# 2020 UT Permian Basin Falcons football team

The 2020 UT Permian Basin Falcons football team represented the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) in the 2020–21 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). The Falcons were led by fifth-year head coach Justin Carrigan.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was shortened and postponed to spring 2021. In the shortened season, the Falcons finished 5–0 for the program's first winning and undefeated season.
The team played its home games at Grande Communications Stadium in Midland, Texas as the Falcons' regular home stadium, Ratliff Stadium, was being used as a mass vaccination site.

## Schedule

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lone Star Conference announced that there would be no in-conference competition. The scheduled officially consisted of five non-conference opponents, with the games against fellow LSC members Western New Mexico, Texas A&M–Kingsville, and Midwestern State being considered non-conference matches.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| February 27, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. | Southern Nazarene* | Grande Communications StadiumMidland, TX | W 33–14 | 3,798 |
| March 6, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. | Lincoln (MO)* | Grande Communications StadiumMidland, TX | W 54–20 | 3,876 |
| March 13, 2021 | 2:00 p.m. | at Western New Mexico* | Altamirano StadiumSilver City, NM | W 31–6 | 490 |
| March 20, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. | at Texas A&M–Kingsville* | Javelina StadiumKingsville, TX | W 17–2 | 2,000 |
| March 27, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. | Midwestern State* | Grande Communications StadiumMidland, TX | W 22–21 $^{OT}$ | 4,237 |
| *Non-conference gameAll times are in Central time ||||||

## Game summaries
### Southern Nazarene

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Crimson Storm | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Falcons | 7 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 33 |
at Grande Communications Stadium, Midland, Texas
* Date: February 27, 2021
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny, 73 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 3,798
* Referee: Randy Adams
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | SNU | TPB |
| First downs | 21 | 17 |
| Total yards | 337 | 338 |
| Rushing yards | 163 | 167 |
| Passing yards | 174 | 171 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 35:41 | 24:19 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Southern Nazarene | Passing | Gage Porter | 16/30, 149 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Southern Nazarene | Rushing | Gage Porter | 25 rushes, 115 yards, TD |
| Southern Nazarene | Receiving | Reid Roelofs | 8 receptions, 68 yards |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Clayton Roberts | 9/23, 171 yards, 4 TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Clayton Roberts | 12 rushes, 101 yards |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | MJ Link | 4 receptions, 91 yards, 2 TD |

### Lincoln (MO)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blue Tigers | 0 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 20 |
| Falcons | 27 | 0 | 20 | 7 | 54 |
at Grande Communications Stadium, Midland, Texas
* Date: March 6, 2021
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 57 °F (14 °C)
* Game attendance: 3,876
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | LIN | TPB |
| First downs | 13 | 17 |
| Total yards | 248 | 345 |
| Rushing yards | 98 | 22 |
| Passing yards | 150 | 323 |
| Turnovers | 5 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 34:40 | 25:20 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Lincoln (MO) | Passing | Desmond Hunter | 14/25, 150 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT |
| Lincoln (MO) | Rushing | Hosea Franklin | 23 rushes, 51 yards |
| Lincoln (MO) | Receiving | CJ Closser | 3 receptions, 73 yards |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Clayton Roberts | 15/24, 275 yards, 4 TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Brayden Thomas | 4 rushes, 13 yards |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | Kobe Robinson | 4 receptions, 117 yards, 2 TD |

### At Western New Mexico

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 7 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 31 |
| Mustangs | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Altamirano Stadium, Silver City, New Mexico
* Date: March 13, 2021
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 490
* Referee: Todd Wittlinger
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | TPB | WNM |
| First downs | 14 | 11 |
| Total yards | 193 | 185 |
| Rushing yards | 91 | 57 |
| Passing yards | 102 | 128 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 28:50 | 30:01 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Clayton Roberts | 8/23, 80 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Garrett Loudermilk | 14 rushes, 40 yards |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | Baylon Ware | 1 reception, 49 yards, TD |
| Western New Mexico | Passing | Brandon Ziarno | 14/35, 128 yards, TD, 3 INT |
| Western New Mexico | Rushing | DeRje Blanks | 6 rushes, 25 yards |
| Western New Mexico | Receiving | Josh Powell | 5 receptions, 77 yards |

### At Texas A&M–Kingsville

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Javelinas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
at Javelina Stadium, Kingsville, Texas
* Date: March 20, 2021
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 2,000
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | TPB | TAMUK |
| First downs | 14 | 12 |
| Total yards | 349 | 200 |
| Rushing yards | 57 | 108 |
| Passing yards | 292 | 92 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 4 |
| Time of possession | 29:48 | 30:12 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Brayden Thomas | 17/31, 292 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Garrett Loudermilk | 17 rushes, 52 yards |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | MJ Link | 5 receptions, 156 yards, 2 TD |
| Texas A&M–Kingsville | Passing | Zadock Dinklemann | 11/24, 74 yards, 2 INT |
| Texas A&M–Kingsville | Rushing | Christian Anderson | 19 rushes, 67 yards |
| Texas A&M–Kingsville | Receiving | Kevin Reynolds | 3 receptions, 30 yards |

### Midwestern State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Mustangs | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Falcons | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 22 |
at Grande Communications Stadium, Midland, Texas
* Date: March 27, 2021
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 4,237
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | MSU | TPB |
| First downs | 18 | 19 |
| Total yards | 303 | 288 |
| Rushing yards | 65 | 37 |
| Passing yards | 238 | 251 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 28:28 | 31:32 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Midwestern State | Passing | Derrick Ponder | 25/38, 238 yards, TD, INT |
| Midwestern State | Rushing | K'Vonte Jackson | 18 rushes, 65 yards, TD |
| Midwestern State | Receiving | Ja'Marzeyea Arvie | 11 receptions, 95 yards |
| UT Permian Basin | Passing | Brayden Thomas | 19/37, 251 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| UT Permian Basin | Rushing | Garrett Loudermilk | 20 rushes, 80 yards, TD |
| UT Permian Basin | Receiving | MJ Link | 9 receptions, 105 yards |

## Statistics
### Scoring
#### Scores against all opponents

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Opponents | 7 | 12 | 21 | 16 | 7 | 63 |
| UT Permian Basin | 44 | 35 | 33 | 37 | 8 | 157 |