PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico football returns to the gridiron for a road contest with Western New Mexico. Before the in-state matchup, please take a look at the 4th & 1 Preview:

First Down – Dropping More: Eastern New Mexico has lost five-straight games. Last Saturday, the Greyhounds fell to West Texas A&M, 42-24. Despite leading after the first quarter, ENMU could not escape a well-played second quarter from WT. The Buffs scored 22 of their 42 points in the second quarter. Mario Sanchez threw 5-of-9 for 73 yards and was sacked for just the second time this season. He ran 12 times for 43 yards. West Texas A&M controlled the game offensively. They managed to outrun the Hounds, 264-240, and throw for more yards, 201-80. One area that the Buffs controlled with ease was third down conversions. ENMU sits in the top-half of third down conversions among conference foes but hurt their numbers going 1-of-13 versus WT last weekend.

Second Down – Scoring Big: Although the Greyhounds have lost five in-a-row, they still lead the conference in several major offensive statistics. ENMU scores 29.4 points per game and has scored 15 or more points in every game this year. As expected, the Hounds are dominating on the ground with the nation's second-best rushing offense picking up 325.3 yards per contest. Eastern is guided by Ron Craten who is scoring the most points per game (8.0) by a student-athlete in the LSC. Craten already has eight TD's running. The program is also not threatened to throw the ball as they have four passing scores through six games on the year.

Third Down – Gordon's Guarantee: Dylan Gordon has made an immediate impact in his first year in Portales. Last week, he became the first ENMU student-athlete to record a pick-six since a road contest at Angelo State in 2022. He currently has 12 total tackles and two pass breakups. His interception versus WT came in the fourth quarter. Gordon is originally from San Antonio, Texas. One of his better games on the field came in a four-tackle effort versus Central Washington. Gordon was an all-district player on offense and defense in high school.

Fourth Down – Mustangs to Scout: ENMU will face quarterback Josh Magana. The first string QB is completing 55.94% of his pass attempts and has totaled 250 yards or more in two different games. One of his better outings was versus New Mexico Highlands with him throwing 17-for-26 for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Two receivers have at least 24 catches. Sophomore Anthony Flores has 27 catches for 330 yards and sophomore Davey Morales has hauled in 24 receptions for 261 yards and two scores. Morales is the only Mustang with multiple receiving touchdowns. One of the top returners in the LSC is back with WNMU defensively. Cole Lalama has 80 total tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss. Freshman Ruben Gamboa has had a breakout season with 44 tackles to sit second on the team.

&1 – Chile Roasting: The overall history between Eastern New Mexico and Western New Mexico goes heavily in the Greyhounds favor. However, the last two games have gone to the Mustangs. ENMU leads the overall series, 43-17-2. The matchup between Eastern and Western is for the Chile Bowl. WNMU won the trophy in 2022 and is looking to earn a third-straight win in the contest. The Greyhounds hold a 19-10-2 advantage in games played in Silver City. Each of the last two contests in Silver City have been decided by three points or less. Last season, Western New Mexico pulled off a 25-24 upset. The Mustangs scored a touchdown with one minute remaining in the game and converted on a two-point conversion. ENMU proceeded to miss a 47-yard field goal in the final seconds of the game. Both the Hounds and Mustangs are the only teams in the LSC without a victory in conference play.