Date: October 23, 2021
Time: 6 PM
Where: Grande Stadium, Midland, Texas
Weather: 82 and partly cloudy at kickoff, wind S 16 mph
Watch: Lone Star Conference Digital Network
Listen: Rock 95.1 FM
Follow Along: Live Stats
Tickets
 
Scouting the opponent
First year head coach Tye Hiatt has Eastern New Mexico sitting at 3-4 after completely changing the offense.  Traditionally a triple option attack, the Hounds have thrown a lot more and rank sixth in the Lone Star Conference at 168.1 yards per game.  They are led under center by freshman Nathan Valencia, who's completed 59.4 percent of his passes while tossing 14 touchdowns.
They use a balanced rushing attack led by Currie Thomason's 305 yards and three touchdowns.  Isaiah Tate is second on the team with 214 yards while Tafari Gomillion and Valencia have each found the end zone twice.  The offense goes through wide receiver Justin Manyweather.  The senior leads the LSC in receiving touchdowns with 10 and yards with 673. He also tops the LSC in all-purpose yards per game with 150.6.
On the other side of the ball, Mazin Richards is a player to watch as he leads the LSC in sacks with 7.5. 
 
Restarting the Streak
Falcon Football looks to restart their Division II winning streak after having it snapped at 10 last weekend.  Overall the team has still won of 11 of their last 14 games.  In the spring of 2021, the Falcons went 5-0 and re-wrote the record books along the way.  The Falcons won five games in a season for the first time in program history and set a record for the longest winning streak to start a season.   During this hot streak the Falcons have:
· Tied for the largest comeback in program history (14)
· Scored the most points in program history (75)
· Set the largest margin of victory (75)
· First shutout
· First overtime game and win
· Beat West Texas A&M and Midwestern State for the first time
 
Best in Class
Since stepping onto the field in the spring, MJ Link has been one of the best players in Division II football.  Last week, the junior recorded the third most receiving yards in a game by a Falcon with 157, besting his career high by one.  The junior has six touchdowns on the season and has been held out of the end zone only once.  He is just three behind Kristian Brown and Mitchell Leonard who hold the career record with 14 each.  Link is one touchdown behind tying the single season record and just 218 yards away from breaking the single season receiving yards record.
 
Ground and Pound
The Falcons have completely remade their rushing attack from the spring.  That team averaged 74.8 yards per game and finished with 374 total on the ground.  So far in 2021, the Falcons have averaged 147.7 per game and 886 total yards.
 
A major reason is the combo of Nathan Tilford and Jayvon Davis.  Tilford, a transfer from Arizona, and Davis, a true freshman, are the perfect duo in the Falcon backfield.  Davis now leads the way with 357 yards while Tilford is just behind with 353.  Davis has found the end zone four times this season on the ground and returned a kick for a score.  Against Lincoln the freshman became the second player in program history to score three touchdowns in a single game.
 
Getting Defensive
The Falcon defense put together their best game of the season last time out at home, completing the first shutout in program history and forced 6 turnovers.  The defense was a point scoring machine as they returned two interceptions for a touchdown and nearly had a third on a fumble in the end zone that resulted in a safety.  They did not allow a third down conversion until the final drive of the ball game and only allowed 133 yards of total offense.
 
Last week against Angelo State, D'Ondre Robinson had a game for the ages.  The defensive back recorded 17 tackles including a diving tackle over the pile on a goal line stand in the first half against Angelo State.  Cornerback Trent Ward now has three interceptions on the season after picking off a pass against the Rams.  The top four in career interceptions are all currently in the Falcon secondary.
 
Home Cooking
The Falcons have turned the Permian Basin into a tough place for opposing teams in recent years.  Since 2018 the Falcons are 11-5 at Ratliff and Grande Stadium.  The last two seasons the Falcons are 9-2 and winners of seven straight home games.  Against Eastern New Mexico the Falcons will look to get back to a .500 record at home.
 
Closing Time
Give the Falcons a lead and they won't look back.  All-time the Falcons are 16-2 with a halftime lead and 18-3 with a lead after three quarters. 
 
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