Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Eastern New Mexico defensive back Toby Amadi, left, and linebacker Desmond Blue converge on a fumble by Angelo State's Donovan Thompson in the first half of Saturday's Lone Star Conference game at Greyhound Stadium.
PORTALES — If the first 20 minutes were any indication, Eastern New Mexico University never imagined they'd be fighting for their lives in the fourth quarter against Angelo State.
But you can blame it on the rain, as a different Ram team emerged from a weather delay than the one who'd given up 21 points and gained 18 yards to that point.
Still, the host Greyhounds survived behind a 182-yard rushing night from senior Kamal Cass and moved above .500 again in Lone Star Conference play with a 31-21 win Saturday at Greyhound Stadium.
Cass scored on a 57-yard second-quarter run that put the Hounds (3-1, 2-1 LSC) up 28-6, and got three first downs on the final ENMU scoring drive — a 28-yard insurance field goal by Bailey Hale with 3:44 to play.
It certainly didn't look like Angelo State had much of a chance early, as the Hounds built a 21-0 second-quarter lead on a 5-yard D'Maujeric Tucker run and two touchdown tosses — a Wyatt Strand 13-yard toss to Tayshaun Gary in the first quarter and Russell Montoya's 55-yarder on a trick play to Johnny Smith early in the second quarter.
Angelo quarterback Jake Faber led a comeback before he left with an injury in the second half, tossing a 43-yard strike to Lawson Ayo in the second and calling his own number on an 8-yard scoring rush in the third.
Angelo State (2-2, 0-2) first got on the board with a 42-yard Josh Stevens run, and got as close as 28-21 with 10:27 left in the third on Connor Flanigan's 20-yard field goal.
But the Greyhound defense allowed just 34 yards the rest of the night on Angelo's final seven possessions.
Strand completed 4-of-8 passes for 43 yards.
The Greyhounds ran 84 plays on the night, compared to 60 for the Rams, and enjoyed a 384-289 advantage on offense.
Eastern New Mexico hits the road Saturday to take on West Texas A&M in the Wagon Wheel Game, then returns home Oct. 7 for homecoming against Texas-Permian Basin.
