- Box Score
BLACKWATER DRAW, N.M. – The Texans looked to get their first win of the season against the Greyhounds of Eastern New Mexico Saturday afternoon at Greyhound Stadium in Blackwater Draw, N.M. They escaped with a 34-28 victory.
Tarleton received the kick off to start the game, but saw their first drive stall after just a few plays.
With 11:00 on the clock, Eastern New Mexico got on the board first on their first drive of the game on a 38-yard rush by quarterback Wes Wood. The extra point was converted and put the Texans in a 7-0 hole.
The Greyhound lead did not last long though as Tarleton turned their next drive into a Roddy Green 25-yard touchdown pass from Nick Stephens, tying the game at 7-7. The scoring drive went 80 yards in eight plays.
Eastern New Mexico looked to respond with a lengthy drive of their own, but a fumble by receiver Nick Hill was picked up by Tarleton's Desmond Jackson, who took it to the house for a 44-yard fumble return for a touchdown. The extra point made it a 14-7 ball game in the Texans' favor with 6:33 remaining in the first.
On the Greyhounds' next drive, Tarleton's defense came up big again after what looked like at least three points for ENMU was turned into a Texan interception at the 10-yard line by Tarleton defensive back Deshaun Phillips, his third pick of the year.
At the end of the first, Tarleton led ENMU 14-7.
As the second quarter got underway, it was yet another Texan interception that stopped a Greyhound drive when Terrence Henry picked off Wood.
Tarleton would not be able to take advantage though, as ENMU struck on their next drive. Wood hooked up with Michael Mathews for a 21-yard pass that tied the game up at 14-14 with 9:38 on the clock.
The Texans would strike again though at the 3:55 mark when Stephens hit Arthur Buckingham on a quick pass, who in turn scrambled it 19 yards for the score and a 21-14 Tarleton lead.
ENMU looked to cut down on the lead as they attempted a field goal with 10 seconds remaining, but Tarleton's front line got penetration up the middle to block the kick.
The two teams entered the high tired and exhausted, but the Texans enjoyed the seven-point advantage.
At the half, Tarleton had 216 yards total offense with 119 yards coming on the ground and 97 yards coming through the air.
The defense held the fast-paced ENMU offense to just 225 yards of offense, 180 yards in the air and 45 yards on the ground.
Stephens finished the first half with 97 yards and two touchdowns on 9-of-17 passing. Green and Buckingham both caught a score. Vaughn was the major threat in the rushing game with 87 yards on 10 carries.
In the early stages of the second half, Tarleton's special teams came up with a big play when linebacker Marquis Wadley rushed on a fake punt for a 38-yard gain and a Texan first down. That eventually led to a LeThaddeus Hill 15-yard touchdown pass, making it a 28-14 ball game with 8:13 left in the third quarter.
Jerry Owens, coming off a big game at Texas State where he went 4-for-4 on field goals, stepped up and hit a 48-yard field goal to put Tarleton ahead 31-14 at the 4:07 mark.
Immediately after the field goal, head coach Cary Fowler called upon Owens again, this time for an onside kick attempt. The Texans recovered and took back over at their own 40-yard line.
Unfortunately, the Greyhounds picked off a Stephens pass attempt and turned it into seven points on a Darian Dale five-yard pass from Woods. ENMU pulled back within 10 points, 31-21, with less than a minute to go in the third quarter.
At the start of the fourth, Owens converted on a 39-yard field goal to put the Texans back ahead 34-21.
On a crucial 3rd-and-17 from the Texans' 10-yard line and 9:40 left on the clock, Tarleton's Stephens hit freshman receiver Clifton Rhodes for a 33-yard gain to extend the drive and eat away valuable time off the clock.
The Texans managed to march down into Greyhound territory, but Owens missed his first field goal attempt of the season from 34 yards out. The more important fact was that Tarleton was able to milk five minutes off the clock.
On the Greyhounds' next possession, Texan defensive back Phillips picked off his second pass of the game and fourth of the season, with 6:06 remaining in the game.
Tarleton threatened to score again and put the game out of reach, but an ENMU interception in the red zone gave the Greyhounds an outside shot of staying in the contest with just three minutes left of play.
ENMU used back-up quarterback Seth Bailey to move the ball 74 yards on 10 plays and end with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Sawyer Cornelius, pulling the Greyhounds back within six.
Tarleton knew what was coming next as ENMU attempted an onside kick, but the Greyhounds were able to recover and set up one last drive for the win. They started the drive from their own 42-yard line with 1:10 left on the clock.
ENMU got a couple of positive plays, but failed to stop the clock as time ticked away. The Greyhounds were left with six seconds and 38 yards to go. That is when the Texan defense stepped up and batted away the hail mary attempt in the end zone. With that, Tarleton picked up its first victory of the season.
The Texans left Eastern New Mexico with a 34-28 victory, improving their record to 1-3 on the season.
Offensively, Tarleton amassed 471 yards of total offense, while holding ENMU to 447 yards. The Texans had 285 yards passing and their best performance on the ground this season with 186 rushing yards.
Stephens was 24-of-46 in the game with three touchdowns and two picks. Courtney Vaughn rushed for 94 yards on 15 carries, going for 6.4 yards per carry.
Rhodes had his third 100-yard receiving game of the year, catching nine passes for a total of 130 yards. Green, Buckingham and Hill caught touchdowns.
Defensively, Tarleton was led by Wadley once again with 14 tackles. Phillips had two interceptions, while Henry had one pick. Phillips also added 11 tackles and half a tackle for loss.
The Greyhounds were led by Wood, who had 229 yards on 31-of-51 passing and two touchdowns, but the Texans picked him off twice.
Tarleton will return home next Saturday, Oct. 1 to host West Texas A&M at 7 p.m. for Family Weekend. Season tickets are still available. Check out TarletonSports.com for more information.
