PERU, Neb. — Kicker Carlos Vazquez booted a game-winning, 28-yard field goal through the uprights with 59 seconds remaining in Saturday's season opener to hand the Oklahoma Panhandle State football team (1-0) a gritty 10-9 victory over Peru State (0-1), marking the Aggies' first road win in a season opener in 35 years.
 
The OPSU field goal capped off a clutch nine-play, 32-yard drive in which quarterback Cache Barrett completed passes for third-down conversions on two occasions, including hitting Teandre Newcomb for a 22-yard gain on third-and-15 with just over two minutes left.
 
Panhandle State's defense was stout all throughout the day, bending at times but limiting the Bobcats' offense – one that averaged 29.5 points per game for the seven-game winner a season ago – to just three field goals.
 
The Aggies' game-winning drive was set up by their defense, as Peru State had a chance to ice the game with under five minutes to play with the ball on its own 12-yard line. Linebacker Nate Orta spoiled that plan with a sack that backed the Bobcats up, and two downs later, the home team was forced to punt from deep in its own endzone.
 
While neither offense was able to consistently sustain drives, OPSU held Peru State to 274 total yards of offense at a clip of 3.61 yards per play, the fewest yards per play allowed in a single game across head coach Cory Miller's tenure.
 
Leading the defense were Orta and Victor De La Cruz with eight tackles apiece, while defensive back Loren Snead recorded seven tackles and one of six Aggie pass breakups on the day.
 
Elzie Barnett III and Wally Palega Jr. combined on a sack to pair with Orta's game-altering sack.
 
Offensively, Barrett and Chance Guadiz split time at quarterback as both players fought through lower body issues. Barrett thew for 113 yards, while Guadiz added 29 and rushed for 43 yards and a touchdown.
 
Rylan Johnson had a team-high 56 yards on the ground, while D'Kyri Williams posted 45 receiving yards, including a 41-yard catch-and-run reception in the first half. William Rodriguez III (five receptions, 36 yards) and Newcomb (four receptions, 28 yards) also played a factor in the passing game.
 
First Half: Peru State kicked a 21-yard field goal on its second drive of the game to make it 3-0, a score that held through halftime. Its scoring drive went for 50 yards across 13 plays, but the Aggies' defense held up in the goal-to-go situation.
 
For OPSU, three lost fumbles prevented the offense from getting on the scoreboard as it was shut out through two quarters.
 
Key Drive: After forcing a three-and-out to open the second half, Guadiz orchestrated a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to give the Aggies their initial lead, 7-3, midway through the third quarter. Guadiz converted on three third-down situations with his legs, while Barrett entered for one play and tossed a 21-yard dart to Dillon Laurer down the left sideline. Guadiz finished the drive with a 28-yard touchdown run on a quarterback draw.
 
Coach Miller's Thoughts …
 
On the defensive performance: "There's not enough words I can say about our defense. They played the best defensive football I've seen since I've been here," said Miller. "(It was a) relentless effort to the football all game, I mean, they came to play, they put the preparation in. Hats off to Coach Nalley and Coach Davis. Coach Davis did a tremendous job with them in the weight room this offseason to prepare them for this, and heck of a game plan by Coach Nalley to keep them out of the endzone."
 
On the quarterbacks: "It obviously wasn't the best game for us to look at offensively in terms of overall play, but Chance made a play when he needed to with his legs and hit that touchdown run, and Cache came in … and was able to complete a third-down conversion in a huge spot for us to be able to milk clock off, and he did a great job of being on the sideline and helping us out."
 
On the game-winning kick: "Carlos is Carlos, man, he's a gamer. We just need to get the ball in the middle of the field for him. We knew kind of where the range was, we put the spot and it was just boom, right in there. And then he gave us a great kick on the (ensuing) kickoff, putting it in a spot to make the return basically nothing, giving them a long field."
 
What's up next: Panhandle State returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 13, in Marshall, Texas, for its final nonconference game at East Texas Baptist University (0-0).