Athletic Report
October 14, 2000

ENMU DEFEATS TARLETON STATE
34-27 Two TDs in 29 seconds Break 20-20 tie
PORTALES, NM — Senior defensive end James Stewart (Anton, TX/N.M. Military Institute) blocked a punt to set up the go-ahead touchdown with 3:57 remaining, then intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown with 3:25 left, as Eastern New Mexico University broke a 20-20 tie and defeated visiting Tarleton State University, 34-27, Oct. 14 at Greyhound Stadium. ENMU improved to 4-3 on the season, including 2-1 in the Lone Star Conference South Division. TSU dropped to 4-3 overall and 1-2 in the LSC South.

The Greyhounds trailed 20-13 with 9:55 left in the third quarter, but scored on the first play of the fourth quarter to tie the game, then used Stewart’s big plays to take the lead. TSU went on an 11-play, 80-yard drive in the closing minutes, but Will Rogers’ 3-yard TD run with 1:14 to go still left the Texans with a 7-point deficit.

Fabian Contreras (Fr., RB, Lovington, NM/Lovington H.S.) recovered the ensuing onside kick for ENMU. The Greyhounds downed the ball three times to run out the clock.

Stewart has scored a touchdown in each of ENMU’s last three games against Tarleton State. In 1998, he recovered a fumbled punt return on the final play of the first half and took it 15 yards into the end zone. ENMU led 21-7 at the half, and went on to win the game, 42-7. Last year, he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone in ENMU’s 27-13 win.

Eastern New Mexico took the opening kickoff and drove 71 yards in 10 plays for an early 7-0 lead. Aaron Dunnam completed the drive with a 3-yard run, and Mike Trimble (Jr., PK, Houston, TX/Adams State) kicked the extra point.

TSU tied the game early in the second quarter on a 1-yard run by quarterback Steve Kelly. The short run by Kelly completed a quick 8-play, 77-yard drive that took just 2:51 off the clock. ENMU regained the lead, 10-7, with 11:42 left in the half, on a 36-yard field goal by Trimble.

The Texans moved back in front at the 7:28 mark of the second quarter on another lengthy drive. D.T. Hopkins scored on a 2-yard run to conclude the drive, which lasted 11 plays and covered 80 yards. J.W. Boren kicked the extra point, giving TSU a 14-10 lead.

A fumbled punt return by the Greyhounds gave Tarleton State the ball at the ENMU 32-yard line with 0:55 left in the first half. The Texans gained just 4 yards on 3 plays, but still earned three points on 44-yard field goal by Boren with 35 seconds on the clock.

ENMU answered with a 34-yard field goal by Trimble on the final play of the half. The Greyhounds recovered a short kickoff at the ENMU 49-yard line, then drove 33 yards in 5 plays to set up the field goal. Quarterback Heath Ridenour, who finished the game 15 of 24 passing for 236 yards, completed a 19-yard pass to Taryll Boxton (So., RB, Albuquerque, NM/ Del Norte H.S.) and a 14-yard pass to Cale Sanders (So., WR, Roswell, NM/Goddard H.S.) during the last-minute drive. ENMU trailed 17-13 at the half.

The Texans added a 27-yard field goal by Boren with 9:55 remaining in the third quarter. TSU did not score again until Rogers’ touchdown with 1:14 left in the game.

Eastern’s game-tying drive started in the third quarter and covered 81 yards in 10 plays. Ridenour completed 3 passes for 49 yards as ENMU moved down the field, then finished the drive by scoring on a 2-yard run off right tackle. Trimble’s PAT tied the game, 20-20.

Ridenour was making his second consecutive start for injured #1 quarterback James Williams (Earth, TX/Springlake-Earth H.S.). Ridenour, who guided the Hounds to an 18-8 win at Angelo State last weekend, recorded ENMU’s first 200-yard passing game of the season against TSU.

The Greyhounds, who entered the game averaging 223.8 rushing yards per game, gained just 100 yards on the ground against the Texans, but Ridenour’s effectiveness as a passer allowed ENMU to nonetheless finish the game with 336 total yards. TSU gained 381 yards, including 240 passing. Kelly completed 21 of 48 passes with 1 interception.

Eastern’s top receiver was Sanders, with 6 catches for 82 yards. Josh Lynn (Sr., TE, Eunice, N.M./Eunice H.S.) added 4 catches for 81 yards, and Brian Weimer (Sr., WR, Clovis, NM/ Clovis H.S.) hauled down 4 passes for 54 yards. Chris Chambers led TSU with 5 receptions for 65 yards, and Derek Grimes contributed 3 catches for 79 yards.

In addition to blocking a punt and scoring on an interception return, Stewart led the Greyhounds with 9 total tackles (6 solo) and broke up 1 pass. Ronald Branch (So., QB, San Angelo, TX/Central H.S.), Michael Garvin (Sr., FS, Salinas, CA/Hartnell C.C.) and Garett Williams (Sr., LB, Monahans, TX/Monahans H.S.) each recorded 7 total tackles. Garvin, ENMU’s leading tackler for the season, missed the fourth quarter due to injury.

Tarleton State’s leading tackler was Johnny Evans with 11 total tackles (8 solo). Michael Jackson added 9 total tackles (6 solo) for the Texans.

Eastern New Mexico plays at Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday, Oct. 21. Kickoff in Commerce, Texas is set for 1:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Last year, ENMU defeated TAMU-Commerce, 21-10, at Greyhound Stadium.