Greyhounds Rally from 23-Point Deficit in 4th Quarter,
Defeat Rams on the Road, 38-35
Hinson Hits Hunter on 31-Yard Pass with 1:03 Left

Box score

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS — Senior quarterback Steven Hinson (Olney, TX/Olney HS) led Eastern New Mexico University to 26 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and finished the game with a career-high 408 yards of total offense, as the Greyhounds rallied from a 35-12 deficit to defeat Angelo State University, 38-35, in a Lone Star Conference South Division game on Saturday, Oct. 2. The win evened Eastern’s overall record at 3-3, while improved the Hounds to 2-0 in the LSC South. ASU fell to 0-6 on the season, 0-2 in the LSC South.

The winning touchdown was scored with 1:03 left on a 31-yard pass from Hinson to Derrick Hunter (Jr., WR, Lamesa, TX/Lamesa HS). Hinson ran for the two-point conversion to give ENMU its final three-point margin.

Eastern trailed 35-12 with 14:54 remaining, after Sol Southall scored on a 1-yard run for the Rams to complete a quick 3-play, 68-yard drive. The big play of the drive was a 67-yard pass from Southall to Alexic Cooper that brought the ball to Eastern’s 3-yard line.

The Greyhounds had scored just over a minute earlier, with 57 seconds left in the third period, to pull within 28-12. Southall’s touchdown run seemed to put the game on ice for ASU, but the Greyhounds didn’t give up and answered with one of the biggest comeback’s in school history.

With a 23-point deficit to overcome, the Greyhounds would have to score on every possession the rest of the way, while holding the Rams scoreless until the final buzzer. ENMU did just that until the last possession of the game, when Hinson took a knee to run out the final six seconds on the clock. In between, the Hounds scored three touchdowns, two field goals and a two-point conversion.

The rally began immediately following Angelo State’s touchdown to open the fourth quarter. Corey White (Jr., CB, Lubbock, TX/Estacado HS) returned the kickoff 32 yards, giving ENMU the ball at its own 42-yard line. Eight plays later, Hinson scored on a 5-yard run on a 3rd-and-1 play. Hinson ran for 49 yards on four plays during the drive, including a 30-yard carry that moved the ball to the ASU 14. The extra point failed when Hinson’s two-point pass was intercepted by Jason Brittain in the end zone.

Place-kicker Lee Price (So., Holliday, TX/Holliday HS) kicked off following the touchdown. Brandon Covington of ASU fumbled the ball on the return and Will Smith recovered the ball for ENMU at the ASU 14-yard line. On the next play, Hinson eluded the Angelo State defense and scored with 11:53 left for his second touchdown in 13 seconds. The Hounds went for one point on the conversion, but Kevin Lenford shot through the middle of the line to block Price’s kick. ENMU trailed, 35-24.

ASU kept the ball for just three plays before punting back to the Greyhounds. The punt went just 26 yards before landing out of bounds. Hinson and the ENMU offense took over at the Eastern 42.

Hinson ran for 9 yards on the first play, then sandwiched two short pass completions to Christian Coronado (So., RB, Levelland, TX/Levelland HS) around a 27-yard pass to Jason Tezeno (Jr., RB, Levelland, TX/Levelland HS). Eastern had the ball at the Angelo State 14-yard line, but stalled on the next three plays and Price kicked his third field goal of the game, a 34-yarder that cut the lead to 35-27.

ASU turned the ball over three plays from scrimmage later. Cooper lost two yards on a running play to start the possession. Quarterback Trey Weishuhn, who entered the game when Southall suffered body cramps, threw an incomplete pass on the next play. On third down, Weishuhn was intercepted by Ty Touchstone (Sr., FS, Lubbock, TX/Monterey HS) who returned the ball three yards to the ASU 41.

Hinson moved the Hounds to the 8-yard line with a 33-yard pass to Hunter to open the drive. The offense was unable to move closer to the goal line, so Price kicked his fourth field goal of the game from 26 yards to tie an ENMU single game record and cut the margin to 35-30 with 4:12 remaining.

Price’s four field goals tied the record set by Bob Gilbreath against Angelo State on Oct. 17, 1987, and equalled by Price in last year’s 18-17 win at Adams State College in the 2003 season-opener. Price is 8 of 11 on field goals this year and 18 of 32 in his career.

After Price’s field goal, the Rams picked up two first downs on consecutive running plays. The two carries put ASU one yard shy of the midfield stripe. Three plays netted the Rams just one yard. Eastern used its final two timeouts to stop the clock, as ASU was forced to punt.

Bryan Hepler tried to pin the Hounds inside the 10-yard line, but his kick went out of bounds just 27 yards upfield at the ENMU 23. Eastern took over with 2:00 remaining and no timeouts.Hinson immediately went to the air and threw 28 yards to Hunter as the ball moved to the ASU 49.

Each of Hinson’s next three passes fell incomplete, but on fourth down, he spotted Hunter open in the middle of the field and got him the ball for an 18-yard gain and a first down. Hinson tossed another incomplete pass on first down, but threw to Hunter on second down. Hunter leaped high into the air to grab the pass near the ASU 20. The Rams’ defensive back was caught off balance, and Hunter dashed into the end zone with 1:03 remaining. Hinson’s two-point conversion gave Eastern a 38-35 lead.

