Late TD upends Hounds in LSC Football Festival

ARLINGTON, Texas — Eastern New Mexico University’s football team got off to a great start, fell behind in midgame and then regained the lead down the stretch.

Midwestern State, though, had the final say, driving 90 yards in 13 plays for a game-winning two-yard TD run by junior backup quarterback Quade Coward with 21 seconds left for a 28-24 Lone Star Conference victory over the Greyhounds in the first game of Saturday’s LSC Football Festival at AT&T Stadium.

link Lone Star Conference photo: Manny Flores

ENMU defensive back De’Aundre Sanders tries to wrap up Midwestern State running back Vincent Johnson during Saturday’s Lone Star Conference opener for both teams in the LSC Football Festival at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Mustangs scored with under a minute left to claim a 28-24 win over the Greyhounds.

With the Mustangs (3-0, 1-0 LSC) down 14-0, Coward relieved starter Hagen Hutchinson and went 12-of-29 passing for 132 yards and rushed nine times for 43 yards.

“First, credit Midwestern State; they played four quarters, and they did a great job,” ENMU coach Josh Lynn said. “Second, momentum shifted (in the second half); a play here, a play there.

“If you look at the stats, it’s a pretty even game. The team with the momentum won it, and they did it.”

ENMU (2-1, 0-1) took advantage of two Mustangs turnovers to jump out to a 14-0 lead on the first play of the second period when senior QB Jeremy Buurma hit senior running back D’Maujeric Tucker for a 29-yard touchdown pass. The Hounds’ first score came on a 3-yard run from sophomore fullback Jakorius Williams early in the first period.

MSU cut the margin in half on a nine-yard TD run by freshman Vincent Johnson with 5:41 left in the half, capping an 11-play, 68-yard drive. ENMU then drove 64 yards in 12 plays for a 23-yard field goal by Tim Callian with a minute to go in the half to make it 17-7.

ENMU stopped the Mustangs following the second-half kickoff, but Midwestern pulled to 17-14 on its next series when Howard lateraled to Hutchinson, who threw a 49-yard scoring pass to Arsenio Phillips. Less than a minute later, MSU’s Tari Jones stripped Buurma on an option play and freshman defensive lineman Alec DiValerio scooped it up and ran 32 yards for the go-ahead score.

“That’s a 14-point swing, and essentially that’s the whole football game,” Lynn said.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Hounds drove 44 yards in four plays to retake the lead on a 4-yard run by junior running back Jeremy Doucette.

“We made the plays at the end of the game when we had to, and that’s critical,” veteran MSU coach Bill Maskill said. “We had a little experience doing that last week (in a last-second 16-13 win at Colorado Mesa, and now we’ve had a chance to do it two weeks in a row.

“I would prefer not to have the turnovers early in the game and give up the big plays they made, and make it a little easier on us. But we’ll take a win in any fashion or form we can get it.”

Buurma went 9-of-15 through the air for 197 yards, accounting for more than half of ENMU’s 376 total yards. The Mustangs finished with 400 yards off offense and converted 7-of-16 third downs, plus one fourth-down opportunity.

“The defense played hard,” ENMU senior defensive lineman Josh Bounds said. “We always play hard (and) come out to win.”

Meantime, they held ENMU to 3-of-13 on third downs and stopped two of the Hounds’ three fourth-down attempts, both in scoring territory.

Buurma, who was not sacked, led the Hounds in rushing with 88 yards on 23 attempts. Tucker caught three passes for 69 yards. while senior wide receiver Adrian Horton grabbed three for 66.

Johnson had 83 yards rushing on 15 attempts for the Mustangs. Phillips caught seven passes for 84 yards, and Terrence Smith hauled in six for 85.

Senior safety Marqui Christian led MSU with 13 tackles, while junior linebacker Lawrence Hall was in on 12 for ENMU.

The Hounds visit Texas A&M-Commerce in a 6 p.m. (MDT) LSC kickoff next Saturday.