CANYON, Texas – The Buffs return home for their final home contest of the regular season on Saturday night as they welcome the rival Greyhounds of Eastern New Mexico to Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium for the first time in the annual Wagon Wheel Game with kickoff set for 6 p.m. in Canyon.
 
A LOOK AT THE HOUNDS
Eastern New Mexico enters the weekend with an overall record of 2-7 with a 1-6 mark in LSC action following a 24-21 loss to UT Permian Basin last Saturday in Portales.
 
Kason Martin guides the ENMU offense as the junior from Manvel, Texas has completed 102-of-196 passes for 1,363 yards and 10 touchdowns to go along with seven interceptions. Asa Wondeh has caught a team-high 32 passes for 651 yards and five touchdowns while Cameron Santa-Cruz anchors the Hound defense with 68 total tackles (33 solo) to go along with three sacks, two interceptions and three pass breakups.
 
ENMU HEAD COACH TYE HIATT
Tye Hiatt is now in his second season at ENMU as he was named the 17th head coach in program history in April 2021. He holds an overall record of 6-14 during his time in Portales.
 
Hiatt came to Portales following three seasons as the Offensive Coordinator at Shepherd, helping the Rams to the second round of the Division II Playoffs in 2019. Hiatt was an NAIA All-American wide receiver at Southern Virginia where he still sits toward the top of the SVU record book in multiple categories.
 
THE SERIES
The Buffs lead the all-time series against the Hounds, 18-17 in a series that dates back to 1945. The Hounds will make their first ever trip to Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium on Saturday night.
 
This weekend marks the 34th edition of the Wagon Wheel game as the Buffs lead that series 17-16, taking the last two meetings. The only two meetings that did not count toward the Wagon Wheel record were in 1945 and 2014 (LSC Playoffs).
 
HEAD COACH HUNTER HUGHES
Hunter Hughes is now in his sixth season at the helm of the Buffaloes as the Nashville, Tennessee native holds an overall record of 32-27 during his time in Canyon. Hughes has coached 37 All-Lone Star Conference selections during his time in Maroon & White. 
 
Hughes came to Canyon in December of 2016 following a decade as the Defensive Coordinator at Colorado State-Pueblo where the ThunderWolves made five NCAA Playoff appearances including a run to the 2014 NCAA Division II National Title.
 
WEEK NINE RECAP
The road woes for West Texas A&M continued Saturday afternoon as they dropped a 41-37 Lone Star Conference contest to Western New Mexico.
 
Nick Gerber finished the afternoon completing 18-of-28 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns to go along with 57 yards on the ground on five carries and a score. Jarrod Compton carried the ball 15 times for 56 yards while Noah Bogardus led the WT receiving core with 86 yards on three catches and a touchdown.
 
Defensively, Christopher Thomas registered nine total tackles (five solo) to go along with a hurry followed by Daniel Ajayi with seven tackles and a sack. 
 
WHERE THE BUFFALOES ROAM
West Texas A&M is home to one of the premiere college football facilities in the country as Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium opened on September 7, 2019 to a capacity crowd of 10,145 fans as the Buffs toppled Azusa Pacific, 35-16. The state of the art facility included Hellas Matrix FusionH XP2 artificial turf along with seven ground-level suites and the Fairly Group Club.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Saturday's game will be broadcasted on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network. For more information, visit the Football Schedule page at GoBuffsGo.com.
 
HOME OF CHAMPIONS
WT is home to one of the most successful athletic programs in all of NCAA Division II.
 
The 2021-22 campaign saw WT claimed six Lone Star Conference Championships, three LSC Tournament crowns, two Regional Championships and four Top-5 track and field finishes including the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Women's National Championship.
 
ON THIS DAY
The Buffs are 5-5 all-time on November 5th with two of those contest coming against the Greyhounds (1988, 1994).
 
1949 - Northern Arizona (W, 47-6)
1955 - at Arizona State (L, 27-7)
1960 - Trinity (W, 28-0)
1966 - at Northern Arizona (W, 34-7)
1983 - Indiana State (L, 31-20)
1988 - Eastern New Mexico (W, 34-15)
1994 - Eastern New Mexico (L, 48-38)
2005 - at Tarleton (W, 30-26)
2011 - at Midwestern State (L, 35-21)
2016 - Angelo State (L, 28-6)