EASTERN NEW MEXICO UNIVERSITY GREYHOUNDS 2014 Weekly Press Release Week #1: Eastern N.M. at New Mexico Highlands Non-Conference Game • Season Opener Saturday, September 6, 2014 • 7 p.m. MST Perkins Stadium • Las Vegas, N.M. 1991 Lone Star Conference Champions • Two LSC South Titles • 27 Winning Seasons Gridiron Hounds to Open 78th Season Athletic Communications Contact Information Against Cross-State Rival Cowboys At the Starting Line Adam Pitterman (575) 562-4309 [email protected] Philip Pongratz (575) 562-4308 [email protected] The Eastern New Mexico University football team will be opening the 2014 season on the road against New Mexico Highlands. The Cowboys compete Websites Goeasternathletics.com in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Last Facebook.com/goeasternathletics season, the teams met for the third time since Septem- Twitter.com/enmusports ber 13, 2003. ENMU has opened the season against Highlands on 11 occasions and won five of those 2014 Greyhounds Schedule games. Wk. Day Date Opponent Site Time (MST) Overall, the Greyhounds are 37-37 in season open- 1 Sat. Sept. 6 N.M. Highlands Perkins Stadium 6 p.m. ers, and have won nine of their last 17. Last season, 2 Sat. Sept. 13 Adams State Greyhound Stadium 7 p.m. the Hounds dropped a 31-28 decision to Highlands. 3 Sat. Sept. 20 *Midwestern State AT&T Stadium 7 p.m. 4 Sat. Sept. 27 $*TAMU-Commerce Greyhound Stadium 3 p.m. In the 37 seasons they won their opening contest, 5 Sat. Oct. 4 *TAMU-Kingsville Javelina Stadium TBA the Greyhounds have posted 25 winning seasons, nine 6 Sat. Oct. 11 McMurry Abilene, Texas TBA losing seasons, and a pair of .500 seasons. In contrast, 7 Sat. Oct. 18 *Tarleton State Greyhound Stadium 6 p.m. 8 Sat. Oct. 25 *Angelo State San Angelo Stadium 6 p.m. when Greyhounds dropped their season opener, they 9 Sat. Nov. 1 *West Texas A&M Greyhound Stadium 6 p.m. have had 25 losing seasons, nine winning seasons, 10 Sat. Nov. 8 LSC Playoff TBA TBA and thee .500 seasons. ENMU has earned a tie in its 11 Sat. Nov. 15 LSC Playoff TBA TBA opener three times, with one winning season and two 2013 Greyhounds Results losing seasons following. Despite last seasons’ loss, Eastern won seven games and claimed a share of the Wk. Day Date Opponent Site Time (MST) 1 Sat. Sept. 7 N.M. Highlands Greyhound Stadium L, 28-31 Lone Star Conference title. 3 Fri. Sept. 13 Sul Ross State Cowboys Stadium W, 55-24 2 Fri. Sept. 20 US Air Force JV USAF Academy, Colo. W, 42-35 4 Sat. Sept. 28 Incarnate Word Benson Stadium L, 26-33 Last Time in the Series 5 Sat. Oct. 5 $*Tarleton State Greyhound Stadium L, 14-34 6 Sat. Oct. 12 *Angelo State San Angelo Stadium W, 29-28 The Greyhounds are 30-13 against New Mexico High- 7 Sat. Oct. 19 Northeastern State Doc Wadley Stadium W, 35-14 lands and have won three of the last six meetings, includ- 8 Sat. Oct. 26 #*TAMU-Kingsville Greyhound Stadium W, 13-10 ing a 45-14 decision at Greyhound Stadium, on Septem- 9 Sat. Nov. 2 *#15 West Texas A&M Kimbrough Stadium W, 39-38 10 Sat. Nov. 9 *Midwestern State Greyhound Stadium W, 40-21 ber 13, 2003. Lee Price snapped a 7-all tie, 11 seconds 11 Sat. Nov. 16 *TAMU-Commerce Memorial Stadium W, 42-35 into the second quarter, with a 25-yard field goal, as the Hounds surged to a 24-7 lead. Prior to three consecutive Inside the Series (ENMU Leads 30-13) Date Site Result losses in the series, Eastern had outscored the Cowboys by 9/7/2013 Greyhound Stadium L, 28-31 9/1/2012 @Las Vegas, N.M. L, 14-42 an average 26.3-13.6 points per game margin and posted 9/3/2011 Greyhound Stadium L, 36-43 a series best seven-game win streak from 1983 through 9/13/2003 Greyhound Stadium W, 45-14 9/14/2002 @Las Vegas, N.M. W, 70-28# 1991, while dropping consecutive games just once in the 9/8/2001 Greyhound Stadium W, 37-6 9/9/2000 @Las Vegas, N.M. L, 22-30 series (1992-93). 9/11/1999 Greyhound Stadium W, 54-7 Last season, the Eastern nearly rallied from a 24-7 defi- 9/12/1998 @Las Vegas, N.M. W, 31-30 9/13/1997 Greyhound Stadium W, 34-31 cit, but NMHU withstood a final drive from the Hounds. 9/7/1996 @Las Vegas, N.M. L, 6-29 Darrelyn McCloud scored on a 33-yard interception re- 9/16/1995 Greyhound Stadium W, 22-9 9/3/1994 @Las Vegas, N.M. W, 27-26 turn to ignite the comeback effort. 