Facing a second and goal at the A&M-Commerce 21, Nick Stephens completed a 21-yard touchdown pass to Saalim Hakim with 40 seconds to go to lead Tarleton State to 34-31 win over Texas A&M University-Commerce on Saturday afternoon in Commerce.

Tarleton State (2-5) marched down the field on a season-long 92-yard drive with 2:39 left in the game. Stephens completed four-straight passes before back-to-back penalties on the Lions moved the Texans to the A&M-Commerce 30. Facing a 3^rd and 5, Stephens completed a 21-yard pass to Paul Mansfield for a first down. After the Texans called timeouts, the Lions' Tevin Moore sacked Stephens to suspend the momentum for Tarleton and prompted a second timeout in the drive. After the timeout, Stephens completed the game-winning strike to Hakim for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning score.

A&M-Commerce (2-5) junior running back Marcus Graham (pictured) had his third 100-yard game of the season, rushing 21 times for 127 yards and a touchdown. The Lions ground game picked up a season-high 224 yards in the loss. Defensively, sophomore linebacker Danny Mason had a game-best 11 stops, including a sack.

For Tarleton, Stephens completed 17 of 33 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns. Evan Roberson ran the ball 20 times for 85 yards and a touchdown. Terrence Henry had a team-best seven stops in the win.

To start the game, Tarleton went ahead 3-0 after recovering on an on-side kick to start the game. The Texans marched down the field and Blake Weist made a 24-yard field goal for the early lead.

A&M-Commerce took its possession and went to Graham five times, including a 36-yard jaunt on a 4^th and 1 to take an early 7-3 lead. The Lions added to its lead on its next possession when Ahmed Abo-Mahmood made a 32-yard field goal for a 10-3 advantage. Tarleton came right back and tied it when Jerome Regal ran it in from six yards out to tie the game at 10.

The Lions had an answer and again it was with Graham as well as three costly penalties on the Texans. With a 3^rd and 14 situation, a Tarleton penalty gave the Lions a first down and extended the drive. After Graham carried the ball down four times down to the Tarleton 11.  The Lions capitalized on a personal foul and a facemask on the Texans before Jamar Mosley scored his first career touchdown from three yards to put the Lions back in front, 17-10.

Later in the quarter, the Texans took advantage of an A&M-Commerce turnover to tie the game when Stephens completed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jeken Frye to tie the game for the second time.

On the next possession by A&M-Commerce, facing a 4^th and 10, the Lions called a fake punt and up back Derek Lee rank the ball down to the Tarleton 6. On the next play, Mosley scored his second touchdown of the game to put A&M-Commerce in front by a 24-17 margin.

On their second drive of the second half, Tarleton cut the A&M-Commerce lead to 24-20 when Blake Weist made a 20-yard field goal. On their first drive of the fourth quarter, Brandon Lowery got his hand on an A&M-Commerce punt to give Tarleton a shorter field. Next, the Texans took advantage of a an A&M-Commerce personal foul and Evan Robertson put Tarleton back in front by a 27-24 margin when he scored from 21 yards out with 11:27 left in the game.

The Lions came back and got a first down, following the kickoff. Next, sophomore London Hamilton broke free from a collection of Tarleton defenders and reversed his course in the process for a 48-yard touchdown run to put the Lions in front, 31-27 with 10:08 to play. The two teams exchanged punts until the game-deciding drive by Stephens with 2:39 to go.

Next up for the Lions is its annual homecoming tilt against Southwestern Oklahoma State at 2 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.