A&M-Commerce Lions vs. Sul Ross State Lobos
Saturday, September 7 • 6:00 p.m.
Memorial Stadium • Commerce, Texas
Records: A&M-Commerce (0-0); Sul Ross State (0-0)
Live Video: FoxSportsSouthwest.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 begins a new era in Lion football Saturday when the Lions open up the 2013 season hosting Sul Ross State at 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. It marks the first game for head coach Colby Carthel who was hired as the Lions' 19th head football coach back in January.
Lions on the Web
Fans unable to make it to Memorial Stadium for Saturday's season opener can still keep up to date with every Lion play. Live video of the game will be available free of charge through FoxSportsSouthwest.com, with a link to the stream available at LionAthletics.com. KETR 88.9 FM will carry the game live with Charlie Chitwood and Brock Callaway on the call as the live stream will also be available online at
KETR.org. Live stats will be available at
LionAthletics.com with Twitter followers receiving updates
@Lion_Athletics.
Scouting the Lobos
2012 Results: 5-5 overall, 4-3 American Southwest Conference (4th).
Head Coach: John Tyree (Oklahoma State, '64). First season at Sul Ross State
Key Offensive Players:
• #12 Jeremy Boatright (Jr., QB): 12-of-20 passing for 115 yds., 0 TD, 1 INT; 17 rushes for 78 yds.
• #7 Cordrick Mobley (Jr., WR): 39 catches for 482 yds. (12.4 avg.), 9 TDs
• #6 Xavier Jefferson (Jr., WR): 31 catches for 286 yds. (9.2 avg.), 3 TDs
Key Defensive Players:
• #34 Casey Sonier (So., LB): 63 tackles (35 solo), 9.5 TFL, 6 Sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR
• #13 Zack Roberson (So., LB): 56 tackles (25 solo), 3.5 TFL, 2 PBU, 1 FF
• #90 Daryn Young (Jr., DL): 49 tackles (23 solo), 8.0 TFL, 5 Sacks, 1 FR, 1 FF
• #9 Dillion Wolfe (Sr., DL): 46 tackles (21 solo), 8.0 TFL, 1 Sack
Synopsis: You would be hard-pressed to find a team that is more unknown heading into the season than A&M-Commerce, but Sul Ross State fits the bill. The Lobos are coming off an incredible offensive season in 2012 in which they led all of Division III by averaging 48.8 points and 580.9 yards of total offense per game. But Sul Ross heads into the season having lost its top quarterback, top-three leading rushers and top-three leading receivers which combined for over 5,500 yards of total offense and 66 of the Lobos 68 touchdowns in 2012. Defensively the Lobos return five of its top seven leading tacklers from last year but struggled keeping opponents off the scoreboard, allowing 49.1 points and 555.7 yards of total offense per game. Similar to the Lions, Sul Ross State will be under the direction of an entirely new coaching staff as Athletic Director John Tyree steps into the interim head coaching role to start the 2013 campaign.
Series InformationÂ
It will be an old school clash when A&M-Commerce and Sul Ross State square off Saturday as the two teams use to compete on a yearly basis as Lone Star Conference rivals from 1950-75. The Lions have dominated the series against the Lobos, holding an 18-5-3 record (.750), including a 9-3-1 mark against Sul Ross State at Memorial Stadium. It is a rivalry that has been dormant for nearly 40 years, however, as Saturday's game marks the first meeting between the two schools since the 40-14 victory for East Texas State in 1975.
Four Individuals, One Team Comprise 2013 Hall of Fame Class
In addition to Saturday's game against Sul Ross State marking the 2013 season opener, it also signifies the Lions' Hall of Fame Game as the 2013 Hall of Fame Induction class will be recognized at halftime. This year's class includes Socrates Bagiackas (track and field), Mark Copeland (football/coach), Rita Garcia (women's tennis) and Danny Tharpe (coach), as well as the 1990 Lion football team. The honorees will be officially inducted during the Hall of Fame Induction Luncheon at noon Saturday, followed by being the guests of honor at the A&M-Commerce Athletics tailgate prior to the game. With this year's class, the A&M-Commerce Hall of Fame now stands at 149 former student-athletes, coaches and administrators and 13 Lion teams.