9/4/1993 Greyhound Stadium W, 14-0 9/5/1992 @Las Vegas, N.M. L, 9-21 9/28/1991 Greyhound Stadium W, 21-0 9/22/1990 @Las Vegas, N.M. W, 61-21 On the Run October 30, 2010. ENMU’s 348 rush- ing yards was the highest total since The Greyhounds rolled up 428 running for 357 on November 10, Teams that are Special yards of offense against Midwestern 2007, at Oklahoma Panhandle State. Jacob Johnson, Elliot Peters, State, including 281 rushing yards. Mitchell Cox and Silver Vaifuana Included in the 27-0 start, the Hounds The Defense Doesn’t Rest tied for the team lead with six special had a 99-yard drive which culminated teams tackles each. Vaifanaua had in a 25-yard run from E’lon Spight. Eastern’s defense took the ball five stops in punt coverage, while Cox Spight ran for a career-high 90 yards away from opposing offenses 23 times made six in coverage of his own kick and two scores, while Jacob Johnson last season (tied for 3rd in LSC) and offs. hauled in four passes for 125 yards was just one of four teams to reach D’Maujeric Tucker’s 99-yard kick and a touchdown. double figures in interceptions and return helped Eastern win the Wagon Eastern rolled up 232 rushing yards fumble recoveries. ENMU was second Wheel and was the Hounds first touch- against West Texas A&M, its highest in the LSC in total yardage given up down on a kick return since the 2011 total in a Wagon Wheel game since the and third in pass defense. Eastern has season. 13 of Anthony Torres’ 50 2007 season. Christian Long rushed also surrendered the fewest first downs punts were downed inside the oppos- for 78 of his career-best 121 yards in per game. ing 20-yard line. He had five punts of the second half, to go along with three Against Midwestern State, the at least 50 yards, with a long of 56 at touchdowns. Greyhound defense did not allow a Incarnate Word and four fair catches. After being held scoreless through fourth-down conversion in four tries Mitchell Cox booted a 48-yard field the first half against Texas A&M- and held Midwestern State to five goal at Incarnate Word, to pull ENMU Kingsville, the Hounds rolled up 219 place or less on six possessions. Con- to within one touchdown and followed yards of total offense in the second nor Brinton came up with an inter- with two successful on-sides kicks, half on the way to a 13-10 victory. ception and made nine tackles. which were overturned by penalty. Against Northeastern State, East- In the Wagon Wheel game, East- David Strickland returned a point ern’s 368 rushing yards was the high- ern allowed just seven points to the after touchdown attempt at Incarnate est total since rolling up 488 yards high-powered Buffaloes in the second Word, giving Eastern its first defensive against East Central on September 15, half and sacked Harlon Hill candidate conversion since the 2009 season. 2007. Jordan Wells ran for 132 yards, Dustin Vaughan four times. Eastern while Christian Long rumbled for held WT to 12 rushing yards for the 102, to become the first duo to reach game. Highlands Notes the century mark in a game since that Against Texas A&M-Kingsville, the date. Greyhounds did not allow a single first The Cowboys made a strong show- Angelo State snapped a string of down in the fourth quarter. ing both offensively and defensively four straight games in which ENMU The Greyhound defense recovered last season, but struggled to overcome rushed for at least 200 yards. three fumbles in the come-from- a -16 turnover ratio. NMHU earned The Greyhounds rolled up 423 behind win at Angelo State, with two wins over Eastern and Fort Lewis. yards of total offense at NCAA Divi- leading to scores. Benjamin Pedro- sion I Incarnate Word, which included Langford finished with 13 tackles, 262 yards on the ground. During with 2.5 for a loss. LSC Notes the game, Eastern put together three Seth Bailey made ten tackles touchdown drives, which spanned 11, against Tarleton State along with an Last season, Lone Star Conference 6 and 13 plays. Jordan Wells rushed interception. Connor Brinton also teams were 17-16 at home and 24-12 on for 90 yards, while Vaughn Johnson made an interception, while Pedro- the road. Eastern New Mexico closed and Long scored touchdowns. Langford recovered a fumble. the season with the league’s best win Big plays were the name of the The Greyhounds turned in a domi- streak at six games, while Texas A&M- game against Sul Ross, with Jordan nant performance at Incarnate Word, Kingsville lost eight in a row.