ARLINGTON, Texas – Midwestern State use a thrilling final drive to open up the 2015 Lone Star Football Festival with a 28-24 win over Eastern New Mexico on Saturday at AT&T Stadium.
MSU quarterback Quade Coward engineered a 13-play, 90-yard drive that ended with him finding the end zone on a 2-yard keeper with 21 seconds left to propel the Mustangs in the Lone Star Conference opener for both teams.
Facing a fourth down-and-6 from its own 14-yard line with just over two minutes to play, MSU (3-0, 1-0 Lone Star Conference) used a 12-yard pass from Coward to Terrence Smith to keep hope alive. Five plays later, ENMU (2-1, 0-1 LSC) forced a fumble but it was recovered by Arsenio Phillips. Coward would fine Smith again – this time from 27 yards on a third down-and-10 – to get the Mustangs to the 19-yard line and set the stage for Coward’s TD.
ENMU quarterback Jeremy Buurma heaved a Hail Mary attempt from his own 39-yard line as time expired.
ENMU never trailed in the first half, putting together a 17-7 lead thanks to a 3-yard TD run by Jakorius Williams, 29-yard pass from Buurma to D’Maujeric Tucker and a 23-yard field goal by Timothy Callian.
MSU opened up the scoring in the second half with a 49-yard pass from Hagen Hutchinson to Phillips at the 9:47 mark in the third quarter and took its first lead less than one minute later as Alec DiValerio scooped up a fumble and ran it 32-yard for a score.
ENMU, after getting stopped on a fourth-and-goal try with 8:53 to play, reclaimed the lead, 24-21, with just over five minutes left on a Jeremy Doucette 4-yard TD run. The Greyhounds’ defense produced a 3-and-out stop on MSU’s next possession and then stuffed the Mustangs on their first three plays on their final drive before Coward got things going with the pass to Smith.
MSU’s only score in the first half was a 9-yard TD run by Vincent Johnson with 5:41 left in the second quarter.
Phillips hauled in seven passes for 84 yards, while Smith had six catches for 85 yards to lead MSU. Coward passed for 132 yards and ran for 43. Johnson had 83 yards on 15 carries. Marqui Christian had 13 tackle for the Mustangs, while Calvin Stewart and Emerson Evans added nine each.
Buurma was 9 of 14 passing for 197 yards and also added 88 yards on 23 carries to pace ENMU. Tucker finished with three catches for 69 yards. Lawrence Hall had 12 tackles, while Larry Baker-Bruce had an interception and forced a fumble to lead the Greyhounds’ defense.
Both teams continue LSC play on Sept. 26. MSU hosts Tarleton State at 7 p.m., while ENMU hits the road to face Texas A&M-Commerce with an 11:30 a.m. kickoff.
The one-day, six-team Lone Star Football Festival continues at 3:30 p.m. with West Texas A&M playing Tarleton State. The fifth-annual event will conclude with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff between Bacone (Okla.) against Angelo State.
2015 Lone Star Football Festival
AT&T Stadium / Arlington, Texas
(All times CT)
Saturday, Sept. 19
Midwestern State 28, Eastern New Mexico 24
West Texas A&M vs. Tarleton State, 3:30 p.m.
Bacone vs. Angelo State, 7:30 p.m.