PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico football is coming off a Chile Bowl victory over Western New Mexico and is set for a Saturday afternoon matchup against Sul Ross State. Before the Greyhounds battle with the Lobos, please look at the 4th & 1 Preview:

First Down – Roasting Chile: The Chile Bowl trophy is back in Portales, N.M. Eastern New Mexico stayed true to the ground game with a 41-34 win over in-state foe Western New Mexico. ENMU ran for 495 yards and all six scores came via the run game. The team's leading rusher was fullback Ron Craten with 216 yards on 26 carries. Another fullback for Eastern had a notable outing. Elijah Zeh ran 13 times for 62 yards. He has totaled 60+ yards in two of the last three games. The Greyhounds controlled the in-state game right from the start taking a 20-0 lead after the first quarter. WNMU got within six points by halftime, but ENMU kept pushing the lead ahead in the third quarter to secure the victory.

Second Down – Putting In Work: Redshirt sophomore Matthew Quartieri is one of the top defensive players in the Lone Star Conference. The Raton, N.M. native has 75 tackles along with eight for loss in 2024. Quartieri has had at least one tackle for loss in seven of the Hounds eight games. Against Sul Ross State earlier in the season, he had five tackles, including his lone sack of the season. In games versus SRSU and WT, Quartieri has interceptions. Against the Lobos, he returned the interception 50 yards. Quartieri is now up to 121 tackles as a Greyhound.

Third Down – 200+: Ron Craten was named the Lone Star Conference offensive player of the week after helping ENMU win the Chile Bowl for the first time since 2021. Craten was an unstoppable force for Eastern New Mexico rushing for 216 yards and a season-high three touchdowns. The Oak Grove, La. native leads the conference with 771 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, and 110.1 rushing yards per game. Craten is the first Greyhound to run for 200+ yards in a single game since Howard Russell did so in 2022. His longest rush versus the Mustangs went for 49 yards.

Fourth Down – Double Trouble: It is the second game of the season for Eastern New Mexico against Sul Ross State. ENMU earned a 36-17 win over SRSU back on September 7. Ron Craten led the rushing attack with 146 yards and two scores. Mario Sanchez, Ja'Calvin Newsom, and Jarius Stewart each had a rushing score in the win. Sanchez threw 5-of-6 for 46 yards. Zerrian Meander led Eastern defensively with seven tackles, including one for loss, however, DJ Moore was the player who impressed the most. Moore won LSC defensive player of the week after the victory over the Lobos. He had six tackles, three for loss, and two sacks in the contest. ENMU finished the game with 371 total rushing yards.

&1 – Who Are The Lobos: Sul Ross State is 2-6 (1-5 LSC) with their lone conference victory over Western New Mexico. SRSU is 2-2 at home and have scored ten or more points in every game in 2024. The Lobos are led by quarterback Andrew Martinez who is 117-for-203 for 1471 yards and 13 touchdowns. Martinez is the team's second leading rusher with 67 carries for 147 yards. They have several receiving weapons as four different pass catchers have 20 or more receptions. Yamil Oaxaca is one of the primary targets with 37 catches, 425 yards, and seven touchdowns. He posted 11 catches for 113 yards and a score in a contest with Texas A&M-Kingsville earlier in the year. Quincy Blair is the top tackler with 84 total. He has one interception and a forced fumble. One of his better games came versus Western Oregon as he added 12 tackles – all solo. In their 34-20 win over Western New Mexico, they picked off two passes, including taking one back to the house for a touchdown. SRSU leads the overall series against ENMU, 13-11-1.