Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) football will host No. 8 Angelo State at Steve Loy Family Foundation Stadium this Saturday as part of Military Appreciation Night and Family Weekend.
The Greyhounds return to their home field following a 28-7 loss to Colorado Mesa. In that game, ENMU initially took the lead with a passing touchdown late in the first quarter. However, Colorado Mesa tied the score by halftime and pulled ahead in the third quarter, ultimately holding onto their advantage for the rest of the game. ENMU's offense recorded 194 rushing yards and secured a passing touchdown for the second consecutive game—a feat last achieved by the team in 2023. The Greyhounds also outpaced Colorado Mesa in first downs, 18-15, with most coming from running plays.
Quarterback Chad Ragle led all players in rushing during last week's matchup, finishing with 120 rushing yards and adding 75 passing yards along with one touchdown. Ragle has accumulated 159 total rushing yards and 243 passing yards so far this season, including three passing touchdowns and one on the ground. He is part of an offense currently leading its conference in yards per completion; his longest pass this season was a 65-yarder against NMHU.
Defensively, ENMU has limited opponents to just seven points in each first half over its last two games and has not allowed any points in the first quarter this season. The defense has forced two fumbles and one interception. Matthew Quartieri leads ENMU with 18 tackles (1.5 for loss), while Aaron Warren has contributed 17 tackles and one forced fumble early in his career at Eastern New Mexico. J.J. Silver is credited with the team's only interception so far and ranks third on the squad with 14 tackles—five of which are solo stops. In total, thirteen Greyhound defenders have registered at least three tackles across two games.
Angelo State arrives in Portales undefeated after winning its opening two games against Emporia State and Fort Hays State by margins of 21 points each. The Rams' balanced offense ranks fourth in their conference for rushing (198.5 yards per game) and sixth for passing (215 yards per game). On Saturday, Angelo State will play without preseason conference player of the year Braeden Fuller due to injury; instead, redshirt sophomore Kaeden Smith will take over quarterback duties. Smith has thrown at least one touchdown pass in both contests so far this season while amassing a total of 132 passing yards and adding another 60 on the ground.
ENMU’s defense is currently among national leaders with five interceptions overall—best in NCAA Division II—and allows just 72 rushing yards per game, which is third-best within their conference.
Saturday’s event will include several activities recognizing military personnel: “The Portales Military Affairs Committee (PMAC) is hosting a tailgate for active duty military personnel, an AC-130J flyover, special national anthem performance, and recognition of leadership from Cannon Air Force Base.” Additionally, ENMU “has also partnered with Goodfellow Air Force Base to invite military personnel form the base out of San Angelo, Texas.” As part of Family Weekend celebrations during halftime or breaks throughout the evening, ENMU will distribute $1,750 worth of scholarships sponsored by JP Stone Community Bank to current students.
