A&M-Commerce Lions at #23 Tarleton State Texans
Saturday, October 26 • 6 p.m.
Tarleton Memorial Stadium • Stephenville, Texas
Records: A&M-Commerce (5-2, 1-2 LSC); Tarleton State (5-1, 4-0 LSC)

Live Video: TarletonSports.com
Radio: KETR 88.9 FM (listen online at KETR.org)
Live Stats: LionAthletics.com
Twitter Updates: @Lion_Athletics
A&M-Commerce Game Notes (PDF)

Opening Kick
A&M-Commerce heads back on the road, traveling to Stephenville this Saturday for a showdown with Lone Star Conference leader and 23rd-ranked Tarleton State. Opening kick against the Texans is set for 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium with the teams battling for the President's Trophy.

Lions on the Web
Fans unable to make it to Stephenville for Saturday's President's Cup showdown with the Texans can still catch every Lion play. Live video will be available at TarletonSports.com with a link to the feed available at the Lion Game Day Central page. KETR 88.9 FM will carry the game live with Charlie Chitwood and Brock Callaway on the call, and will be streamed online at KETR.org. Live stats will be available at LionAthletics.com while Twitter followers can get in-game updates @Lion_Athletics.

Scouting the Texans
2013: 5-1 overall, 4-0 Lone Star Conference. Ranked 23rd in this week's AFCA Division II Coaches Poll
Last Week: Lost to Delta State, 38-36, in Cleveland, Miss.
Last Three Games: L at Delta State (38-36), W vs. West Texas A&M (31-27), W at Eastern New Mexico (34-14)
Head Coach: Cary Fowler (Murray State, 1994). Fourth season at Tarleton State (20-18, .526)
Key Offensive Players:
• #15 Jake Fenske (Sr., QB): 127-of-214 (59.3%) for 1,383 yards (230.5 avg.), 13 TDs, 6 INTs
• #2 Jerome Regal (So., RB): 93 rushes for 458 yards (4.9 avg.), 3 TDs, long of 47
• #22 Zach Henshaw (So., RB): 71 rushes for 303 yards (4.3 avg.), 0 TDs, long of 26
• #80 Le'Nard Meyers (So., WR): 37 catches for 496 yards (13.4 avg.), 3 TDs, long of 63
• #12 Clifton Rhodes III (Jr., WR): 37 catches for 436 yards (11.8 avg.), 5 TDs, long of 39
Key Defensive Players:
• #8 Marquis Wadley (Sr., LB): 67 tackles (38 solo), 3.5 TFL, 1 INT, 4  PBU, 2 FR, 2 FF
• #33 Marc Martinez (Jr., LB): 46 tackles (26 solo), 1.0 TFL, 1 INT, 1 PBU, 1 FR, 4 FF
• #4 Dashaun Phillips (Sr., DB): 33 tackles (23 solo), 1.5 TFL, 2 PBU
• #96 Patrick Bettiol (So., DE): 25 tackles (13 solo), 3.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 FR, 1 FF
• #35 Jake Blount (R-Fr., DE): 16 tackles (14 solo), 7.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks, 1 PBU, 2 FF
Synopsis: Tarleton State enters the week sitting atop the Lone Star Conference standings at 4-0, having already knocked off Midwestern State on Sept. 14 (27-24) before scoring 28 unanswered points to topple fourth-ranked West Texas A&M 31-27 on Oct. 12th. The Texans also have LSC victories over Angelo State (38-34) and Eastern New Mexico (34-14), but hit a stumbling block last week in Cleveland, Miss., falling to Delta State 38-36 on a Statesmen field goal in the waning seconds of the game. Tarleton State is averaging 34.5 points per game and have a balanced offensive attack, racking up 154.8 yards on the ground and 300.2 yards passing per game. Defensively, the Texans are allowing 28.5 points per game, giving up 139.7 rushing and 274.8 passing yards per game.

Series Information
A&M-Commerce and Tarleton State get together for the 21st time Saturday evening as the Texans hold an 11-9 edge (.550) in the all-time series. Tarleton State has dominated the series for the past two decades, winning 11 of the last 12 games dating back to the 1997 season, including last year's 43-10 victory over the Lions at Memorial Stadium. A&M-Commerce's last victory against Tarleton State was a 14-13 decision in Commerce in 2006 as the Lions are seeking their first victory in Stephenville since a 56-17 win in 1996. A&M-Commerce is 4-6 all-time against Tarleton State at Tarleton Memorial Stadium and are looking to snap a six-game losing skid in Stephenville.

