Video of the Kickoff Return by Kenzee Jackson (Lions Television Network)

Thirty-three unanswered second-half points, including an 83-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by freshman Kenzee Jackson to start the final 20 minutes led host Texas A&M University-Commerce to a 33-10 win over Upper Iowa in the season opener on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.

A&M-Commerce (1-0) found themselves behind by a 10-0 margin after the opening half before the rookie from Arlington streaked down the middle of the field for the touchdown to spark his Lions' teammates. 

Upper Iowa (0-1) got on the board on their first drive of the game when Ben Curran connected on a 49-yard touchdown reception to John Baldwin to put the visiting Peacocks up by a 7-0 margin. A 42-yard field goal by Tyler Parmenter, late in the second quarter, put the Lions down by 10. 

The Lions outgained the Peacocks by a 422 to 371 margin, including 289 passing yards from Adam Farkes on 27 of 46 passing. A&M-Commerce recorded 26 first down compared to 17 by Upper Iowa. Sophomore Danny Mason had a game-high 13 tackles, including three for minus yardage in his first collegiate start for A&M-Commerce. The win extends the Lions record to 25-13-2 in season openers played at home.

In the first half, two Lions drives were ended when Adam Farkes was intercepted; however, the A&M-Commerce offense and defense rallied behind the senior quarterback.

The kickoff return by Jackson energized the Lions to start the second half. Despite a failed point-after attempt, on their second possession of the final 20 minutes, A&M-Commerce went to junior running back Marcus Graham, who picked up 32 yards, including a four-yard jaunt into the end zone for the first lead of the night for the Lions. Also, during the drive, Farkes connected with Jackson on a 30-yard pass and catch on a 3rd and 6 for only the second third-down conversion of the game at that time for the Lions.

With a slight 13-10 lead in the fourth quarter, the Lions scored 20 points in the fourth quarter. After forcing the Peacocks to punt, the Lions marched down the field on a seven play, 71-yard drive that ended when Graham found the end zone for the second time from three yards out. A key play on the drive for A&M-Commerce was when Upper Iowa was called for pass interference on a 3rd and 6 when a pass by Farkes intended for Joe Paul Pryor.

The defense got into the scoring act, later in the quarter, when A.J. Billings picked off a Curran pass and alertly pitched the ball to teammate Chez Thomas, who found the end zone to put the Lions in front by a 26-10 margin. The final score came when redshirt freshman La'Ryon Witherspoon broke through the right side of the offensive line from 39 yards for his first collegiate touchdown.

Next on the schedule for the Lions is Angelo State in the 2010 Harvey Martin Classic at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, September 11th at 5 pm in Dallas.