ENMU Drops Undefeated Angelo State, 38-14

2005 Archive

ENMU Drops Undefeated Angelo State, 38-14
Benton Carries 22 Times for 143 Yards and 4 Touchdowns

PORTALES, N.M. — Eastern New Mexico University piled up 24 first downs and 455 yards of total offense, as the Greyhounds dropped Angelo State University from the undefeated ranks with a 38-14 victory over the Rams in the Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 1 at Greyhound Stadium. Quarterback Michael Benton (So., Everman, TX/Everman Joe C. Bean HS) ran 22 times for 143 yards and scored four touchdowns to lead the offense. Meanwhile, the ENMU defense limited ASU to just 192 total yards, including a meager 78 yards in the final three quarters.

ENMU, which won for the fourth consecutive week, improved to 4-2 overall, 2-0 in the Lone Star Conference South Division. Angelo State fell to 5-1 on the season, 1-1 in the LSC South.

Benton, who has rushed for 688 yards on 123 carries this season, scored on touchdown runs of 1, 2, 15 and 3 yards. He also completed 5 of 11 passes for 118 yards, as he amassed 261 yards of total offense against the Rams. Benton, averaging 114.7 rushing yards per game, ranks fourth in the LSC in rushing offense.

Tony Johnson (So., ILB, Levelland, TX/Levelland HS) led the Greyhounds on defense by recording two interceptions. His second interception was one of the game’s key plays, as he stepped in front of ASU tight end Justin Carter and picked of Trey Weishuhn’s throw in the front corner of the end zone, then returned the ball 13 yards with ENMU leading 24-14 with 11:27 left in the fourth quarter.

Eastern took over after the interception and drove 87 yards on 13 plays. Benton completed the drive with a 15-yard touchdown run, giving the Hounds a 31-14 lead. The drive virtually clinched the win, as ENMU took 7:50 off the clock to score with just 3:37 remaining.

The Greyhounds trailed 7-0 and 14-7 in the first quarter, but shut down the Rams the rest of the way. Benton’s first touchdown, a 1-yard run on 3rd-and-Goal, tied the game at 14-14 with 10:07 left in the opening half. His second touchdown, scored with 3:32 remaining in the half, came on 4th-and-1 at the ASU 2. Lee Price (Jr., PK/P, Holliday, TX/Holliday HS) converted both extra points, as ENMU took a 21-14 lead.

Price added a 21-yard field goal with 1:28 left in the third quarter to increase the lead to 24-14. The kick ended a 10-play, 37-yard drive after a 21-yard punt by Angelo State.

Johnson’s key interception set up the next touchdown, and the Greyhounds completed the scoring on a 3-yard run by Benton with 1:49 remaining. Benton reached the end zone just two plays after a 53-yard punt return by Derrick Hunter (Sr., WR, Lamesa, TX/Lamesa HS).

Eastern rushed 58 times for 337 yards. Benton’s 143 yards led the way. He was followed by Jason Tezeno (Sr., RB, Levelland, TX/Levelland HS) with eight carries for 55 yards and by Patrick Hemphill with 10 carries for 44 yards. Hemphill scored Eastern’s first touchdown on a 5-yard run with 4:19 left in the first quarter.

ASU scored first after the Rams blocked a 27-yard field goal attempt by Price less than five minutes into the game. Ronald Daniels not only blocked the kick, but also picked up the loose ball and dashed 24 yards to the ASU 44. The Rams drove 56 yards on 5 plays, with Alexis Cooper earning the touchdown on 15-yard pass from Weishuhn. After Hemphill’s touchdown tied the game, the Rams moved back in front one more time, when Carter hauled in a 15-yard pass at the 1:13 mark of the opening stanza.

The Rams managed just 48 rushing yards on 26 carries. Kyle Fox was ASU’s top ground gainer with 27 yards on nine carries. Weishuhn was 14 of 26 passing for 144 yards and one touchdown. He also threw two interceptions. Carter led the ASU receiving corps with three receptions for 47 yards.

Hunter was Eastern’s top receiver with two catches for 25 yards. Artemus Tennison (Sr., TE, Lubbock, TX/Monterey HS) caught one pass for 40 yards, Fide Davalos (Jr., RB, Portales, NM/Floyd HS) hauled in one pass for 27 yards and Tezeno caught one pass for 26 yards. The Hounds averaged 23.6 yards per completion.

Defensively, Tim Ojeda (Jr., OLB, Banning, CA/Mt. San Jacinto CC) was Eastern’s top tackler with eight total tackles. He recorded two sacks for 22 yards in losses and also provided two quarterback hurries. Johnson contributed six total tackles, one sack and two pass break-ups to go with his pair of interceptions. Inside linebacker Jeremy Mullins (Jr., Merkel, TX/Merkel HS) also registered six tackles, including one tackle for a loss and one hurry. Overall, the Hounds recorded four sacks and five hurries, as they kept Weishuhn under pressure over the final three periods.

Angelo State’s defense was led by a solid performance from senior safety Jason Brittain, who earned 17 total tackles. Larry Reed and Tyrell McCrea provided ASU with eight tackles each.

During halftime, eight individuals including former ENMU head coach Harold “Bud” Elliott and current assistant coach Michael Walton, were inducted into the ENMU Athletics Hall of Honors. Elliott achieved a 68-49-2 (.580) record in 11 seasons as the Greyhounds’ head coach and finished his 37-year career with a 205-179-9 record (.533.). Walton, who played for Eastern from 1996-99, achieved an ENMU record 515 total tackles, was named All-America by four organizations and was voted to the LSC South All-Academic Team three times.

ENMU will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 8 at West Texas A&M University. The Greyhounds and the Buffaloes (6-0, 2-0 LSC South) will battle for the Wagon Wheel trophy and the LSC South lead. Game time at Kimbrough Stadium in Canyon, Texas, is scheduled for 5 p.m. MST.