PORTALES, N.M. – All aboard!!! The 3-0 Eastern New Mexico football team is headed to Midwestern State for a conference clash in Wichita Falls, Texas. Before the Greyhounds grace the grounds of Memorial Stadium, please take a look at the 4th & 1:

First Down – Setting the Tone: Coming into the 2023 season, lots of unknowns faced the Eastern New Mexico football program. What was known is that head coach Kelley Lee wins football games and knows how to lead teams to close wins. Greyhound teams led by Lee (2017-19, 2023) are 13-1 in single digit games. The only loss? A 31-23 loss to No. 5 Midwestern State in 2018. In 2023, ENMU's two home victories have come by a combined three points and plays in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter have played vital in the Greyhounds earning two wins.

Second Down – Doing Greyhound Things: Eastern New Mexico is leading the conference by rushing for 261.0 yards per game. Through three games, the Greyhounds have seen three different players as the leading rusher. Against New Mexico Highlands, quarterback Mario Sanchez came big in key moments as he carried the ball 11 times for 77 yards and three scores. In a road win over Sul Ross State, Jonathan Watson ran the ball seven times for 119 yards and a score. In the most recent win, Trevion Butler showcased his speed by finishing with 102 yards on just five carries and a touchdown. The common theme? The Greyhounds can go to several players on the ground.

Third Down – Game Changing Turnovers: The Hounds have intercepted at last one pass in each game this season. All five interceptions have been caught by five different defenders. Trey Cain, Talon Sanders, Micah Lewis, Matthew Quartieri, and Dedrick Moore are the student-athletes with those crucial turnovers. Quartieri has the longest return for ENMU with 50-yards gained after the interception. Midwestern State is struggling in the turnover department as quarterback James Cooper Jr. has thrown five interceptions and the team has fumbled the ball six times.

Fourth Down – History Lesson: MSU leads the overall series versus ENMU, 20-7. The Greyhounds have more victories in Wichita Falls than in games hosted in the Land of Enchantment. The last two wins against the Mustangs have come at Memorial Stadium in 2019 (27-24) and 2016 (30-28). ENMU has never beaten MSU inside Greyhound Stadium. The last win at Blackwater Draw came in 2013 as the Hounds took care of business, 40-21. The Mustangs came to Portales last year to begin conference play with a 28-14 victory. Turnovers proved to be a difference maker in the game as MSU had a pick-six to take the lead in the fourth quarter.

&1 – Attack the Moment: ENMU has not started conference play 2-0 since 2005. That season saw a road win over Abilene Christian, 33-30, and a home victory over Angelo State, 38-14. In Midwestern State's two losses in 2023, they have scored a combine 8 points. The results? A 37-8 road loss to Colorado State-Pueblo and a road loss to West Texas A&M, 23-0. In the conference loss to the Buffalos, MSU only saw the offense gain 103 total yards. The offensive line allowed three sacks and the longest play for the Mustangs was a 14-yard reception from James Cooper Jr. to wideout Jalen Austin. The team had opportunities for long pass plays, but the best chances could not be capitalized on. The Greyhounds will look to limit chunk-yardage plays against MSU because in the win over Western Oregon, Eastern New Mexico allowed gains of 79, 64, and 56 yards.