GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Eastern New Mexico football team survived a frantic second half of action to escape Colorado Mesa with a 44-37 overtime victory.

The Greyhounds scored 27 points in the third quarter alone to take a 37-17 lead with 4:37 remaining in the third quarter. That advantage would be short-lived however as Colorado Mesa stormed back and tied the game up at 37-37 with 3:22 remaining in the ball game.

Eastern New Mexico scored on their first possession in overtime thanks to a six-yard rush from senior quarterback Wyatt Strand and then kept the Mavericks out of the end zone to secure the program's first overtime win as an NCAA Division II program. The game featured 942 yards of total offense while the Greyhounds continued to enforce their will with 434 total yards rushing and converted on 8-of-16 attempts on third down.

Strand finished with 96 yards on the ground and three touchdowns and completed 6-of-12 passes for 127 yards and a score through the air. Fullback Paul Terry was sensational for the Greyhound offense for the second week in a row, running for 178 yards on 31 attempts and a touchdown.

Eastern New Mexico quickly extended a 10-7 halftime lead with two scores in just over five minutes to begin the third quarter. Junior Quincy Arceneaux picked up a botched handoff by the Mavericks and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown to kick start what would prove to be a thrilling second half of action.

The Hound defense continued to force miscues on the Colorado Mesa offense on the very next possession as sophomore Lamontre Huval picked off a pass at the Hounds' 37-yard line on the very first play coming off of the Arceneaux scoop and score.

Strand made the turnover count with the first of his three second half rushing touchdowns after hooking up with junior Zachery Fields for two crucial long passes in the first half of action. That Strand score turned the momentum squarely into Eastern New Mexico favor with the score at 24-7 with 9:54 remaining in the game.

Fields recorded four catches for 110 yards a score, all of which occurred in the first half.

Colorado Mesa would narrow the advantage down to just one score with 10:25 remaining in the game to push the score to 37-30. That score would hold all the way down to the 3:22 mark as the Eastern New Mexico offense struggled to find the end zone in the fourth quarter and Mesa punched it in from 20 yards out to tie the game up at 37-37.

Eastern New Mexico was unable to drive down the field after getting the ball back with 3:17 remaining on the clock, forcing overtime. It took Strand and company just five plays to reach pay dirt to give Eastern New Mexico their second straight win of the season.

The Hounds rolled up 561 total yards of offense in the contest and benefited from a defense that allowed just 100 yards in the first half and made the plays when it counted throughout the second half.

Junior Noah Sweitzer totaled 10 tackles while Huval and senior Charles Countee each recorded seven tackles.

Eastern New Mexico will hit the road next weekend once again for their Lone Star Conference opener against Texas A&M-Commerce at 5 p.m.