Saturday, October 31, 2015
CANYON, TEXAS — The Eastern New Mexico University football team (6-3; LSC 3-3) exploded for 21 straight points to rally from a 35-14 deficit, but dropped a 52-42 decision to West Texas A&M (4-4; LSC 3-3) in the Wagon Wheel Game at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium. The loss snapped Eastern's two-game win streak in the Wagon Wheel series and their three-game streak in the overall series.
Eastern was set up early, as
Lawrence Hall stripped the ball from quarterback Ethan Brinkley and recovered the ball at the WT 29-yard line. Four plays later,
Kamal Cass sprinted 22 yards to five ENMU a 7-0 lead. The scoring play came on fourth-and-three, and was just the second fourth-down conversion allowed by the Buffaloes this season. West Texas A&M leads the nation in fourth-down defense.
WT responded with three straight scores to seize a 21-7 lead with 4:50 left in the first quarter, but the Hounds cut the deficit in half on a 15-yard scoring run from
Cameron Mikell. Brinkley and Devon Payne opened the second quarter with touchdown runs of 13 and six yards to push the Buffalo lead to 35-14 with 9:10 left in the half. With 5:10 left, Mikell found the endzone from eight yards out, while Cass scored a late touchdown to trim Eastern's halftime deficit to 35-28.
The Greyhounds dominated possession in the third quarter with a drive spanning 8:37, which was capped on the 17
th play, when Cass scored his third touchdown of the game to even the score. West Texas A&M immediately answered with a 37-yard field goal from Conner Hollabaugh to retake the lead, 38-35. On the third play of the fourth quarter, the Hounds struck with a 73-yard touchdown pass to
Aaron Johnson to seize a 42-38 lead. A 36-yard run from Payne on the ensuing drive set up a six-yard go-ahead touchdown run from Geremy Alridge-Mitchell. WT added a final score with 6:16 remaining.
ENMU held a 324-141 yard advantage in the running game and was paced by a 184-yard effort from Cass. Cass also had a 47-yard kick return in the fourth quarter. Mikell had 47 yards and two scores, while
Tayshaun Gary finished with 55 yards. Johnson hauled in four passes for 93 yards. Brinkley passed for 387 yards and three scores for WT, with Xavier Amey hauling in seven receptions for 242 yards and two scores.
Brad Hardin made 11 tackles, while
Michael Dunlap and
Elliot Peters had eight each. Eastern converted three of their six fourth down attempts.
Next week, the Eastern New Mexico University football team will compete in the Lone Star Conference playoffs. Conference finish will determine opponent and location of the game.
