Howard Scores on Interception,
Sets Up Winning TD with Fumble Recovery
Tezeno 11-Yard Run Gives ENMU Lead in 28-21 win over ACU

Box score

PORTALES, N.M. — Senior linebacker Jeff Howard (Portales, NM/Portales HS) recorded eight tackles, returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown, and set up the winning score with a fumble recovery, as Eastern New Mexico University defeated Abilene Christian University, 28-21, in the Lone Star Conference South Division opener for both teams, Saturday, Sept. 25, at Greyhound Stadium. The Greyhounds improved to 2-3 on the season, while ACU fell to 2-2.

Howard’s interception gave ENMU a 21-14 lead in the third quarter, as the Hounds rallied from a 14-7 halftime deficit. Early in the fourth quarter, with the score tied 21-21, Howard fell on a fumble by ACU quarterback Greg Wiggins on a sack by Courage Idemudia (Sr., LB, Glenn Heights, TX/DeSoto HS). The turnover gave ENMU the ball at the ACU 19-yard line.

Jason Tezeno (Jr., RB, Levelland, TX/Levelland HS) scored the decisive touchdown on an 11-yard run with 11:44 remaining in the game. ENMU scored on just three plays, with an 8-yard run by Tezeno, an incomplete pass and Tezeno’s touchdown scamper. Lee Price (So., PK, Holliday, TX/Holliday HS) kicked the extra point for a 28-21 ENMU lead.

Eastern forced ACU to punt on the Wildcats’ next possession, then drove from the ENMU 39 to the Abilene Christian 21. The Hounds had an opportunity to add an insurance score, but Price missed on a 38-yard field goal with 6:01 left, following trouble with the snap and hold.

ACU answered with four first downs — two on pass interference penalties — to move the ball to the Eastern 25 with 2:17 to go. Adrian Quigley (Sr., SS, Lubbock, TX/Monterey HS) tackled ACU running back Mark Gaines for a 5-yard loss on a screen pass on the next play, then Wiggins threw an incomplete pass. On third down, Wiggins hit Dillon Cobb with a 13-yard pass, leaving ACU with 4th-and-2 at the 17.

The Hounds prevented the first down, as running back Rashon Myles was stopped by Olie Fitts (Fr., DE, Midland, TX/Midland HS) and Jeremy Mullins (So., LB, Merkel, TX/ Merkel HS) after a 1-yard gain.

The Hounds took over with 1:26 left. On the first play, Christian Coronado (So., RB, Levelland, TX/ Levelland HS) ran 12 yards for a first down, but was knocked out of bounds. ACU had two timeouts left and used them following the next two plays. Steven Hinson (Sr., QB, Olney, TX/Olney HS) clinched the win for ENMU by gaining nine yards on 3rd-and-6. ENMU downed the ball once to run out the clock.

Danieal Manning of ACU returned the opening kickoff 100 yards, but offsetting penalties, including an illegal block by the Wildcats inside ENMU territory, negated the play and forced a re-kick. The second kick was fair caught at the ACU 31-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Wiggins threw a 38-yard pass to Cobb. ENMU limited ACU to four yards on the next three plays, before Eben Nelson missed a 44-yard field goal.

Neither team scored in the first quarter, but the Greyhounds had the ball at the ACU 23 when the quarter ended, and scored on the first play of the second period. Derrick Hunter (Jr., WR, Lamesa, TX/ Lamesa HS) recorded the touchdown on a 23-yard pass from Hinson. The drive covered 51 yards on five plays after Ty Touchstone (Sr., FS, Lubbock, TX/Monterey HS) returned a punt 18 yards to the Eastern 49.

Abilene Christian followed Eastern’s touchdown with a 10-play, 71-yard drive. Charles Williams ran for 30 yards on the opening play. The Wildcats also converted 3rd-and-6 with a 7-yard pass and 3rd-and-1 with a 9-yard run to move the ball to the ENMU 12. On 3rd-and-2, Wiggins threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Tony Martinez with 11:24 remaining in the half. Nelson kicked the PAT for a 7-7 tie.

The Wildcats appeared to gain momentum late in the half, when Patrick Hemphill (Fr., FB, Paducah, TX/Paducah HS) fumbled for Eastern and Clayton Farrell of ACU recovered at the ENMU 31. Cobb made a diving catch on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Wiggins two plays later with 19 seconds left.

After Eastern stalled at its own 28-yard line to start the second half, Price replaced punter Steven Todd (Sr., Lubbock, TX/Frenship HS) and kicked the ball 57 yards to the ACU 4-yard line. Four plays later, Touchstone returned a punt 6 yards to the ACU 38.

Coronado rushed for 15 yards on Eastern’s next play, then Hinson and Hunter teamed up for their second 23-yard touchdown pass of the day. Price kicked the extra point to tie the game, 14-14. Hunter’s only receptions of the night were the two touchdowns. He remained Eastern’s top receiver with 25 catches for 368 yards and 4 touchdowns this season.

ACU fell behind quickly after Hunter’s second score when Wiggins was intercepted by Howard just three plays later. The touchdown was the second for Howard this season. He returned an interception 48 yards for a score against Southwestern Oklahoma State University on Sept. 11.

Gaines pulled the Wildcats even at 21-21 with a 17-yard run at the 4:25 mark of the third quarter.He tried to run off tackle, but bounced away from a pack of players at the line of scrimmage and ran toward the left corner of the end zone. The touchdown scamper ended a 9-play, 70-yard drive.

ENMU finished the night with 253 rushing yards on 55 carries. Hinson led the way with 89 yards on 17 carries, including runs of 42 yards and 25 yards. Coronado added 68 yards on 13 carries, and Tezeno gained 42 yards on six carries.

Hinson was 5 of 11 passing for 79 yards with no interceptions. Hunter caught two passes for 46 yards, and tight end Artemus Tennison (Jr., Lubbock, TX/Monterey HS) picked up a first down with a 21-yard catch in the first quarter. Tezeno had one reception for seven yards and John Naccarato (Sr., WR, Raton, NM/Raton HS) caught one pass for five yards.

The Greyhounds amassed 332 total yards to go with 19 first downs and 30:40 in time of possession. Abilene Christian earned 316 yards and achieved 18 first downs.

Wiggins was 17 of 34 for 161 yards and two touchdowns. Cobb caught 5 passes for 91 yards and Jerale Badon hauled in 5 catches for 28 yards. ACU rushed for 155 yards on 36 carries, as Myles gained 52 yards (13 carries), Williams earned 49 yards (7 carries) and Gaines added 45 yards (10 carries).

Eastern had a punt blocked with 3:35 left in the second quarter, but the miscue did not lead to points for the Wildcats, who took over at their own 33-yard line. ENMU committed its only turnover on the fumble in the final minute of the half, which led to ACU’s second touchdown ACU lost two fumbles and had one interception. The three turnovers were more than the Wildcats committed during their 5-game winning streak against the Greyhounds. In those five games, ACU made just two turnovers: one fumble each in 1999 and 2003. The Wildcats forced 13 turnovers in the five games for a +11 turnover margin.

Quigley led ENMU with 13 total tackles, while Idemudia was credited with 10 tackles, including nine solo stops. Howard added eight tackles and one pass breakup. Greg Yeldell topped ACU with 13 tackles, on 10 solo tackles and 3 assists. Matt Allen added 10 tackles for the Wildcats.

The Greyhounds will continue LSC South action at Angelo State University on Saturday, Oct. 2. Kickoff in San Angelo, Texas, is set for 6 p.m. MDT. Last year, ENMU shut out Angelo State, 31-0, in Eastern’s Homecoming game.