PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico will look to win the annual Chile Bowl for the second consecutive time against Western New Mexico on Saturday night in Silver City, N.M.
Eastern New Mexico and Western New Mexico added an annual trophy to the rivalry game last season, a game in which the Hounds dominated and secured the Chile Bowl for it’s inaugural year. The Hounds will ride a 14-game winning streak against the Mustangs across the state in hopes of taking out some frustrations against Western New Mexico after a 49-10 loss at the hands of #4 Tarleton State last weekend.
IT’S CHILE BOWL TIME
Eastern New Mexico and Western New Mexico will battle it out this weekend in Silver City, N.M. to once again establish who is the king of Division II football in the state of New Mexico. The Greyhounds four wins this season gives them more wins on the year than the other four (Western New Mexico, University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University and New Mexico Highlands) NCAA-affiliated schools across the state combined.
Eastern New Mexico has gotten the better of Western New Mexico in 14 straight contests dating back to 1994 and hoisted the inaugural Chile Bowl last season inside Greyhound Stadium in dominate fashion by a final score of 55-9. The Greyhounds rolled up 457 yards rushing in last year’s victory and saw five different ball carriers record a rushing touchdown.
Despite struggling on the ground last week in a 49-10 loss against #4 Tarleton State, the Hounds still rank atop Division II football with an average of 378.5 yards per game. Senior Paul Terry continued his streak of consecutive 100-yards or more rushing with 100 yards exactly on 24 carries against the Texans.
ON THE AIR
All games will be broadcast on 105.9 KSEL-FM and KSELCountry.com with Donald “Doc” Elder calling the action. All games will also be webcast online through the newly launched Lone Star Conference Network.
ABSOLUTE DOMINATION
Eastern’s 14-game win streak over Western is the longest winning streak by the Greyhounds against any opponent in the history of the program. The Hounds are 41-15-2 against the Mustangs all-time and have won eight out of the last 10 meetings between the two rivals in Silver City, N.M.
The Hounds have averaged 44.7 points per game in the last 10 meetings with the Mustangs and have shut-out Western New Mexico five times in a series that dates back to 1934.
SECOND HALF SURGE
Head coach Kelley Lee and the Greyhounds will continue to have their work cut out for them if they hope to qualify for postseason play. The Hounds first six opponents have combined for a record of 24-13 while the final five opponents still remaining on the 2019 slate enter this week with a combined record of 17-13.
With monumental home match-ups with West Texas A&M and Angelo State, who each enter this week with a record of 5-1, still remaining on the schedule, it will be imperative for the Hounds to take care of business on the road against Western New Mexico this weekend and UT Permian Basin in a few weeks.
Coach Lee is a combined 9-4 in the months of October and November during his time as a Greyhound head coach, illustrating his team’s ability to play their best ball late in the season.
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS
Despite a 1-5 record and a 1-15 record over the last two seasons, Western New Mexico has shown signs of improvement in head coach Frank Tristan’s second year in charge. The Mustangs rank atop the Lone Star Conference with an average of 288.0 passing yards per game behind the efforts of junior quarterback CJ Fowler, who leads with LSC with 1,702 yards passing on the season and ranks fourth in the league with 10 passing touchdowns.
Fowler’s favorite target Reggie Colson III averages 108.7 receiving yards per contest and is fresh off a performance in which he totaled 145 yards and five catches against Angelo State last weekend. Colson helped lead the Mustangs to 363 yards passing in a 31-14 loss at the hands of Angelo State.
Senior Roosevelt Calhoun Jr. ranks second in the Lone Star Conference with 73 total tackles on the year for a defense that ranks at the bottom of the league in both scoring defense (38.8 ppg) and total defense (393.2 ypg).
The Mustangs lone win over the course of the last two seasons came two weeks ago against UT Permian Basin by a final score of 47-28. Western trailed just 17-14 at the halftime break last weekend against Angelo State, but couldn’t muster any second half points.