President's Trophy On The Line Saturday
In addition to Saturday's game being meaningful in the conference standings and possible postseason implications, A&M-Commerce and Tarleton State will battle for the President's Cup. The newest trophy game for both schools, the President's Cup was initiated in 2010 by the presidents of both A&M system institutions as the Lions and Texans began to meet on a yearly basis. A&M-Commerce has yet to hoist the President's Cup as Tarleton State has won the first three meetings in the series - defeating the Lions in Commerce in 2010 (34-31) and 2012 (43-10) while earning a 54-27 victory in Stephenville in 2011.

A&M-Commerce Outlasts McMurry in 65-43 Shootout
A&M-Commerce and McMurry's game Saturday was billed as an offensive slugfest, and the two teams didn't disappoint. The Lions and War Hawks combined for 108 points and nearly 1,100 yards of total offense as A&M-Commerce pulled away with 28 points in the fourth quarter to earn a 65-43 victory. The opening quarter set the tone as A&M-Commerce and McMurry combined for 52 points and nearly 500 yards of total offense as the Lions led 31-21 after the opening 15 minutes, one point shy of the program's all-time record for points in a quarter. A&M-Commerce improved to 10-5 all-time against McMurry as the two schools resumed an old rivalry that had been dormant since 1971.

A Performance For The Record Book
A&M-Commerce's 65-43 victory over McMurry Saturday evening was an offensive performance that hasn't been seen often. The 65 points scored against the War Hawks is the most the Lions have scored since a 65-21 victory over Sam Houston State in 1979, and the third time in program history A&M-Commerce has notched 65 points in a game. The three 65-point games are tied for second all-time as the Lions' single-game record for points is 80, scored in an 80-0 shutout victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State in 1953.

Davis Ties Program Record Against War Hawks
Junior quarterback Deric Davis made the most of his snaps on Saturday, accounting for six of the Lions' seven touchdowns in the victory over McMurry. Davis rushed seven times for five touchdowns against the War Hawks, tying a program record for touchdowns in a game with Marvin Brown (vs. Sam Houston State in 1952) and Donald Lee (vs. Eastern New Mexico in 1985). Davis also was two-for-two in the air for six yards, including a four-yard touchdown pass to Seth Smith in the first quarter, playing in the A&M-Commerce goalline offensive package, being named the Lone Star Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week.

Martinez Sets Program Record Against War Hawks
A&M-Commerce's kicking game remains one of the most consistent on the team, thanks in large part to junior kicker Saul Martinez. Martinez was perfect against the War Hawks Saturday evening, connecting on eight extra points and three field goals, giving him 17 points to set an A&M-Commerce record for kicking points in a game. Martinez surpasses the 16 points held by both David Dell (vs. Harding, 1995) and Ha'a Bento (vs. Northeastern State, 2004) as he ranks fourth in the Lone Star Conference in points per game (9.0). Martinez remains perfect in extra points on the year (36-of-36) while hitting nine of his 12 field goal attempts (75.0%).

Stewart Stepping In
Junior quarterback Harrison Stewart had an impressive first start for A&M-Commerce Saturday, leading the Lions to the 65-43 victory. Stewart completed 26-of-38 passes for 368 yards and a touchdown, setting the season-high for passing yards. He connected on a 22-yard touchdown strike to junior Vernon Johnson in the first quarter for his fourth touchdown pass of the season as he has now completed 37-of-60 passes (61.7%) for 482 yards on the season, ranking second in the Lone Star Conference in passing efficiency (146.4) and seventh in passing yards per game (81.0).

Garrett Eclipses 100-Yard Rushing Mark
A&M-Commerce's rushing attack found some legs in the victory over McMurry, led by true freshman Ki-Janaven Garrett's first career 100-yard rushing performance. Garrett carried 17 times for 141 yards, averaging 8.3 yards per carry, and became the first A&M-Commerce 100-yard rusher since Marcus Graham scrambled for 152 yards against Eastern New Mexico on November 5, 2011. The freshman from Center has emerged as A&M-Commerce's top rusher on the season, racking up 417 yards on 99 carries (4.2 ypr) with three touchdowns.

