Falcons hold on late to beat Hounds 24-21

PORTALES - Texas-Permian Basin's football team is used to playing close games, and that experience may have paid off on Saturday.

Facing their sixth consecutive one-score contest and seventh in nine games this season, the Falcons got a 12-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Dylan Graham to senior wide receiver M.J. Link early in the final period and made it stand up for a 24-21 Lone Star Conference victory over Eastern New Mexico University at Greyhound Stadium.

The Greyhounds, who hadn't been in a game closer than 14 points this season, had chances to pull it out. But a rare missed 38-yard field goal by sophomore Cooper Hamilton kept them from tying it midway through the period, and a dead-ball unsportsmanlike penalty after a third-down pass fell incomplete with about two minutes left kept the ball in UTPB's possession with a first down rather than forcing a punt.

That penalty all but erased ENMU's final hope of a comeback.

"I wasn't happy with that," second-year Hounds coach Tye Hiatt said of the emotional nature of things, especially in the second half. "We have to learn to control our emotions, and we didn't do that very well today."

Justin Carrigan, the only coach in the seven-year history of the Falcons' program, would prefer, of course, that his team give itself a little more breathing room.

"We came out ahead," said Carrigan, whose team improved to 4-5 (3-4 LSC) and 4-3 in the close encounters. "It was a hard-fought game. I would like for (games) not to be that close in the fourth quarter."

Other than some chippiness that resulted in personal-foul penalties against both teams, it was a competitive and entertaining contest. The Falcons piled up 475 total yards, including 338 passing from Graham, who was 25-for-50.

He threw for three TDs - also connecting with Link on a 54-yard strike on the team's third play from scrimmage, and with sophomore wide receiver Gunnar Abseck on a 13-yarder to put the Falcons in front 16-14 with seven seconds left in the half.

ENMU (2-7, 1-6) grabbed a 14-6 lead on an 18-yard pass from junior QB Kason Martin to sophomore wide-out Greg Thomas in the final minute of the opening canto and a 38-yard run by sophomore Howard Russell early in the second. UTPB erased its deficit with two scores in the final six-plus minutes of the half, getting a 26-yard field goal by sophomore Michael Mayfield and the TD pass to Abseck, capping a five-play, 70-yard drive in 62 seconds.

After forcing a three-and-out by UTPB when play resumed, the Hounds took advantage of 25 yards in penalties on a punt return - holding and unsportsmanlike conduct - to quickly retake the lead on Martin's 34-yard pass to sophomore tight end Bryzai White less than two minutes into the second half. But they never scored again.

"That's how these games go," Carrigan said. "Coach Hiatt has done a great job with his team. They're going to be something to reckon with in the years go come."

Link finished with seven catches for 129 yards while sophomore Marcus Molina grabbed nine passes for 92. Meantime, the Hounds got 93 yards rushing from sophomore Isaiah Tate and 82 from Russell.

"I think our kids battled," Hiatt said. "Those two guys (Tate and Russell), and the offense line, battled pretty hard all day."

ENMU visits rival West Texas A&M this Saturday in the annual Wagon Wheel game before hosting Western New Mexico in the season finale on Nov. 12. The Mustangs stunned WT 37-34 with a touchdown in the closing seconds on Saturday at Silver City in a tilt in which both teams piled up more than 500 total yards.

"It's the biggest game because it's the next game," Hiatt said of this week's matchup. "I still think they're a pretty good team. Their quarterback, Nick Gerber, is a tremendous athlete.

"Probably the No. 1 thing for us is can we control ourselves in an emotional rivalry game. There's a difference between playing with an edge and letting our emotions take over."