MR. RELIABLE
#4 Tarleton State jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead over the Greyhounds last week just over 30 seconds into the ballgame and never looked back, continuing their dominant start to the season. Despite the tough loss, Terry continued to chew up yards for the Hound offense and remains second in the country with 987 yards and leads all of Division II football with 177 carries on the season.
Terry is just two yards away from matching his rushing total from last season with five games still remaining for the Greyhounds this season. The Amarillo, Texas native has scored six rushing touchdowns and is averaging 164.5 yards per game.
HEAVY HITTING HUVAL
Junior Lamontre Huval did all he could to slow down a prolific Tarleton State defense last week, totaling 12 tackles for the night including seven solo stops. Those 12 tackles match a season-high for Huval and moves the Breaux Bridge, La. native up to ninth in the LSC with an average of 7.7 tackles per game.
Huval has totaled 46 tackles this season and has notched 3.0 tackles for a loss, 2.0 sacks and an interception.
LET IT FLY VARGAS
Senior Tyler Vargas has continued to handle both kicking and punting duties for the Greyhounds this season and enters week seven ranked fifth in the LSC with an average of 39.6 yards per punt. He has connected on 8-of-11 field goal attempts for the season.
Vargas punted a season-high eight times last week against Tarleton State and downed the Texans inside their own 20-yard line for a season-best three times.
ALL WYATT DOES IS WIN
Senior quarterback Wyatt Strand recently moved into Eastern New Mexico’s top spot for all-time wins as a starting quarterback. Strand has totaled 24 wins for his career and would be the first quarterback in the history of the program to amass 25 wins for his career with a win this weekend against Western New Mexico.
The Logan, N.M. native will be starting his 39th game in a Greyhound uniform and has established his name all over the record books in his storied career.
IT’S TIME FOR SOME DEFENSE
The Greyhounds sre a perfect 7-0 when holding opponents to 20 or less points under the direction of coach Lee, a feat that they have been unable to accomplish one time throughout the 2019 season. The Greyhound defense has forced some timely turnovers and has stood strong when it counted, but will need to put together some complete-game performances if the Hounds hope to pick up some wins in the second half of the season.
On the flip side of the coin Eastern New Mexico enters this week ranked fifth in the LSC in scoring offense (31.8 ppg) and third in total offense (435.2 ypg).
A LOOK AT THE STANDINGS
Eastern New Mexico currently sits in fifth place with an LSC record of 2-2. Conference leaders Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Commerce will square off this weekend as the two lone undefeated teams in conference play.
The Hounds still have West Texas A&M and Angelo State remaining on their schedule as both squads enter week seven with just one loss, both against Tarleton State. West Texas A&M has played just three conference games and sports a conference record of 2-1, while Angelo State has matched Eastern with four conference games and carries a conference record of 3-1.
THE GAME OF KEEP AWAY
As has been the case throughout the Lee era at Eastern New Mexico, this season’s Hounds have continued to maintain time of possession at an elite level throughout the season. Eastern ranks first in the nation with an average ball control time of 36:05.
The Hounds have failed to win the time of possession battle just three times in coach Lee’s three years as head coach at Eastern New Mexico. The 2019 Greyhounds have produced 10 minutes or more in time of possession margin in all but one game so far this season.
CONVERSION MASTERS
The Greyhounds rank 14th in all of Division II football with a third-down conversion rate of 49.5 percent for the year.
The Hounds have converted on 49-of-99 attempts on third down for the season and 6-of-10 on fourth down for the year.
JUST CALL IT OCTOBERLEE
Head coach Kelley Lee has led the Hounds to a record of 8-1 during the month of October in his third season as head coach. The Hounds won three games last season against Western New Mexico, West Texas A&M and UT Permian Basin and went a perfect 3-0 throughout the month during the 2017 season.
UNDER LEE
Eastern New Mexico head coach Kelley Lee has a record of 17-9 during the Lee era.
Through two seasons, Lee holds a perfect 3-0 record in trophy games. Last season, the Hounds won the inaugural Chile Bowl game at home against Western New Mexico by a score of 55-9. The Hounds followed it up with their third straight Wagon Wheel game win over West Texas A&M, pitching a 28-0 shutout over the Buffs in Canyon.
