ENMU football team romps against West Liberty

WEST LIBERTY, W. Va. — Eastern New Mexico University is making a run for the NCAA Division II playoffs, in more ways than one.

The ground game produced again for the No. 21 Greyhounds, as ENMU rolled out 573 yards of offense in a convincing 45-24 victory over West Liberty on the road Thursday night.

The Greyhounds moved to 8-1 on the season, and now have eight days to prepare for their regular-season finale at home against No. 4 Midwestern State.

The Hounds face a situation where either outcome lays out a good case for inclusion in the 28-team tournament bracket. Win, and they’re 9-1 with a share of the Lone Star Conference title and their only loss coming against No. 9 Texas A&M-Commerce. Lose, and they’re a two-loss club with defeats to Top-10 teams.

Eastern did its damage largely on the ground Thursday, outrushing West Liberty 498-116 with its option offense.

The good news for the host Hilltoppers? They held Kamal Cass, the LSC’s leading rusher, under 100 yards and out of the end zone.

The bad news? Greyhound quarterback Wyatt Strand and running back Johnny Smith combined for 286 yards and five rushing touchdowns. Smith rushed for 173 yards and scored on runs of 17, 55 and 18 yards, while Strand ran for 113 and accounted for three scores — rushes of 1 and 39 yards, plus a 54-yard pass to Russell Montoya just 1:37 into the contest.

Bailey Hale went 6-for-6 on extra points, and also booted a 46-yard field goal that made it 31-10 midway through the third quarter.

The Greyhounds led by as much as the final score, and trailed for just 3:18 on the night after a 41-yard touchdown reception by West Liberty’s Osman Kargbo made it 10-7.

The Hilltoppers (3-7) also scored on a 23-yard Chris Morris field goal on their opening possession, a 25-yard Ridge Durbin reception in the third quarter and Savion Johnson’s 3-yard rush with 6:49 to play.

What might have been most impressive on the night is how the Greyhounds dominated despite 186 yards of penalties, compared to just 30 for the Hilltoppers.

The win makes it the highest single-season total since ENMU’s 8-3 campaign in 2002 under the late Harold “Bud” Elliott. It also gives Kelley Lee an 8-1 start as Greyhound coach, matching Bill Kelly’s 8-1 start in 1982. The Greyhounds, then an NAIA program, ended that season 8-2-1, and reached the postseason for the first time in school history.

The Greyhounds have never reached the Division II playoffs, but have played in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl for the last two seasons.