PORTALES, N.M. - Eastern New Mexico will take on Southern Arkansas in the 2019 Heritage Bowl at Tiger Stadium in Corsicana, Texas this Saturday at noon local time. 

The Greyhounds will look to extend their two game winning streak and match the second highest win total in program history against a Mulerider team that finished the regular season with a record of 8-3. Tickets for Saturday's game can be purchased online HERE. 

ITS BOWL TIME
Eastern New Mexico's two quality wins in the final two weeks of the season earned the program it's third bowl appearance in the last five seasons as they will take on Great American Conference foe Southern Arkansas in the Heritage Bowl on Dec. 7th in Corsicana, Texas. The Heritage Bowl stands as one of just four NCAA Division II sanctioned bowl games across the country and will give the Hounds a chance to secure the program's first bowl victory and match the second-highest win total in program history.

The Hound's wins over nationally-ranked Angelo State in week 10 and the Co-GNAC Champions Western Oregon in week 11 finished off a quality regular season for Eastern New Mexico that saw the Greyhounds finish with a record of .500 or better in LSC play for the fifth consecutive season and an undefeated mark in non-conference play. Eastern New Mexico received votes in the AFCA Division II National Coaches Poll seven different weeks and finished the 2019 regular season in the receiving votes category.

HOW WE GOT HERE
Eastern New Mexico kicked off the season with a 35-28 opening week victory over Missouri S&T in a game that saw five lead changes and over 680 yards rushing between the two teams. Senior Paul Terry kick started what would become a record-setting season with 189 yards on 31 carries and three touchdowns and helped guide the Greyhound offense to 13-of-17 attempts on third down. 

The fireworks didn't stop there for the Greyhounds as they went on the road to Grand Junction, Colo. and picked up a 44-37 win over Colorado Mesa, the program's first overtime win as a NCAA Division II member. In a game that entered the halftime break with the score at just 10-7 in favor of Eastern New Mexico, both teams exploded for a combined 64 points in the second half and overtime period. The Hounds rolled for 27 points in the third quarter alone just to see Colorado Mesa storm back and tie the ball game up at 37-37 with 3:22 remaining on the clock. Quarterback Wyatt Strand scored from six yards out on Eastern's first possession in overtime to move the Hounds to 2-0 with consecutive wild finishes. 

The Greyhounds were unable to continue to ride that momentum into their Lone Star Conference opener against #12 Texas A&M-Commerce despite outgaining the only LSC school still remaining in the Division II National Playoffs 328-to-325. Terry and Strand both rushed for over 100 yards in that contest, but couldn't overcome a Lion offense that put points on the board on four of their first six drives of the ball game to build a 24-6 halftime advantage. 

Eastern quickly answered that opening conference loss against Texas A&M-Commerce with a 48-34 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville despite a two-hour long lightning delay and 14 unanswered points by the Javelinas to start off the third quarter of action. Those two scores gave Texas A&M-Kingsville a 31-17 lead with 8:46 remaining in the third quarter, but a Greyhound offense that totaled 564 total yards and 515 yards on the ground took over for the remainder of the contest and scored on the final five possessions of the game.

The Hounds picked up their second straight conference win by a final score of 27-24 over Midwestern State thanks to a strong opening half performance and a school-record 40 carries by Terry. Terry turned those 40 carries into 225 yards and helped pave the way for a 17-3 halftime lead for the Greyhounds. The Mustangs rattled off 21 unanswered points in the third quarter to take their first lead of the contest before an early fourth quarter score from senior Johnny Smith and a 23-yard field goal with 3:21 remaining in the game by senior Tyler Vargas moved the Hounds to 4-1 on the year. 

That win over Midwestern State set the stage for a meeting with eventual LSC Champions and #4 ranked Tarleton State inside Greyhound Stadium. The Hounds were unable to threaten the Texans with an upset bid and fell 49-10. 

Eastern New Mexico responded with a 48-17 win over Western New Mexico the following week thanks to 31 second half points to secure the second consecutive Chile Bowl win for the Greyhounds. Terry and company recorded six rushing scores throughout the contest including three runs scored from 30 or more yards out and totaled 639 yards of total offense.

The following two weeks were uncharacteristic for the Hounds as they struggled in consecutive losses to West Texas A&M and UT-Permian Basin to fall to 5-4 on the season and 3-4 in LSC play. 

