Box Score PORTALES, N.M. –
Jordan Thomas tied a school record with 212 yards receiving on 11 catches and added a touchdown in a 51-34 loss by the Texas A&M-Kingsville football team(3-6, 2-5) to the No. 21 Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds on Saturday night at Greyhound Stadium in Portales, N.M.
Thomas tied the mark set by Gary Lusk in 2002, when Lusk went off on Texas A&M-Commerce for 212 yards. Thomas's 11 catches also put him just one off matching the TAMUK record for most receptions in a game. The senior also hauled a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback
Beau Reilly entered the game in the second quarter and threw for 339 yards and two touchdowns. The junior helped lead the Javelinas to 28 fourth quarter points.
On defense,
Braedon Robinson tied for the team lead with 9 total tackles, including three tackles for loss. As a unit, Kingsville's defense totaled nine TFLs and forced three turnovers.
FIRST QUARTER
The Greyhouds wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, moving to a TD on their first possession in just three plays. Tayshaun Gary took a pitch to right and raced 45 yards to put his team ahead 7-0.
SECOND QUARTER
On the first series of the second period, Robinson knocked the ball from quarterback Wyatt Strand and
Jalen Harrison recovered at Eastern New Mexico's 29. TAMUK turned that opportunity into a 29-yard
Julio De La Garza field goal.
The Greyhounds answered three possessions later, after a De La Garza punt pinned them at their own four. On 3
rd-and-2, Kamal Cass took a dive up the middle and broke loose for an 88-yard touchdown and a 14-3 lead for ENMU. The home team proceeded to recover the ensuing kickoff and five plays later, a Bailey Hale 31-yard field goal pushed their lead to 14, which is where it was when both teams headed to the half.
THIRD QUARTER
The Greyhounds began the second half the same way they did the first: by moving to a quick score. On their first play from scrimmage, Johnny Smith flashed for 56 yards and Cass crashed over from the one on the next snap. Five minutes later, Brad Hardin intercepted Reilly and returned it to the TAMUK 11 leading to a one-yard scoring dive by Paul Terry, making the score 31-3. A second De La Garza field goal got the Javelinas back on board, but the Greyhounds answered with another Cass TD, this one covering two yards, for 31-point advantage.
FOURTH QUARTER
In the final quarter, Kingsville's offense sprung to life. They started the period by moving 65 yards on seven plays, with
Keith Whitely's three-yard scoring run making the score 37-12. The next time TAMUK got the football, they marched 90 yards in seven plays with Reilly completing 6-of-7, one of which was a 50-yard rainbow to Thomas. The last toss found
Nick Pelrean for a 6-yard touchdown and when Reilly and Thomas connected on the two-point conversion, the Hogs moved within 17. When their hosts proceeded to go three-and-out, Kingsville went to work again. Their next drive advanced the ball 83 yards on eight snaps and when Pelrean trudged across from a yard out, the visitors were within 10.
ENMU answered by traveling 48 yards on 4 plays to the end zone, with Cass finding paydirt for the fourth time. The senior would end the night with 187 yards on 22 carries. When the Javelinas went back on offense, they continued their aerial onslaught, with Reilly immediately hitting Thomas for a 59-yard score. However, TAMUK was unable to recover the ensuing onside kick and one more TD by the Greyhounds closed out the night's scoring.
Over the Javelinas last five possessions, which covered a little more than a quarter, Reilly completed 20 passes in 26 attempts for 328 yards and two touchdows.
The final road game of 2017 for
Daren Wilkinson's team will take them to Silver City, N.M. for a fight with the Western New Mexico Mustangs. The game's start time is set for 1 p.m.