Barnes Kicks Winning Field Goal with 0:28 Left as Greyhounds defeat TAMU-Kingsville, 37-34
Ridenour sets ENMU Record with 294 Rushing Yards

PORTALES, NM – Freshman place-kicker Joe Barnes (Andrews, TX/Andrews HS) kicked a 39-yard field goal with 28 seconds remaining to send Eastern New Mexico University to a 37-34 victory over 8th-ranked Texas A&M University-Kingsville, in a Lone Star Conference South Division game, Nov. 2 at Greyhound Stadium. With the win, ENMU improved to 7-2 on the season and to 3-2 in the LSC South. TAMU-Kingsville dropped to 6-2 overall and to 3-1 in the LSC South, as the Javelinas’ six-game winning streak ended.

The game wasn’t decided until Kingsville’s freshman kicker, Richard Hammond, missed on a 47-yard field goal on the final play. Hammond’s kick was tipped slightly at the line of scrimmage and fell short of the end zone.

Senior quarterback Heath Ridenour (Lovington, NM/Lovington HS) set an ENMU record by rushing for 294 yards. He carried the ball 31 times and scored four of Eastern’s five touchdowns, including a 74-yard run on the second play of the game. Ridenour also scored on runs of 3, 3 and 40 yards. Ridenour leads ENMU in rushing for the season with 789 yards and 12 touchdowns on 148 carries.

Eastern trailed 31-21 at halftime, but scored 16 points in the second half, while holding the Javelinas to three points. Ridenour opened the second half scoring with his 40-yard TD at the 12:46 mark of the third quarter. Taryll Boxton (Sr., RB, Albuquerque, NM/Del Norte HS) added a 1-yard touchdown run with 2:32 left in the third period, completing a 14-play, 80-yard drive. Barnes missed the extra point after Ridenour’s run, but converted the PAT after Boxton scored.

ENMU still led 34-31 early in the fourth quarter, when TAMU-Kingsville drove 68 yards on 11 plays to setup a 28-yard field goal by Hammond with 8:35 remaining. Hammond successfully booted the kick, tying the game at 34-34.

The Greyhounds began their game-winning drive a their own 45-yard line with 4:27 left. Ridenour opened the drive with a 13-yard carry, then recovered his own fumble following a bad handoff exchange on the next play. Six more rushing plays gave the Hounds a 4th-and-6 at the TAMUK 21-yard line. Barnes kicked the winning field goal from the left hash mark.

Perhaps the key play of the game, however, was on Eastern’s go-ahead touchdown drive. The Hounds had stalled at their own 28-yard line after having a 1st-and-10 at the ENMU 38. Two penalties helped create 4th-and-20, so the Greyhounds prepared to punt. The snap to punter Robert Arnold (Jr., DB, San Pablo, CA/Contra Costa College) was high, so Arnold ran to his right and headed upfield. He gained 32 yards for a first down at TAMUK 40-yard line. Eastern scored on Boxton’s run eight plays later.

Arnold, who has returned punts throughout the season and is the team’s backup at the right cornerback position, had not punted for the Greyhounds prior to Saturday’s game. He punted once in the second quarter and twice in the fourth quarter. He returned two punts for 14 yards.

Jordan Lambert (So., LB, Lockney, TX/Lockney HS), who assumed punting duties at the start of the game, had his first punt attempt blocked by TAMUK to setup the Javelinas’ initial score. Lambert and Arnold battled for the punting job this week after Barnes and Daniel Fetterman (So., P/PK, Amarillo, TX/Caprock HS) struggled in Eastern’s first eight games.

The Greyhounds finished the game with 460 total yards, including 456 rushing yards on 61 carries. The Hounds fell short of the ENMU team record for yards in a game, 473, set against Panhandle State University (now OPSU) on Sept. 6, 1975. Eastern gained four yards through the air against TAMUK, as Ridenour completed 1 of 7 passes. Several passes were dropped.

TAMU-Kingsville gained 330 total yards. The Javelinas rushed for 134 yards on 40 carries, led by junior running back Larry Williams, who gained 92 yards and scored three touchdowns on 27 attempts. Williams’ touchdown runs covered 3, 10 and 5 yards - all in the first half. The Greyhounds allowed Kingsville 229 total yards in the first half, but gave up just 101 yards in the final 30 minutes.

Senior linebacker Jimmy Hamilton (Artesia, NM/New Mexico State) led Eastern’s defense with 14 total tackles, including nine solo tackles, three tackles for losses and 1.5 quarterback sacks. Ty Touchstone (So., FS, Lubbock, TX/Monterey HS) recorded 11 total tackles (9 unassisted).

Jared White (Jr., LB, Pampa, TX/University of New Mexico) added eight tackles and recovered a fumble at the Kingsville 36 to setup Eastern’s first touchdown of the second half. Adrian Quigley (So., SS, Lubbock, TX/Monterey HS) also had eight total tackles.
TAMU-Kingsville was led on defense by free safety Nick Jaques and by linebacker Kenneth Benoit, each with 12 total tackles. Linebacker Davylyn Nelson added 11 tackles, including three tackles for losses.

ENMU returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 9, with the annual Wagon Wheel Game at West Texas A&M University. Game time in Canyon, Texas, is set for 1:00 p.m. (MST). ENMU leads the all-time series, 9-7, including a 9-6 edge since the Wagon Wheel series began in 1986.