Saturday, November 08, 2014
                                                                                                         
BLACKWATER DRAW — Eastern New Mexico University senior fullback E'lon Spight (St. Louis, Mo. / Hazelwood East HS / Grossmont College) rushed for a career-high 217 yards and four touchdowns as the Eastern New Mexico University football team (6-4) cruised to a 61-7 victory over visiting Texas A&M-Kingsville (1-9), in the opening game of the Lone Star Conference playoffs, Saturday at Greyhound Field. During the game, Spight set new ENMU single-season records, with 1,479 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.
 
The win was the seventh for the Hounds against Texas A&M-Kingsville and marked the first three-game win streak in the series for ENMU. Eastern has defeated the Javelinas in back-to-back home games for the first time since 2000 and 2002. The victory also clinched the Greyhounds second straight winning season, which marked the first back-to-back winning seasons since 2003 and 2004.
 
After forcing a punt on the Javelinas' first possession, the Hounds marched 80 yards on eight plays and took the lead for good on a six-yard touchdown run from Spight. The score was the first of his four first-half touchdowns, with the record-breaking run coming on a two-yard touchdown with 1:52 left in the half, to put ENMU ahead by a 34-0 score. Jordan Wells (Sr., RB, Austin, Texas/Round Rock HS/Southeastern Louisiana) also had a touchdown run in the first half.
 
After Aaron Johnson (So., WR, Colorado Springs, Colo./Vista Ridge HS) scored on a 38-yard pass from quarterback Jeremy Buurma (R-Jr., QB, Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces HS) in the third quarter, the Javelinas drove to the ENMU nine-yard line, before Benjamin Pedro-Langford (Sr., OLB, Pago Pago, American Samoa / Kanona Falls HS/NMMI) intercepted a Trey Mitchell pass in the end zone and returned it to the 25-yard line. On the ensuing drive, Eastern scored on a one-yard plunge from Wells for a 47-0 lead.
 
Texas A&M-Kingsville responded with a 13-play, 70 yard drive and got on the board with a 10-yard run from Greg Pitre. Eastern added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
 
Eastern's 492 rushing yards were the most since setting the team record of 512 at Bacone College on August 25, 2007 and was the Hounds highest total against a LSC opponent. The Greyhounds limited TAMUK to 71 rushing yards and 361 yards of total offense. Eastern converted all seven third-down attempts and allowed the Javelinas just four third-down conversions in 14 tries. Seth Bailey (Sr., LB, Texico, N.M./Texico HS) and Jerrell Bradford (Jr., DB, Compton, Calif./ Robert A. Millikan HS / Cerritos College) each made 10 tackles with seven unassisted stops. Elliot Peters (R-So., OLB, Mesepa, American Samoa / Marist HS) had a sack and registered five quarterback pressures. Wells rushed for 81 yards and two scores, while Buurma hit four-for-seven pass attempts for 89 yards. Trey Mitchell had 279 passing yards for the Javelinas, with 122 going to Jordan Thomas on 10 receptions. Trevor Moses made 11 tackles.
 
Next week, ENMU will host West Texas A&M at 12 p.m. MT, while McMurry will host Texas A&M-Kingsville.
 
NOTES
Eastern's 382 points surpassed the total of 380, set in 2010
 
Spight surpassed Michael Benton's single-season marks of 1,458 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns from the 2007 season
 
Today was the first time this season that ENMU did not win the time of possession
 
Pedro-Langford made his fourth interception of the season, which ties for the team lead
 
The previous ENMU single-game mark for rushing against a LSC opponent was 488 yards against East Central on September 15, 2007