The Texas A&M University-Commerce football team ran out the final 1:26 after a missed extra-point attempt by host Central Oklahoma to snap a three-game losing streak and pull out a 31-30 win on Saturday afternoon in Edmond, Oklahoma.
A&M-Commerce (3-6, 2-3 LSC North) senior quarterback Adam Farkes (pictured) completed 22 of 38 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore running back London Hamilton had his best day as a Lion, running the ball 23 times for 90 yards and two more touchdowns.
Central Oklahoma (2-7, 1-4 LSC North) was held to a season-low 260 yards in the loss. Josh Birmingham was held to a season-low 55 yards on 19 carries and backup quarterback Landon Greve completed 16 of 22 passes for 177 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
The Lions scored on its first two possessions to build an early 10-point lead in the game. Central Oklahoma recovered a fumble in the end zone to cut the lead to 10-7 until the Lions came back with a touchdown of their own on a nine-yard touchdown run by Hamilton.
With a 17-7 lead, UCO rallied to tie the game on a 25-yard field goal by Chris Robbs and a 14-yard touchdown pass from Greve to Bryce Davis. A&M-Commerce took the momentum into the halftime break with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Farkes to Adam Jones on the final play of the half.
The momentum quickly shifted back to UCO when the host Bronchos took the opening kickoff back to the Lions 3. On the next play, Birmingham scored the first of his two touchdowns to tie the game at 24.
Neither team managed to do anything until A&M-Commerce took advantage of a short field, late in the third quarter. With the ball at their own 49, facing 3rd and 4, Farkes found an open Taylor Fore that took the ball down to the UCO 16. The Lions' went to Hamilton, who three plays later broke through for the go-ahead touchdown to put A&M-Commerce in front, 31-24.
With 5:30 left in the game, a punt by the Lions' Cameron Frosch was downed at the UCO 1. Greve and the Bronchos moved down the field and went 99 yards on 4-for-4 passing and the running game of Birmingham, culminating in the two-yard touchdown run with 1:26 to go. However, it was the extra-point attempt that proved to be the difference.
Up next for the Lions is the final home game, Saturday, Nov. 6th at Memorial Stadium at 6 pm when they host East Central.
