ENMU football team notches first win

KINGSVILLE, Texas — For the first time all season, Eastern New Mexico’s football team found itself with a lead. And just like last year’s version of the Green and Silver, this year’s knew exactly what to do with it.

The Greyhounds took advantage of a pair of short fields early in the first quarter, then survived a Texas A&M-Kingsville rally for a 31-14 victory to finally get one in the W column and even their Lone Star Conference record to 1-1.

Eastern New Mexico (1-3 overall), coming off a 21-11 loss to top-ranked Texas A&M-Commerce in a game it had chances to win, found its chances early when the host Javelinas (1-3, 0-3 LSC) gave them a short field on a 6-yard punt. The Greyhounds went 45 yards in nine plays, ending with a Paul Terry 2-yard rush.

After the teams traded empty possessions, De’ John Burns intercepted a Koy Detmer Jr. pass and returned it to the Kingsville 9. The Greyhounds needed just four seconds to capitalize, as Wyatt Strand called his own number and ran it in for the score.

Kingsville scored the next two touchdowns to knot things up — A Nick Pelrean 3-yard run early in the second quarter and a Detmer 2-yard pass to Roe Posada with 11:09 left in the third. But it was mostly Johnny Smith, and all Greyhounds after that.

Smith gave the Greyhounds the lead back 2:24 later when he took a Strand pass 28 yards to end a five-play drive. Then, following a three-and-out by Kingsville, Strand found Smith on the second play of the ensuing drive. He did the rest, going 66 yards for the score.

Tyler Vargas added a 29-yard field goal with 4:34 to play, and a Charles Countee interception allowed the Greyhounds to salt away the final 3:40.

Strand hit the century mark in the air, completing 3-of-6 passes for 100 yards. Smith, who accounted for all but six of those yards, also rushed seven times for 97 yards. He was one of five Greyhounds with at least 45 yards on the ground. Eastern rushed for 374 yards on 57 carries, totaling a 474-yard night.

Detmer was 19-of-35 for 158 yards on the night, and the Javelinas totaled 229 yards.

The Greyhounds return to Greyhound Stadium to take on Midwestern State. The Saturday kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.