Price’s kickoff following the go-ahead score went out of bounds. ASU chose not to have Price re-kick, so the Rams started at their own 35-yard line. After a false start penalty, Weishuhn threw a 12-yard pass to Travis House. ENMU was called for an inadvertant face mask on the play, giving the Rams a first down at the Angelo 47. Covington hauled in an 11-yard pass on the next play, and got out of bounds at the ENMU 42.

The Greyhounds took control in the remaining seconds. On first down, White sacked Weishuhn at the 50-yard line, forcing ASU to call timeout with 18 seconds left. Weishuhn threw incomplete on second down and had another incomplete pass on third down when he was pressured by White and Brandon Wickware (Sr., DT, Floyd County, TX/Floydada HS). On fourth down, Weishuhn’s pass was broken up by Courage Idemudia (Sr., LB, Glenn Heights, TX/DeSoto HS).

Hinson and the ENMU offense went onto the field one more time. After Hinson downed the ball to end the game, the rest of the Greyhounds erupted onto the field in celebration of Eastern’s huge comeback victory.

ENMU led 6-0 at the end of the first quarter after Price kicked his first two field goals of the game from 36 yards with 6:45 left and from 44 yards on the final play of the period. The first field goal was set up by a 66-yard scamper by Hinson.

In the second quarter, Angelo State scored 14 points and held ENMU off the scoreboard.

The first touchdown was scored with 5:39 remaining in the half, when an ASU defender hit the ball as deep snapper Jon Bell (Sr., QB, Concord, CA/Los Medanos College) was started his motion on a punt play. The result was a bad snap that stayed on the turf. Punter Steven Todd (Sr., Lubbock, TX/Frenship HS) couldn’t control the ball and Wesley Lambert picked it up and scored on a 25-yard return. Hepler kicked the PAT.

The second Angelo State touchdown occurred four plays after Price threw an incomplete pass on a fake punt at the ENMU 47. Southall threw the scoring pass, a 35-yarder to Lamar Hickey with 2:51 on the clock. Hepler’s conversion kick gave the Rams a 14-6 halftime lead.

Midway through the third quarter, Tezeno fumbled at the ENMU 47 and Brittain picked up the ball and brought it 18 yards closer to the Eastern goal line. Southall toss an 11-yard scoring strike to Cooper with 5:20 left in the quarter. The Rams upped the lead to 28-6 on their next possession, when Southall connected with House on an 86-yard touchdown pass at the 2:24 mark.

White returned the ensuing kickoff 27 yards to the ENMU 43-yard line, then Hinson completed a 42-yard pass to Tezeno. Hinson finished the drive three plays later with a 10-yard pass to Hunter. The two-point run by Hinson failed.

Cooper quickly answered for ASU with a 67-yard run from scrimmage, as the Rams quickly reached the ENMU 1-yard line. Southall was held to no gain on 1st-and-goal as the period ended, but reached the end zone on the next play to start the fourth quarter. ASU had a 35-12 lead, but Hinson and the Greyhounds dominated the remainder of the game.

Hinson finished the game with 19 carries for 181 yards on the ground, plus 227 yards passing. He was 13 of 31 in the air, but completed just 3 of his first 12 passes and went 10 of 19 to close out the game. His career-high 408 total yards were 88 yards short of the ENMU record of 496, set by Kevin Kott against East Central University on Sept. 14, 1984. Hinson’s 181 rushing yards also were a career high.

Coronado, who filled in for running back Fide Davalos (So., Portales, NM/Floyd HS), out for the game with a knee injury, ran for 34 yards on 15 carries. Tezeno added 32 yards on 5 carries. The Hounds ended the night with 47 rushes for 253 yards.

Hunter had an outstanding game, with 7 catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns. He has grabbed 32 receptions for 501 yards and 6 TDs this season. Tezeno caught 3 passes for 83 yards, and Coronado added 3 catches for 11 yards.

Cooper finished the game with 104 rushing yards on 13 carries for Angelo State. Mathus Gill gained 78 yards on 11 carries. Overall, ASU rushed for 189 yards on 39 carries.

Southall was 9 of 18 passing for 202 yards and three scores. Weishuhn went 2 of 8 for 23 yards and one interception. House recorded 4 catches for 110 yards, while Covington hauled in 3 passes for a total of 54 yards.

Senior linebacker Jeff Howard (Portales, NM/Portales HS) led the Greyhounds on defense with 11 total tackles. He had one quarterback sack, as the Hounds registered four sacks during the game. Eastern’s second leading tackler was sophomore defensive tackle Malala Tai, Jr. (Arlington, TX/Sam Houston HS), who was credited with 8 total tackles and one sack. Touchstone and defensive end Robert Caballero (Sr., Lubbock, TX/Frenship HS) each recorded 7 tackles during the game.

The ASU defense received a game-high 14 tackles from James Williamson. Thomas Chappell added 8 tackles for the Rams.

Eastern New Mexico University returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 9, in the Homecoming game against West Texas A&M University. Kickoff at Greyhound Stadium is scheduled for 2 p.m. MDT. In addition to being part of Eastern’s Homecoming weekend, the game also will be the annual Wagon Wheel game between the Greyhounds and the Buffaloes. ENMU leads the Wagon Wheel series 10-7 and the all-time series with WTAMU 10-8.