: October 14
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 1,792
* Referee: James Minor
* Box score
| Statistics | ENM | TPB |
| First downs | 14 | 29 |
| Total yards | 345 | 677 |
| Rushing yards | 181 | 458 |
| Passing yards | 164 | 219 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 26:45 | 33:15 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Eastern New Mexico | Passing | Mario Sanchez | 7/16, 164 yards, 3 TD |
| Eastern New Mexico | Rushing | Ja'Calvin Newsom | 3 rushes, 62 yards |
| Eastern New Mexico | Receiving | Andre Jones | 3 receptions, 87 yards, 2 TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Kenny Hrncir | 13/21, 194 yards, 2 TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Kory Harris | 13 rushes, 159 yards, TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | Matt Zubiate | 2 receptions, 86 yards, TD |
With the win, the Falcons improved to 6–1 overall, breaking the record for most wins in a single season, and improved to 4–0 in LSC play, tying the record for most conference wins in a single season.

### At No. 19 Angelo State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 0 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| No. 19 Rams | 3 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
at LeGrand Sports Complex, San Angelo, Texas
* Date: October 21
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 4,828
* Referee: Wayne Elliots
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | TPB | ASU |
| First downs | 21 | 16 |
| Total yards | 366 | 280 |
| Rushing yards | 163 | 158 |
| Passing yards | 203 | 122 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 35:39 | 24:21 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Kenny Hrncir | 21/27, 203 yards, 4 TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Kory Harris | 9 rushes, 79 yards |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | Deon Cook | 5 receptions, 65 yards, TD |
| Angelo State | Passing | Gerald Gardner | 17/29, 122 yards, 2 INT |
| Angelo State | Rushing | Brayden Wilcox | 10 rushes, 80 yards |
| Angelo State | Receiving | Kel Williams | 4 receptions, 46 yards |

### Western Oregon

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wolves | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 16 |
| No. 22 Falcons | 0 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
at Astound Broadband Stadium, Midland, Texas
* Date: October 28
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 5,127
* Referee: Jason Hickey
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | WOU | TPB |
| First downs | 17 | 24 |
| Total yards | 328 | 487 |
| Rushing yards | 113 | 108 |
| Passing yards | 215 | 379 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 29:46 | 30:14 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Western Oregon | Passing | Gannon Winkler | 15/28, 204 yards, TD, INT |
| Western Oregon | Rushing | Austin Bacher | 17 rushes, 99 yards, TD |
| Western Oregon | Receiving | Brenden Hodge | 7 receptions, 139 yards, TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Kenny Hrncir | 23/37, 379 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Kenny Hrncir | 11 rushes, 46 yards, TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | Ben Patterson | 6 receptions, 142 yards, 2 TD |

### At Western New Mexico

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 18 Falcons | 7 | 28 | 7 | 14 | 56 |
| Mustangs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
at Ben Altamirano Field, Silver City, New Mexico
* Date: November 4
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT/12:00 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 62 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 678
* Referee: Rex Rose
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | TPB | WNM |
| First downs | 31 | 8 |
| Total yards | 631 | 93 |
| Rushing yards | 407 | 16 |
| Passing yards | 224 | 77 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 31:11 | 28:49 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Kenny Hrncir | 14/21, 219 yards, 5 TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Nemier Herod | 10 rushes, 121 yards, TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | Gunnar Abseck | 4 receptions, 53 yards, TD |
| Western New Mexico | Passing | Hunter Davis | 12/21, 77 yards, 2 INT |
| Western New Mexico | Rushing | Marcus Higgs | 7 rushes, 22 yards |
| Western New Mexico | Receiving | Deuce Zimmerman | 2 receptions, 35 yards |

### No. 23 Central Washington

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 23 Wildcats | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| No. 17 Falcons | 14 | 0 | 21 | 7 | 42 |
at Astound Broadband Stadium, Midland, Texas
* Date: November 11
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 50 °F (10 °C)
* Game attendance: 6,477
* Referee: Kerry Kelarek
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | CWU | TPB |
| First downs | 16 | 23 |
| Total yards | 321 | 502 |
| Rushing yards | 140 | 329 |
| Passing yards | 181 | 173 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 27:32 | 32:28 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Central Washington | Passing | Kennedy McGill | 9/16, 148 yards, TD |
| Central Washington | Rushing | Kennedy McGill | 13 rushes, 64 yards |
| Central Washington | Receiving | Zach Matlock | 3 receptions, 62 yards |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Kenny Hrncir | 10/20, 173 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Kory Harris | 16 rushes, 116 yards, TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | Jeremiah Cooley | 2 receptions, 94 yards, 2 TD |
With the win, the Falcons finished the regular season going a perfect 8–0 in conference play to win the LSC title for the first time in program history.

### No. 21 Bemidji State (NCAA Division II First Round)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 21 Beavers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| No. 12 Falcons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
at Astound Broadband Stadium, Midland, Texas
* Date: November 18
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 57 °F (14 °C)
* Game attendance: 2,697
* Referee: Cecil Harrison
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | BSU | TPB |
| First downs | 15 | 17 |
| Total yards | 220 | 264 |
| Rushing yards | 69 | 111 |
| Passing yards | 151 | 153 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 28:18 | 31:42 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Bemidji State | Passing | Brandon Alt | 19/24, 151 yards, TD, INT |
| Bemidji State | Rushing | Ali Mohamed | 19 rushes, 38 yards |
| Bemidji State | Receiving | Dhel Duncan-Busby | 3 receptions, 43 yards |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Kenny Hrncir | 15/37, 153 yards, 2 INT |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Kenny Hrncir | 24 rushes, 72 yards |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | Jeremiah Cooley | 3 receptions, 38 yards |

## Statistics
### Scoring
#### Scores against non-conference opponents

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Opponents | 14 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 52 |
| UT Permian Basin | 39 | 72 | 56 | 45 | 212 |

#### Scores against the Lone Star Conference

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Opponents | 30 | 48 | 20 | 51 | 6 | 155 |
| UT Permian Basin | 51 | 84 | 66 | 89 | 7 | 297 |

#### Scores against all opponents

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Opponents | 44 | 69 | 30 | 58 | 6 | 207 |
| UT Permian Basin | 90 | 156 | 129 | 127 | 7 | 509 |

## Weekly awards

* LSC Offensive Player of the Week
    Kenny Hrncir (week 4 vs. West Texas A&M)
    Nemier Herod (week 7 vs. Eastern New Mexico)
    Kenny Hrncir (week 8 vs. Angelo State)
    Kenny Hrncir (week 9 vs. Western Oregon)
    Kenny Hrncir (week 11 vs. Central Washington)
* LSC Defensive Player of the Week
    Hayden Kelly (week 6 vs. Midwestern State)
    Hayden Kelly (week 11 vs. Central Washington)
* LSC Special Teams Player of the Week
    Sergio Landeros (week 5 vs. Texas A&M–Kingsville)