Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Eastern New Mexico University sophomore Wyatt Strand accounted for 173 yards of offense, including a 20-yard run on a fourth-and-13 that set up Bailey Hale's game-winning field goal with :07 to play as the Greyhounds won 23-21.
PORTALES - A 20-yard run by Eastern New Mexico University quarterback Wyatt Strand on fourth-and-12 set up a game-winning 41-yard field goal by Bailey Hale with just seven seconds remaining to complete the Greyhounds 23-21 victory over No. 18 Southwest Baptist in their season opener.
ENMU (1-0) looked down-and-out when the Bearcats stopped a fourth-and-2 run by running back Kamal Cass and took over at the Greyhounds 19-yard line with three minutes left to play.
That was before ENMU's defense stuffed three straight runs and Toby Amadi blocked a 46-yard field goal attempt that would've put SBU up four.
"Found a way, found a way. Just resilient, we found a way to win. Defense played lights out tonight," Greyhounds coach Kelley Lee said.
A pair of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties by the Bearcats advanced the ball to the SBU 42-yard line following the blocked kick, providing vital field position for an ENMU offense, which had managed just 71 second-half yards up to that point.
"Last year we kind of traded some of those (penalties) with them and this year we really stressed to our kids that we weren't going to have any of those confrontations, and if somebody was going to make a mistake with penalties we were hoping it would be them, so it worked out that way on that last drive," Lee said.
Known for its triple option run attack, ENMU showed off its passing game in the first quarter as Strand completed a 56-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Johnny Smith and a 30-yard pass to wide receiver Tayshaun Gary to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Cass.
"We're a big time running offense but it sets up a lot of our throws because the defense gets to move in and stuff, so if we run the ball right the passing game is going to be open because it just opens up for us," Strand said.
SBU opened the scoring with a 62-yard pass from quarterback TJ Edwards to wide receiver Cassian Foreman just 1:20 into the game.
Edwards added a 1-yard rushing touchdown when he faked a pitch to the running back before diving over the goal line to tie the game at 14 early in the second quarter.
The Bearcats later scored the only touchdown of the second half with a perfectly-executed double pass when Edwards lateraled to wide receiver Kendrick Payne, who then found Chris Robb streaking down the sidelines for a 35-yard score.
The Greyhounds defense otherwise limited SBU's scoring with a trio of stops inside ENMU's 30-yard line.
Linebacker Zach Johnson stopped an Edwards rush for no gain to force a turnover on downs from the 26-yard line in the second quarter and linebacker Desmond Blue sacked Edwards for a 21-yard loss to push the Bearcats out of field goal range in the third quarter, in addition to the blocked field goal late in the fourth.
"I thought our defense had some phenomenal plays in the green zone, forcing them into fourth down," Lee said. "They were put in a couple of bad situations and overcame it, I just thought the resiliency and playing 60 minutes of football was tremendous."
Linebacker Fe'ao Vunipola led the Greyhounds with nine tackles and defensive end KeAndre Hall also added a sack and a fumble recovery.
Hale accounted for all of ENMU's points over the final three quarters, with field goals of 36 yards in the second quarter and 41late in the third in addition to the game-winning kick.
ENMU returns to action next Saturday when it travels to Western New Mexico to open Lone Star Conference play against the Mustangs at noon.
