ENMU week 3 wrap: Lions prove tough

COMMERCE, Texas — If Eastern New Mexico’s football team was going to stay unbeaten, it was going to be with a Week 3 road victory against Texas A&M-Commerce, the nation’s 12th-ranked Division II team.

And early in Saturday night’s Lone Star Conference opener, it seemed as though that might just happen. But after an early lead for the Greyhounds, A&M-Commerce took control and went on for a 45-27 win, dropping Eastern to 2-1 while the Lions stayed unbeaten (3-0).

The Hounds actually hung with Commerce yardage-wise, getting outgained just 333-331 and holding a noticeable 23-15 edge in first downs, but couldn’t manage to negate a few costly turnovers and special-teams miscues. ENMU totaled three rushing touchdowns and ran for 283 yards as a team — compared to just 90 for Commerce — while doubling the Lions’ running plays, 82-41.

Eastern seniors Paul Terry and Wyatt Strand each totaled over 100 yards rushing, with Strand finding the end zone twice, both times in the second half. Terry finished the night with 110 yards on 24 attempts, his third straight game with 100-plus yards on the ground.

Strand picked up 103 yards on 26 carries and went 5-of-15 passing. Senior Charles Countee led the Hounds’ defensive effort with nine total tackles and a fumble recovery. Junior Vicen’te Walker secured his second interception of the year. And junior Lamontre Huval recorded a sack.

Decent start

Eastern New Mexico scored on its opening drive, stringing together 13 plays that took 7:50 off the clock and gained 56 yards, before settling for a 26-yard field goal from senior Tyler Vargas.

Later in the first quarter, Eastern couldn’t make Walker’s interception inside its own five-yard line count, as the offense fumbled on the second play of the ensuing drive and set up Texas A&M-Commerce inside the Hounds’ 5. Two plays later, the Lions’ Carandal Hale rushed for a one-yard score. Jake Viquez’s extra point gave Commerce a 7-3 advantage with 3:59 left in the first quarter.

Before the first period ended, Commerce’s Dominique Ramsey returned a punt 55 yards for a score, and with another Viquez extra point it was 14-3.

In the second quarter, a 43-yard Viquez field goal and a nine-yard Miklo Smalls touchdown pass to Jeremiah Bridges — plus a Viquez extra point — made it 24-3 by the time there was 3:06 left in the first half.

Eastern had five straight stalled drives before putting together an 11-play, 50-yard march, capped off by a 42-yard Vargas field goal, decreasing the deficit to 24-6 by halftime.

Countee picked up a fumble recovery on the Lions’ opening play of the second half to give ENMU the ball on Texas A&M-Commerce’s 38-yard line. Eastern, though, couldn’t convert on the great field position and wounded up punting.

The Lions scored on the ensuing drive — on a 73-yard Smalls pass to Chance Cooper — increasing their advantage to 31-6 after the Viquez extra point.

Late in the third quarter, Eastern found the end zone for the first time on a wild blocked field goal attempt that was picked up by Walker and taken in from 12 yards out. A Johnny Smith two-point conversion followed, making it a 31-14 game.

Strand tacked on the first of his two touchdowns in the second half — a three-yard score with 12:31 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Texas A&M-Commerce added one more score — an 18-yard Smalls-to-Cooper connection — before Strand captained the Greyhound offense down the field on a 98-yard scoring drive that took 15 plays and 5:48 off the clock. The Logan native polished off the drive by cutting back to the end zone with 30 seconds remaining in the game.

Homecoming

After two weeks on the road, Eastern returns to Greyhound Stadium for its Homecoming game on Saturday, facing Texas A&M Kingsville (1-2) at 6 p.m.