NOTE: Missouri S&T's football games will be broadcast on KXMO Radio (95.3 FM) this season; go to the link on the right for the internet audio.

ROLLA, Mo. – A new year and new era begins for Missouri S&T on Saturday night, as the Miners begin play under new head coach Todd Drury on the road when they take on Eastern New Mexico in a 7 p.m. (Central time) game in Portales, N.M.

The Miners and Greyhounds are facing off in a season opener for the second straight season after S&T took last year's matchup 31-14 in Rolla.  The win propelled the Miners to a 10-2 season and their first post-season game in 68 years, which ended triumphantly when S&T defeated Minnesota State Moorhead in the Mineral Water Bowl.

Drury, who served as the Miners' defensive coordinator for the last three seasons and guided that unit to the top of the Great Lakes Valley Conference in each of the last two years, took over the reins of the program six weeks after that victory and inherits a squad that returns 40 lettermen and 14 starters from last season. 

That group of returners includes two players who have earned All-America honors in their careers, defensive end Tershawn Wharton (University City, MO/University City) and running back Deshawn Jones (Olympia Fields, IL/Rich Central).  Wharton was named as the most valuable player on defense in the Mineral Water Bowl and is coming off a season in which he recorded 54 tackles, nine sacks and 18 tackles for a loss.

He heads up a defensive unit that also returns all-conference selections Joseph Boettcher (Columbia, MO/Rock Bridge) at defensive tackle, Ryan Kirkendall (Silsbee, TX/Silsbee) and Justin Onwugbufor (Maize, KS/Northwest) at safety and Ben Straatmann (Washington, MO/Washington) at linebacker.  In addition, the Miners return two other linebackers – Dontay White (Florissant, MO/Hazelwood Central) and Jack Hayes (Republic, MO/Republic) – who recorded nearly 50 tackles apiece a year ago.

Jones earned his All-America honor after setting the Miners' single season rushing record in 2017 and led the Miners with 750 yards and eight touchdowns last season as part of a three-headed rushing attack.  Jones enters the season needing 770 yards to reach the S&T career rushing record, but will get assistance in the backfield from returners Payton McAlister (Decatur, TX/Decatur) and Aaron Moya (Canutillo, TX/Canutillo) who combined for 658 rushing yards and 33 receptions out of the backfield last fall.

McAlister had 28 of those receptions and will be a key part of the passing game that will include returners Logan Armontrout (Centralia, MO/Centralia), who had 41 catches last year and Josh Brown (Gainesville, FL/North Marion HS), who finished with 32 catches.  Newcomers Breon Michel (Colorado Springs, CO/Vista Ridge) and Cameron Clemons (St. Louis, MO/Lutheran North) are also expected to be key contributors in the receiving game.

Brennan Simms (Punta Gorda, FL/Charlotte), who has been the backup to record-setting quarterback Tyler Swart (Dickinson, TX/Dickinson) for the last two years, is expected to get the start at quarterback.  Last season, Simms completed 64 percent of his passes for 105 yards and will work behind an offensive line that has returning All-GLVC tackle Josh Elam (Aledo, TX/Aledo) and returning center Nino Schmitt (St. Louis, MO/Christian Brothers College HS).

The Miners also return their All-GLVC placekicker and punter this season, as Ben Styron (Harrisonville, MO/Harrisonville) set new S&T records for points by a kicker (89) and field goals made (14) last season and Jonathan Banowetz (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt North) averaged 39 yards per punt to earn his all-conference honor.

ABOUT EASTERN NEW MEXICO: The Greyhounds finished 5-6 overall last year and 4-4 in the Lone Star Conference; they were picked to finish fourth in that conference this fall.  ENMU dropped five of its first six games a year ago, but won four of its last five.  Four of ENMU's six losses came to teams that played in post-season contests in 2018.

Quarterback Wyatt Strand accounted for 1,253 yards of total offense for the Greyhounds in 2018, running for 632 yards and throwing for another 621 in ENMU's run-based offense.  First-team all-conference running back Paul Terry ran for a team-high 989 yards last season for a team that ranked fourth in NCAA Division II in rushing with an average of 284.5 yards per game.  The Greyhounds led the nation in rushing in 2017 with 352.7 yards per contest.

Slot receiver Johnny Smith led the Greyhounds with 13 receptions last season at an average o f26.2 yards per game; he had all six of ENMU's receiving touchdowns a year ago.

Linebacker Noah Sweitzer led Eastern New Mexico with 90 tackles last season and had 13 of them for a loss, while cornerback Charles Countee was in on 56 stops and recorded a team-high four interceptions.  The Greyhounds allowed 368.1 yards per contest last fall, but opposing teams converted nearly 43 percent of their plays on third down against them.