New Mexico Football Report

ENMU Greyhounds  34    Incarnate Word Univ. Cardinals  24

Out of New Mexico's five football playing colleges, Eastern was the sole winner out of two D1 FBS schools & three NCAA D3 schools. (NMMI, a two year junior college also won it's game) We should be thankful to ENMU for upholding our state's football honor in the land of big time football (Texas) and in the gilded palace of sin built by Jerry Jones, Cowboy Stadium.

ENMU's match-up with Incarnate Word Univ. of San Antonio was part of The Lone Star Conference football festival. A three day affair that featured six games in Arlington, Tx. and I'm guessing enough BBQ to feed a small island nation. As I predicted last week, most of the games were played in front of a small core group of fans, huddled together in Jerry Jones' mammoth cathedral to excess.

The festivities kicked off on Thursday with The Harvey Martin Classic which saw Midwestern St. of  Wichita Falls, beat TAMU-C like a proverbial Texas mule 65-14. The game was ugly as sin, so of course it was broadcast on the CBS Sports Network as its NCAA D2 game of the week....really? 3,500 fans hardly put a dent into the stadium vendor's beer supply, but not from a lack of trying.

ENMU played on Friday in front of 11,000. That number however, is misleading... Eastern vs. Incarnate Word was part of a doubleheader split, with a game between Southlake Carroll and Temple. 5A high school football easily outdraws D3 college football in Texas and you can bet the family farm that 10,000 of those fans were there to see the schoolboys go at it.

A tripleheader on Saturday wrapped up the action. 19,200 turned out for all three games as Valdosta St. rolled Angelo State 43-10, Abilene Christian edged Tarleton State 34-31 and WTAMU (formerly West Texas St. Univ.)  blasted TAMU-K 40-10. Those TAMU schools take their football seriously. Overall it was a nice event and one hell of an excuse for a Texas sized tailgate party.

Before you could utter "say the word and I'll be there" Incarnate Word's Marcus Wright took the opening kick 83 yards for the first kickoff return touchdown in school history for the Cardinals (1-2, 0-1 LCS) To their credit the 'Hounds could have tucked their tail between their hindquarters, but instead they responded scoring on a 54 yd. reception to Jacob Johnson. IWU would answer back with a 71 yd. scoring drive to take the lead 14-7. A 1 yd. plunge by Qb. Wesley Wood drew ENMU even at 14-14. It didn't stay that way for long as Wood ran the ball in from 3 yds. out to give the Hounds their first lead at 21-14. 

IWU wasted little time getting on the scoreboard in the second half, a 95 yd. drive that culminated with a Zach Rhodes flea flicker to Dominic Hamilton who dashed 35 yds. for the td., knotting the score at 21.  Rhodes had the Cardinals moving again on their next possession, but a hard hit in the ENMU red zone put him out of the game (temporarily) IWU had to settle for a field goal, to pull ahead 24-21. On their ensuing drive, the Hounds finally woke up from their halftime slumber as De'Coreyon Thomas scored and ENMU retook the lead 28-24.

What happened next is the thing of legends, a woozy Zach Rhodes returned to the game and led IWU on a last gasp drive, he quickly had the Hounds back on their heels. At one point he faced a fourth and 2, which he brazenly converted to keep the drive alive. With 00:30 left on the clock, the Cardinals faced a 3rd. and 8 at the 21 yard line. Rhodes tossed a pass to the sideline, which ENMU's Jayson Serda picked off and returned for a touchdown, Heartbreak City and Goodnight Irene!.... The Hounds win!, The Hounds win! 34-24.

The ENMU football team (2-1, 1-0 LSC) will return to action, next Saturday, when it visits Tarleton State, for another LSC contest, in Stephenville, Tx.  John Tarleton St. Univ. is the largest non-land grant university primarily devoted to agriculture in the U.S.A. (this being Texas, we wouldn't expect any less)  It's located one hour from Ft. Worth, in the heart of the Cross Timbers region and is part of the A&M system.