Catch Me If You Can
Junior wide receiver Vernon Johnson continues to be a vital component of the A&M-Commerce offensive success in 2013. The Fort Worth native has already emerged as one of the Lone Star Conference's top receivers and pulled in seven catches for 147 yards and a touchdown against McMurry Saturday. It was Johnson's fourth 100-plus yard receiving performance as he now sits at 703 receiving yards for the year, well within striking distance of cracking the single-season top-10. In addition, Johnson is emerging as one of the LSC's top kickoff return specialists, returning four kicks for a school record 201 yards against the War Hawks, including returns of 76 and 81 yards to set up the Lion offense inside the five-yard line and was named the Lone Star Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts.

Tuaau, Moore A Dangerous One-Two Punch
A&M-Commerce's defensive front combination of Charles Tuaau and Tevin Moore has provided headaches for opposing offenses all season. Against McMurry, Tuaau and Moore combined for four sacks and five tackles for loss as the duo rank one-two in the LSC in both categories. Tuaau has 10 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss on the season, leading the LSC in both categories, while Moore ranks second in both with eight sacks and 14.0 tackles for loss. The two have also made their marks on the national stage as well with Tuaau ranking third in sacks per game and sixth in tackles for loss per game with Moore sitting at 18th and 20th, respectively.

Homecoming Heartbreakers
Head coach Colby Carthel has preached all season that if A&M-Commerce can go undefeated in Homecoming games, the Lions will have a successful season. The Lions will play five games that fall on Homecoming dates this season, having already played the party crasher for Southeastern Oklahoma and Texas A&M-Kingsville. Saturday's game at Tarleton State marks the Texans' 2013 Homecoming date, leading into A&M-Commerce's Homecoming against  Angelo State. The Lions then head to Houston Baptist for the Huskies' first-ever Homecoming game on Saturday, November 9th.

Lions Rank Among National Leaders
As the 2013 season reaches the halfway point, A&M-Commerce continues to rank among the national leaders in a number of categories as both a team and individuals. As a team, A&M-Commerce leads the nations in both tackles for loss (11.7) and sacks (5.00) per game as well as serving as the national leader in blocked punts (four). Individually, sophomore Dionte Taylor leads the nation in punt returns for a touchdown (two) while junior Vernon Johnson is third in kick return average (36.7 ypr), 12th in receiving yards per game (117.2) and 14th in all purpose yards (178.33). Junior Charles Tuaau ranks third nationally in sacks per game (1.4) and sixth in tackles for loss per game (2.0) while his senior defensive line counterpart Tevin Moore ranks 18th (1.0) and 20th (1.7) respectively in those two categories. Additionally, Ronald Fields sits eighth in passes defended (1.7) with Saul Martinez checking in at 17th in field goals made per game (1.3).

Lions Among Lone Star Conference Leaders
A&M-Commerce continues to rank among the Lone Star Conference leaders in both the team and individual standings in a handful of categories. As a team, the Lions rank first in the LSC in rushing defense (109.0 ypg), PAT percentage (100.0%) and sacks (36) while sitting second overall in passing offense (306.7), kickoff returns (24.6) and interceptions (nine). Individually, 11 Lions rank among the Lone Star Conference leaders in 15 categories, highlighed by Charles Tuaau leading the LSC in both tackles for loss (2.07) and sacks (1.43) per game with Tevin Moore ranking second in both categories. Vernon Johnson is among the LSC leaders in five different categories, ranking first in all-purpose yards (178.3) and second in receiving yards (117.2) and kick return average (36.7). Ronald Fields continues to lead the LSC in passes defended (1.71) and ranks fourth in punt return average (11.6) and fifth kick return average (20.1).

Looking Ahead
A&M-Commerce returns home to Memorial Stadium on Saturday, November 2nd to face Angelo State at 2 p.m. The game against the Rams marks the Lions' 2013 Homecoming game as tickets for the game are still available by logging on to WeAreLionsTix.com or by calling the A&M-Commerce Athletic Department at (903) 886-5558.

For the complete A&M-Commerce weekly release, click the PDF link above