Turnovers help ENMU beat Tarleton State

STEPHENSVILLE, Texas — Turnovers will often help determine the outcome of football games, especially when teams take advantage of them.

That was the case for Eastern New Mexico University on Saturday, as the Greyhounds parlayed three Tarleton State miscues into a 24-15 road victory at Tarleton’s Memorial Field.

ENMU, as a result, improved to 6-1 overall, 5-1 in Lone Star Conference play.

Aside from the turnover battle and Eastern outrushing Tarleton 323-22, Saturday’s numbers were fairly comparable. The Hounds narrowly won time of possession, 31:23 to 28:37. They amassed 438 total yards to Tarleton State’s 419. They were 9-of-16 on third-down conversions compared to the Texans’ 8-of-18 conversion rate. Eastern actually had less first downs (19) than Tarleton (21).

Those turnovers, though, made the difference, with ENMU transforming them into 10 points and going on to win by nine. Eastern did not commit any turnovers of its own, and also had five sacks, but allowed none.

Bailey Hale, the Greyhounds’ steady-eddy kicker all season, put them on the board first with a 20-yard field goal at the opening quarter’s 9:01 mark. The drive had been set up by Josh Miller’s interception on Tarleton’s first offensive series. Miller finished the day with seven tackles, two sacks and a quarterback pressure to go with that pick.

Early in the second quarter, Tayshaun Gary capped an eight-play, 80-yard Eastern drive with a 24-yard touchdown run, part of his second 100-plus rushing performance this season, the fifth of his ENMU career. Hale’s extra point made it 10-0 with 14:36 left in the half.

Less than five minutes later, Brad Hardin halted a Tarleton drive by recovering a fumble at the Hounds’ own 27, then returning it to their 36. The resulting ENMU possession ended when Clovis graduate Kamal Cass hauled in a 44-yard touchdown pass from Russell Montoya, and with Hale’s extra point, the Hounds were up 17-0.

A one-yard touchdown run by Tarleton State’s Daniel McCants 36 seconds before intermission made it a 17-6 game.

Cass notched his second touchdown of the day, this time on a two-yard run at the 9:38 mark of the third quarter. Hale’s third extra point gave the Hounds a 24-9 lead and completed their scoring.

A 27-yard J.R. Fullen field goal later in the third quarter and a 17-yard touchdown pass from Zed Woerner to Jacob Kaspar in the fourth drew Tarleton State closer, but Eastern hung on for the win.

Deion Hart contributed to the big defensive effort, returning an interception 69 yards. Desmond Blue added five tackles and two sacks.

Cass led the devastating rushing attack with 109 yards, followed by Gary with 105.

The Hounds had 71 passing yards from Wyatt Strand, and combined with Montoya’s 44-yard strike to Cass, they exceeded 100 yards passing for the first time since playing Texas A&M-Commerce on Sept. 16.

Kelley Lee became the first ENMU head coach to at least win six of his first seven since another Kelly — Billy Kelly — did so 35 years ago. That Kelly actually won his first eight in 1982.

Combined with last week’s 20-17 win over Texas Permian Basin, the Greyhounds have outrushed their last two opponents 703-33.

Tarleton State dropped to 4-3 overall, 3-2 in the LSC.

Eastern has a bye next weekend before returning to action on Oct. 28 with a 7 p.m. home game against Texas A&M-Kingsville.