Originally a two year school, they were known as "The Plowboys" but became the Texans and TexAnns (for the men's & women's teams respectively) The Texans were conf. co-champions in 2010 (w/ Abilene Christian) and 2001 (w/ Texas A&M-Kingsville) as well as North Division champs in 2002 and 2003 (the North-South divisions are no longer used) To put it plainly, The Texans are no strangers to winning football.  

WNMU Mustangs  27   CSU-Pueblo Thunderwolves  35

If you could count moral victories, Western New Mexico's record would stand at 1-2-2, however they don't count and the Mustangs find themselves at 1-2 (0-1 RMAC)  Beating the nationally ranked Thunderwolves (#3, AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll)  was a high order for WNMU and they came close to getting the upset. Though, as the old saying goes, "close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades" Once the dust settled, the realization struck that CSU-P was simply toying with the Mustangs. 

Like a pair of evenly matched pugilists, WNMU and the Thunderdogs traded head shots and body blows throughout most of the game. CSU-P took just under three minutes to score on the opening drive of the game, Western answered with a well executed drive that took much longer and netted fewer points after a two point conversion was rebuffed, 7-6 CSU-P. The T-Wolves came back on the next possession with an 8 play drive that ended in a six yard J.B. Matthews td. run. After a three and out by WNMU, CSU-P got the ball back, but found themselves pinned in their own territory. 

Then while trying to avoid a sack, T-Wolves Qb. Ross Dausin's desperation pass was picked off by Western's Jerrald Hines who ran it back to the CSU-P seven yard line. WNMU would score two plays later to narrow the gap to 14-13.  CSU-P as they are know to do, imposed their will on the Mustangs, coming back with a 12 play, 75 yard drive culminating with another td. run from J.B. Matthews. The Thunderwolves then forced Western to punt shortly before the half, up 21-13 Dausin then drove them down the field at will, as Western's defense could do little to stop him.

On the final play of the first half, as time ran out, Dausin connected with Josh Sandoval who scampered 23 yds. before he was stopped at the Mustang six yard line with no time left on the clock. The Thunderwolves opened the second half with a pooch kick that hit a WNMU player and was recovered by CSU-P, however they were unable to capitalize on that good fortune and The Mustangs took over. Mitch Glasmann then found Donald Byrd streaking across the middle, Byrd made the grab and eluded his defenders to score, this brought Western to within 21-20.

CSU-P wasn't about to let that stand, they came back with a scrappy drive that ended with yet another touchdown run by J.B. Matthews. Trailing 28-20, Western faltered in a big way and at a bad time. CSU-P corner Jarrod Lacy intercepted Mitch Glasmann at midfield and returned it all the way to the Western 10 yd. line, kept out of the end zone by Glasmann's touchdown saving tackle. It took just one play for the Thunderwolves to score with J.B. Matthews once more getting the call. Up 35-20, The Thunderwolves steeled themselves for Western's response. 

Adam Clark, WNMU's head coach had a trick up his sleeve, Glasmann threw a lateral to Donald Byrd who threw downfield to Marquis Sumper for a 40 yd. gain. Rb. Abraham Macias broke a few tackles as he powered his way into the endzone, trailing 35-27 with 13 minutes left on the clock, more fireworks were expected. But then, a funny thing happened.... neither team scored again. On Western part it wasn't from lack of trying, but two crucial fumbles killed their last two drives. Defensive stops and big plays, that's how teams get to be ranked #3 in the nation. 

Mitch Glasmann could well be the best passing Qb. in the state of New Mexico, against CSU-P he was 23-30 for 230 yards, 3 td's and two ints. Donald Byrd had seven catches for  97 yds. and 2 td's. Marquis Sumpter added 84 yds. on 6 receptions. T-Wolves running back J.B. Matthhews punished the Mustangs, 227 yds. on 34 carries and 4 td's.  CSU-P's Buster Thede, a Sr. from Arvada,Co. had a big game, forcing the fumble that effectively ended Western's chances. Thede is a former Mustang, who played at WNMU during his Fr. & So. years.

