Midwestern routs Hounds in division finale

Freedom New Mexico

BLACKWATER DRAW — Midwestern State pulled away with 23 points in the final 13 minutes Saturday night and the Mustangs handed Eastern New Mexico University a 50-17 loss in a Lone Star Conference South Division football game at Greyhound Stadium.

Midwestern (8-2, 3-2 South), ranked 13th in NCAA Division II, took the lead for good at 17-10 just before halftime on a 4-yard run by Neal Carr. The touchdown was set up on a sack of ENMU quarterback J.J. Harp by Matt Ellerbrock, who forced a fumble and recovered it at the Greyhounds’ 20.

MSU quarterback Zack Eskridge threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Sheldon Galloway early in the third quarter, and Jose Martinez added a 40-yard field goal to make it 27-10. The Hounds (2-8, 0-6) bounced back with a four-play, 73-yard drive ending with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Harp to Dominic Preston to make it 27-17 after three quarters.

But it was all Mustangs after that.

Midwestern went 64 yards in nine plays following the kickoff, capped by Carr’s 2-yard run with 12:46 left. Eskridge added a 2-yard TD run after an interception by the Mustangs’ Micah Hill on ENMU’s next series.

Martinez then kicked a 32-yard field goal with 5:26 left, and backup quarterback Brandon Kelsey scored on a 73-yard run as time expired.

Harp had another big game for the Hounds, throwing for 403 yards and two touchdowns on 42-of-63. But Midwestern State limited ENMU to minus-8 yards rushing, sacking Harp three times for a net loss of 30 yards.

Five players scored touchdowns for the Mustangs. BeeJay Mathis led a 300-yard rushing performance with 100 yards on 14 carries, while Eskridge completed 26-of-37 passes for 356 yards.

Galloway led MSU receivers with seven catches for 85 yards, while Andy Tanner caught six for 105 yards. Preston had eight catches for 93 yards for the Hounds, and three others caught six passes each as Harp spread the ball around to 10 receivers.

ENMU will finish its season at home on Saturday against first-year program Incarnate Word in a non-conference contest. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.