The Hounds negated those two losses with wins against #21 Angelo State and a 7-4 Western Oregon team to close out the regular season and earn this week's trip to the Heritage Bowl. Terry matched his previously set school record with 40 carries against a top-ten nationally ranked Angelo State defense to help spearhead a remarkable 23-play, 90-yard drive that lasted 12:04 and gave the Rams just a single possession in the third quarter of action. A 12-yard score from Terry tied the game up at 10-10 and flipped the momentum in the contest. Strand scored the game-tying touchdown with 4:21 remaining in the game and forced overtime, during which time Vargas would kick what would end up being the game winning 39-yard field goal following the Hounds first possession. 

Terry and the Greyhound offense finished their historic offensive season with 28 first half points to help push the Hounds to a 35-27 win over Western Oregon. Terry scored a career-high four times and helped the Greyhound offense to 374 total yards.

TO SUM IT ALL UP
Eastern New Mexico set the school record for average rushing yards per game in a regular season with an average of 361.8 yards in 11 games. The Hounds will enter the Heritage Bowl just 164 yards shy of the school record for rushing yards in a season set back in 2015 with 4,144 yards. 

This year's offense ranks fifth all-time in total offensive yards with 4,802 for the season.

Eastern New Mexico finished the season ranked second in all of Division II football in average rushing yards per contest and led the nation in average time of possession at 35:32. Eastern finished the regular season ranked second in the LSC in total offense per game (436.5) and led the league in both third down (43.6 percent) and fourth down (71.0 percent) conversion percentage. 

Terry put together one of the best individual offensive seasons in Eastern New Mexico history, setting the school record for rushing yards (1,778), carries (324) and rushing yards per game (161.6). The Amarillo, Texas native was a First Team All-Lone Star Conference selection and was one of 36 players across the country to be nominated for the 2019 Harlon Hill Trophy.

Strand etched his name into the record books as well as the school's all-time leader in career wins as a starting quarterback with 27 career wins. 

A total of 18 players received All-LSC awards at season's end and the Hounds accounted for eight total Player of the Week Awards from the Lone Star Conference. 

SCOUTING THE MULERIDERS 
Southern Arkansas finished the season in fourth place in the Great American Conference standings, losing to all three teams that finished ahead of the Muleriders in the standings in Henderson State, Ouachita Baptist and Harding. The Muleriders ranked fifth in the GAC in scoring offense (30.9 ppg) and fourth in scoring defense (22.9 ppg).

The Muleriders had a trio of defenders named to the All-GAC First Team in Antonio Washington, Malik Preston and Brock Floyd. Washington finished the regular season with 12.5 tackles for a loss and was recently named an AFCA Second Team All-American. 

The Mulerider offense will run through tailback Kor'Davion Washington, who ranked fourth in the GAC with 859 yards rushing in the regular season. Washington was an All-GAC Second Team selection alongside receiver Jared Lancaster, who finished the regular season with 40 receptions for 588 yards and six touchdowns. 

ALOT OF LOVE FOR THE BIG MEN UP FRONT
All five Hound offensive lineman received all-conference recognition for their work in the trenches this season. Junior Vili Fisiiahi was named All-LSC Second Team as an offensive lineman while Braeden Fox, Bailey Adair, Isaiah Callahan and Aseli Finau all received Honorable Mention All-LSC recognition. 

AN A-MAZIN FRESHMAN SEASON
Freshman Mazin Richards exploded onto the scene in his first season of collegiate football and led the Lone Star Conference with 10.5 sacks on the season. The Burleson, Texas native was named All-LSC Second Team after recording the most sacks in a single season in school history. 

BIG PLAY MANYWEATHER
Junior Justin Manyweather has been a nice compliment to fellow slotback Johnny Smith throughout the season and has averaged a whopping 10.6 yards per carry throughout the season. Manyweather has totaled six touchdowns this season, three on the ground, two receiving and a punt return for a touchdown and has consistently served as the Hounds top big-play threat all year. 

LOOKING FOR A FIRST
Eastern New Mexico will have a chance Saturday to secure the first bowl win in school history after falling short in the Hound's previous two trips to the Heart of Texas Bowl in 2015 and 2016. The Hounds fell to Arkansas Tech in 2015 by a final score of 51-35 and in 2016 to Fort Hays State by a final score of 45-12.

Saturday will also serve as the first ever meeting between Eastern New Mexico and Southern Arkansas. The Greyhounds first and only game against a school from the state of Arkansas came in the previously mentioned match-up with Arkansas Tech in the 2015 bowl game.