WNMU will remain home for their next game, another RMAC tilt, against Fort Lewis College. The Skyhawks are 0-2, having been rolled 50-0 by NMHU in their opener and then playing Div. 1 FCS, Northern Arizona (of the Big Sky Conf.) on the road with predictable results, a 69-0  blowout by the Lumberjacks. For those counting, that's eight quarters of scoreless football by Ft. Lewis. “We just got outmatched today,” said head coach Cesar Rivas-Sandoval.

Anywhere else, Rivas-Sandoval would be on the hotseat, but on Planet Durango they do things differently. The Skyhawk's poor start is hardly cause for indignation, folks in Durango keep things in perspective. “Obviously, we went into the game knowing we were going into it with some key injuries at major positions like quarterback, safety, and defensive line" explained Rivas-Sandoval, who has a knack for understating the obvious. 

NMHU Cowboys  23  South Utah Univ. Thunderbirds   45

A goal line stand can turn the complexion of a game in a hurry. The NMHU Cowboys trailing 31-20 early in the fourth quarter, had the ball at the SUU two yard line, first and goal with Emmanuel Lewis, a dangerous option Qb. behind center.... and they couldn't get the ball in the end zone.  As Zach Tapia came on to kick a 20 yard field goal, the disappointment was almost palpable. You sensed that the game had turned, which it indeed had.

SUU head coach Ed Lamb felt it, "Until [the goal line stand] it was a game that was well contested," he pointed out. "I thought New Mexico Highlands had a chance to win until ... we got the ball back and increased our lead."  The Thunderbirds, who just joined the Big Sky Conf. shutdown NMHU's offense and cruised to victory 45-23.  Highlands which had won its first two games handily, tasted the bitter fruit of defeat for the first time this season.

It was a tale, not of two cities but of two halves, though ultimately the Cowboys came up short in both.  Turnovers told the true story, both teams combined for seven, however the Cowboys lost three fumbles in the second half (they would lose four in all) Abdul Kanneh played the type of game that most defensive players can only dream about. Kanneh led the Pokes with seven tackles, one for a loss, three pass break-ups and two interceptions, returning both for td's.

NMHU head coach Eric Young chose to start Taylor Genuser, despite Emmanuel Lewis having had a phenomenal game against Ft. Lewis College. Genuser competed 4-7 passes for 55 yards before leaving the game. I'm not sure if he aggravated the injury that kept him out of the Ft. Lewis game or if Coach Young simply felt that Lewis gave them a better chance at winning. Emmanuel came off the bench and completed 19-32 passes for 311 yds. and one touchdown.

With the Thunderbirds defense holding NMHU's running game to minus 20 yards for the game, you know that Emmanuel didn't fool SUU with the option. Give credit to Coach Lamb, who obviously studied the NMHU-Ft. Lewis game and had his defense wise to Lewis' ability to run with the ball.   Darius Davis led the Cowboy receiving corps with 9 catches for 173 yards, Kevon Williams had two catches for 90 yards, a whopping 45.0 avg. per catch.

SUU's Qb. Brad Sorensen overcame Abdul Kanneh's two interceptions to finish with 212  passing yards and three touchdown passes to Fatu Moala, who finished with 8 receptions for 74 yards as well. Brian Wilson (no not that Brian Wilson or that other Brian Wilson) racked up a career high 140 yds. rushing to aid the Thunderbird's cause. "Credit New Mexico Highlands for how hard they played," Coach Ed Lamb said "They had a ton of great athletes out there tonight"

The Pokes return to Las Vegas for an RMAC showdown with  Colorado School of Mines at Don Perkins Stadium. The Orediggers are 3-0, 1-0 RMAC, they're ranked #23 in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.  Colorado School of Mines ran nearly 100 plays for 517 yards of total offense in cruising past Black Hills State by a 42-19 final in their RMAC opener. The Orediggers have outscored their opponents 170-32 including a 71-7 demolition of South Dakota Mines.

The 71 points The Orediggers put up on the South Dakota Mines Hardrockers was the most they had scored since a 75-40 blasting of New Mexico Highlands in 2003. Coached by Bob Stitt, Mines is a perennial contender for the RMAC title. Colorado School of Mines is the only school that has remained a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conf. since its inception without interruption.