Box Score LAS VEGAS, N.M. – Senior linebacker
Jared Koster had a career game with 20 tackles (13 of which were solo, one off the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record) but it was not enough as New Mexico Highlands dropped its home opener to Eastern New Mexico, 44-21 Saturday night (Sept. 6) at Perkins Stadium.
It was the most tackles for Koster for a single game in his collegiate career.
"It was a disappointing way to start the season," head coach
Eric Young stated. "There were a few times we were starting to get momentum and we had a penalty or threw a turnover. But Jared had a special night and went out and showed the home crowd why he was preseason All-Conference."
Both teams traded punts to begin the game before the visitors were the first to strike just more than half way into the first quarter. After an offside on a fourth down play gave the Greyhounds new life, Eastern New Mexico quarterback Jeremy Buurma hit receiver Jacob Johnson for a 22-yard touchdown pass. For the game, Buurma was only 9-19 but had 276 yards and four touchdowns.
The Cowboys fell behind 14-0 late in the first half until they used only three plays to record their first touchdown of 2014. After an incomplete pass, senior
Lance Orender hit junior
Travon Payne for eight yards and junior
Harold Smith-Mobley for 54 yards and the score. Orender finished the game by connecting on 35 of 56 passes for 415 yards, three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions.
Orender threw an 81-yard touchdown off a sideline swing pass to junior
Kirt Terry-Springs in the third quarter. It was the longest pass play for the Cowboys since Harold Mobley hit Jequerie Proctor for an 88 yarder in coach Young's first season in 2011.
Sophomore
Vincent Venegas finished the game with seven catches for 102 yards, more than 14 yards per catch. Smith-Mobley scored a touchdown in half of his receptions for the game and finished with 79 yards receiving. Jacob Johnson led the visitors receiving corp with four catches, 178 yards and a trio of touchdowns.
The Cowboys return to action next Saturday (Sept. 13) when it travels to Flagstaff, Arizona, to battle FCS Northern Arizona.
