PORTALES, N.M. – The anxious wait is over. It's finally football season at Eastern New Mexico. The Greyhounds begin their 2025 campaign against an in-state foe Thursday night at Steve Loy Family Foundation Stadium. Before the Hounds and Cowboys meet, please take a look at the 4th & 1 Preview:

First Down – Learn From The Past: Head coach Kelley Lee is coming off a season where the Greyhounds picked up three total wins – the lowest win total in his head coaching career. The season saw key losses on the field due to injury. The situation provided valuable playing experience to a group of underclassmen for the Hounds. Lee ended up playing more freshmen in 2024 compared to his first five years leading the program combined. With the year of experience under their belt, the program is one step ahead when considering who can play a big role for ENMU. Some of those returning players who gained lots of playing time in 2024 include Dathan Yeary, Matthew Quartieri, DJ Moore, Dylan Quartieri, Chad Ragle, Matthew Pinion, Gerry Gomez, Nathan Jim, and J.J. Silver. These Hounds are expected to make vast contributions to the 2025 squad.

Second Down – Coaching Staff Updates: Six new names don the coaching staff list for Kelley Lee's program. The biggest hire over the offseason was defensive coordinator Austin Bortle. ENMU was near the bottom of the Lone Star Conference in a handful of defensive categories. Bortle has been working over the last eight months to place ENMU in the right direction on the defensive side. Familiar names Garrett Casteel, Kaden Merrell, and Ron Craten are on the coaching staff. All three have been at ENMU as a player or coach during their careers. Lee also brought in Garrett Owens who was on the coaching staff at Harding during their national championship season. Garrison Walker rounds out the staff as a graduate assistant who played collegiate football at Auburn and New Mexico.


Third Down – New Additions: When examining the offensive depth chart, fans will recognize several key returners for nearly every position. One position group with significant changes are the running backs and full backs. Two players who did not appear in 2024, but played in different roles in 2023 will be suiting up for the Hounds. Those include Nicholas Harper and Robert Nora. New incomers looking to make an immediate impact for Eastern look to be Xavier Johnson who transferred in from UTEP and Gary Maddox who came from Kilgore. Defensively, the Hounds have plenty of new student-athletes to fill the secondary and the defensive line. Some key additions include Je'Quari Godfrey who spent some of his collegiate career at USC in Los Angeles and Malachi Hannah who was on the roster at Oregon.

Fourth Down – Land of Enchantment Battle: Eastern New Mexico beat both of its opponents from New Mexico in 2024. They will look to do the same in consecutive seasons. ENMU is on a five-game winning streak over NMHU, including a dominating 63-37 win a year ago. The Greyhounds earned 600+ yards in total offense in the victory and extended the series advantage over the Cowboys, 35-13. The last win for New Mexico Highlands against Eastern New Mexico goes all the way back to 2013. Both programs last met in Portales in 2023 with ENMU pulling out a 28-26 contest after a key defensive stop late in the game. Kelley Lee is looking to stay perfect against NMHU as he holds a 2-0 record against the in-state rival.

&1 – New Fun: Fans will have several things to look forward to on opening day. Tailgating will be more accessible and include extended hours for fans to consume alcohol up to kickoff (6 p.m.). ENMU's concession partner has added new items to their menus and is in collaboration with local food trucks. Attendees over the age of 21 will also be allowed to purchase alcoholic beverages during the game. Everyone is encouraged to purchase tickets before arrival to allow for quicker lines at the gate.