Hounds, Sul Ross looking for bounce-back

Sul Ross State football coach Wayne Schroeder figures his team is challenging itself in the first two weeks of the season.

The NCAA Division III Lobos, members of the American Southwest Conference, face their second consecutive Division II opponent today when they take on Eastern New Mexico University in a 2 p.m. kickoff at Blackwater Draw.

They are coming off a 54-44 loss to Western New Mexico at Alpine, Texas.

"We feel like Eastern is going to be a very physical team," said Schroeder (pronounced SHRAY-der), in his fifth season with the Lobos. "We do have a history with (ENMU first-year) coach (Josh) Lynn; we know they'll always be a well-coached team.

"Our first two weeks are very challenging."

ENMU, meantime, is trying to pick itself up after losing at New Mexico Highlands 42-14. The Cowboys scored the final six touchdowns after spotting the Hounds a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.

"Any time you score 44 points, you're doing something," Lynn said of SRSU. "I think they'll try to create some confusion (with ENMU's defense) with movement.

"They're young on defense with the exception of the nose guard (senior Julian Johnson)."

Lynn said the Hounds have to be concerned with senior wide receiver Lee Carothers, a preseason Division III All-American. Meantime, senior quarterback A.J. Springer threw for 303 yards and four TDs last week while senior running back Dominique Carson compiled 369 all-purpose yards and had one touchdown each by rushing, receiving and return.

This is the first time the programs have met in more than 30 years, although they played almost every year from 1958-78.

Schroeder said the Lobos play a lot of four-wideouts on offense and three-man fronts on defense, and noted they were pretty evenly split between the run (35) and pass (38) against Western.

In the far-flung American Southwest, he said the six-hour bus ride to ENMU is the second-shortest for the Lobos this season.

Depth for his squad is a concern, Schrader said, and Lynn is hoping his team can wear the Lobos down.

"We need to control the interior front with our offensive and defensive lines," he said.

Last week, ENMU was in position to take the lead in the third quarter before losing a fumble at the Highlands 3. The Cowboys proceeded to drive 97 yards for a touchdown and pulled away down the stretch.

"That kind of took the wind out of our sails," Lynn said.

CAPSULE

Sul Ross State (0-1) at ENMU (0-1)

2 p.m. today at Blackwater Draw

• Radio: KSEL-FM 105.9.

• Coaches: Sul Ross State, Wayne Schroeder, 5th year, 7-30; ENMU, Josh Lynn, 1st year, 0-1.

• Last meeting: 1978, the Greyhounds blanked the Lobos 42-0 at Greyhound Stadium.

• Last week: Sul Ross dropped a 54-44 decision to Western New Mexico at Alpine, Texas. ENMU lost at New Mexico Highlands 42-14.

• Sul Ross players to watch: Dominique Carson, 5-5, 165, Sr., RB; Lee Carothers, 6-3, 195, Sr., WR; Cordrick Mobley, 6-4, 190, So., WR; Joel Hernandez, 6-2, 290, Sr., G; Jural Hickman, 5-8, 160, So, S; Daryn Young, 6-2, 250, So., DE; Julian Johnson, 6-2, 275, Sr., DT.

• Notes: Sul Ross State leads the all-time series 13-8-1, but hasn't won since a 35-13 win at Greyhound Stadium in 1970. The next year the team's played to a 6-6 tie at Alpine, and ENMU won the next five meetings before the series was discontinued. … The Hounds pay a return visit to Alpine next year. … Sul Ross (473) and Western New Mexico (577) combined for more than 1,000 yards last week. Carson finished with 369 all-purpose yards — 173 rushing on 17 carries and one touchdown, 96 yards on seven receptions and a TD and a 100-yard kickoff return for a score.

• Quotable: "Defensively, I think we played really well. Offensively, we kind of sputtered all game. It felt like we were just kind of feeling things out." — Lynn, on the loss to NMHU.

— Compiled by Dave Wagner