Forget the 0-2 records for a moment. Eastern New Mexico and Texas A&M-Kingsville are both 0-0 where it matters this weekend.

The historic Lone Star Conference gets underway Saturday, Sept. 19, and the Javelinas and Greyhounds have an opportunity to leave two difficult nonconference starts behind when they meet at Pepsi Field at Javelina Stadium in Kingsville, Texas.

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Both teams enter after a bye week, both are searching for their first victory of 2026, and both suddenly have something much bigger to play for.

Saturday marks the beginning of a nine-game Lone Star Conference schedule that will send every team in the 10-team conference against each other once.

And for one of these teams, an 0-2 season is about to become a 1-0 start in the Lone Star Conference.

0-0 Where It Counts

The Lone Star Conference race essentially starts from scratch this weekend.

Eastern New Mexico and Texas A&M-Kingsville were separated by just one spot in the 2026 LSC preseason poll. The Javelinas were picked sixth with 162 points, while the Greyhounds were seventh with 125 points and even received one first-place vote.

At the top, defending champion Central Washington was overwhelmingly picked to repeat after going 9-0 in LSC play last season. Western Oregon was picked second, followed by West Texas A&M, Angelo State and UT Permian Basin.

But September Hasn't Exactly Followed The Script...

Western Oregon enters the week 2-0, but Central Washington, West Texas A&M, Angelo State, UT Permian Basin, Eastern New Mexico and Texas A&M-Kingsville all have losing records.

Most importantly, all 10 LSC teams remain 0-0 in conference play entering the bulk of the league schedule.

There is plenty of Lone Star football left.

The LSC also proved last season that its championship race can have implications beyond simply winning the league. Central Washington earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs, while UT Permian Basin received an at-large berth and advanced to the national quarterfinals.

For Eastern New Mexico and Kingsville, the road toward competing in that race starts Saturday night.

Eastern New Mexico's Offense Is Better Than An 0-2 Team

Eastern New Mexico may be searching for its first victory under head coach Art Briles, but moving the football hasn't been the problem.

The Greyhounds have produced 961 yards through two games, averaging 480.5 yards per game, the fourth-highest mark in the LSC entering conference play.

And they've done it with balance. ENMU has thrown for 574 yards and rushed for another 387 while averaging 6.1 yards per play. The Greyhounds ran for 220 yards in a wild 35-34 season-opening loss to New Mexico Highlands before throwing for 366 yards against Colorado Mesa.

That's a significant change for a program long associated with a run-heavy offense.

Through two games, Eastern New Mexico has attempted 78 passes and averages 287 passing yards per game, third-most in the LSC.

The Greyhounds have shown they can pile up yards. The next step is turning that production into wins.

ENMU has scored 57 points but allowed 77, including 42 in its loss to Colorado Mesa. Its defense is allowing 436 yards per game, creating an obvious area for improvement coming out of the bye week.

If the Greyhounds can pair their offensive production with defensive stops, their first LSC game could look very different from their first two games overall.

Texas A&M-Kingsville's Offense: Hot and Cold

The Javelinas also enter Saturday looking for their first win, but their most recent performance offered Javelina fans some reasons for optimism.

Frankly, Kingsville' opener against then-No. 17 Northwest Missouri, now ranked No. 7, was one to forget. The Javelinas lost 48-3 and generated just 179 yards of total offense.

But it's college football, and one week later, they looked like a different offense.

Kingsville produced 464 yards in a 41-24 loss to Saginaw, a 285-yard improvement from Week 1.

Quarterback Mills Dawson led the turnaround, completing 32 of 48 passes for 355 yards and two touchdowns. Through two games, Kingsville has thrown for 454 yards and averages 321.5 yards of total offense.

The production was there against Saginaw Valley State. The problem was finishing possessions and protecting the football.

Kingsville turned the ball over four times in the loss, including two interceptions and two lost fumbles. The Javelinas nevertheless outgained Saginaw Valley State 464-392 and recorded 25 first downs.

If Kingsville can clean up those mistakes, this suddenly becomes an advantageous matchup against an Eastern New Mexico defense that has surrendered more than 400 yards in each of its first two games.

5 Straight For Kingsville, Can The Greyhounds Bite Back?

Eastern New Mexico also arrives in Kingsville looking to end a drought in the series.

The Greyhounds' last victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville came on Sept. 28, 2019. That's pre-pandemic. The Javelinas have won five straight meetings since.

• Nov. 15, 2025: Texas A&M-Kingsville 45, Eastern New Mexico 28 — Portales, N.M.
• Nov. 16, 2024: Texas A&M-Kingsville 28, Eastern New Mexico 13 — Kingsville, Texas
• Oct. 21, 2023: Texas A&M-Kingsville 35, Eastern New Mexico 14 — Portales, N.M.
• Sept. 24, 2022: Texas A&M-Kingsville 43, Eastern New Mexico 10 — Kingsville, Texas
• Sept. 18, 2021: Texas A&M-Kingsville 36, Eastern New Mexico 10 — Portales, N.M.

The Javelinas won last year's meeting 45-28 in Portales, but ENMU returns with a new head coach and a dramatically different-looking offense.

Kingsville also brings plenty of LSC tradition into another conference season.

The Javelinas have won 27 Lone Star Conference championships, giving Saturday's opener another chapter in a program with deep roots in the league.

Why Eastern New Mexico vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville Matters

An 0-3 record and an 0-2 record don't look particularly different in September.

An 0-1 conference record and a 1-0 conference record do.

That's what makes Saturday different for two teams that have spent the opening weeks searching for answers.

Eastern New Mexico has discovered an offense capable of producing nearly 500 yards per game but needs to turn production into victories. Kingsville showed substantial offensive improvement in its second game but has to eliminate the mistakes that erased much of that progress.

Now both have had an extra week to prepare.

And instead of chasing their first nonconference win, they're chasing something that could mean considerably more later this fall: their first Lone Star Conference win.

How To Watch Eastern New Mexico vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville Football

Eastern New Mexico and Texas A&M-Kingsville kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Pepsi Field at Javelina Stadium in Kingsville, Texas.

The game is part of the opening weekend of the Lone Star Conference's primary conference slate.

All Lone Star Conference football games in 2026 are streaming live on FloCollege and the FloSports app.

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