Hounds have tough obstacle to avoid 0-4 start

Eastern New Mexico University’s football team is 0-3, fresh off a loss to Texas A&M-Commerce, the nation’s top-ranked Division II team.

And it doesn’t get a whole lot easier for the Greyhounds. Next up, the son of a former Super Bowl reserve quarterback and nephew of a former Heisman Trophy winner.

Eastern will try to escape the schneid with tonight’s road game against Lone Star Conference rival Texas A&M-Kingsville (1-2). Quarterbacking the Javelinas is Koy Detmer Jr., whose father served as a backup signal-caller to Donovan McNabb for several seasons, including the Philadelphia Eagles’ run to Super Bowl XXXIX in early 2005.

Detmer Jr.’s uncle is Ty Detmer, former Brigham Young quarterback and winner of the 1990 Heisman.

The Hounds won’t be facing either of the elder Detmers. But the younger one could be handful enough when the teams clash at 6 p.m. MDT tonight.

Detmer Jr. walked on at BYU the past three seasons, but transferred this year to A&M-Kingsville, which is closer to his Somerset, Texas home and offered scholarship potential. Though slightly built (5-10, 175), Detmer Jr. can sling it when necessary. In A&M-Kingsville’s season opener against A&M-Commerce — a 37-36 double overtime loss — he completed 33 of 46 passes for 320 yards and four touchdowns. Overall, he has completed 51-of-85 for 536 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions.

“You could tell he’s savvy. He grew up in a football family,” ENMU head coach Kelley Lee said. “Extends plays, heady kid. Not a great runner but moves well in the pocket, which can buy some time.”

The Javelinas’ leading rusher is Nick Pelrean with 173 yards and two touchdowns (tied with Luis Lopez for the team lead in TD runs). Aaron Dilworth is Kingsville’s top receiver in both receptions and yards with 11 and 134, respectively, and is tied for the team lead in receiving TDs (2) with Ty Chisum.

But it all revolves around Detmer Jr., and the Hounds’ defense will be trying to get some pressure on him. Yet it won’t just be defensive line play that’s key to ENMU bagging its first win, according to Lee. The o-line needs to come through as well.

“The game’s going to be won up front,” Lee said. “We’ve got to control the line of scrimmage. We’ve got to win it offensively and defensively.”

Eastern’s seasoned vet Wyatt Strand makes his 25th consecutive start at quarterback, which should always be considered a plus due to that level of experience. Strand and the Hounds are relatively healthy so far, with Lee noting a few nicks and dings here or there, but nothing catastrophic.

An 0-4 record, now that could be catastrophic. With September moving steadily along and defending LSC champion Midwestern State on next week’s agenda, the Greyhounds don’t want to fall any deeper into an early-season hole.

They gained some confidence, some encouragement from battling a nationally-recognized Division II powerhouse fairly close last weekend when A&M-Commerce visited Greyhound Stadium. The Hounds, in fact, were down only 14-11 in the fourth quarter before ultimately falling 21-11.

“We’re trying to build on that,” Lee said. “No. 1-ranked team, 14-game winning streak. If we had made some plays we could have won the game.”

Being in it against a Division II titan likely says a lot about how close the Hounds are to success. A&M-Commerce, though, was just a microcosm of Eastern’s early-season slate, just one of a few opponents with national buzz.

“We knew that coming in,” Lee said. “We knew we had to jell early and at times we have. We just need to put together four quarters of football, and that’s what we’re looking to do this week.”