Carthel Era Begins in Commerce
2013 signals a new era in A&M-Commerce Lion football as Colby Carthel takes over the helm of the program. Carthel became the 19th head coach in Lion history on January 22, 2013, and brings with him an impressive resume. A proven winner, Carthel spent the last eight years as the defensive coordinator at West Texas A&M, helping lead the Buffs to the second-best winning percentage among all Texas programs during that span. He has mentored over 70 All-LSC selections, 29 All-Americans and 13 players that have gone on to the NFL. Known as one of the top recruiters in the region, Carthel is eager to return the Lions to the tradition of winning they are accustomed to.
Smith Looks to Build Off 2012 Season
Senior wide receiver
Garrett Smith bust onto the scene in 2012, emerging as the Lions' top receiver with 51 catches for 581 yards. Smith was recognized as an All-LSC honorable mention selection and will be looked to as the core of the A&M-Commerce receiving corps. He will team up with junior
Tevin Godfrey, the Lions' third-leading receiver last season, to serve as the anchors of the receiving group.
Seth Smith and
Salim Zongo also caught passes for A&M-Commerce in 2012 and had productive spring workouts.
Tough Defensive Line Tandem
While a handful of positions have question marks heading into 2013, one of the most stable positions will be the defensive line where A&M-Commerce returns a pair of senior starters in
Tevin Moore and
Jake Williams. The duo combined for 52 tackles last season, including 10 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks, helping lead A&M-Commerce to the top-ranked pass defense in the LSC. Moore is hoping to repeat his performance as an All-LSC performer in 2010 while Williams is ready to make a statement in his final season. Junior
Brandon Turner is also back to add depth and stability, having a career year with 21 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.
Replacing Mason
One of the biggest holes A&M-Commerce has to fill will be at the linebacker position, particularly finding someone to step up to replace
Danny Mason. But the linebacker position has always been one that has been a strong point of the team, and a handful of returners should continue that tradition. Four experienced seniors return to the squad as
Alan Beatty,
Matt Claggett,
Jeremy Dotson and
Stephen Ford will be vying for the starting nod. All three have at least two years of action for A&M-Commerce, and will be teamed up with sophomore
Kristoddie Woods who impressed the coaching staff during both spring and fall workouts.
Frosch Set For Final Season
One of the most consistent players for the Lions in 2012 was punter Cameron Frosch, who returns for his fourth season as the A&M-Commerce punter. Last season was the best of his career as the senior from Rowlett averaged 42.3 yards per kick, which is tied for the third-best single-season average in program history. A three-year starter, Frosch is averaging 38.2 yards per punt for his career with 24 kicks of 50 yards or more, including a 76-yarder in 2012, being named a third-team preseason All-American by Phil Steele.
That Is One Big Logo
The past seven months have seen a phenomenal increase in media exposure and public interest for A&M-Commerce Athletics, but nothing could compare to the buzz generated when A&M-Commerce unveiled the new turf at Memorial Stadium. The Lions made national headlines when the new "Texas-sized" Lion logo measuring 50-yards tall by 50-yards wide was released, gaining media attention from the likes of ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, USAToday, Yahoo! Sports and the Dallas Morning News. Designed and built by AstroTurf, the Lion logo is believed to be the largest on-field logo in the United States, and possibly the world - something that will be verified by the Guiness Book of World Records later this fall.
Looking Ahead
For the third-straight season, A&M-Commerce will take the field at AT&T Stadium in Arlington as part of the 2013 Lone Star Football Festival. This year, however, the Lions will square off against a new opponent, facing Delta State of the Gulf South Conference on Friday, September 13th. The Lions are 2-2 all-time against the Statesmen, with the last meeting resulting in a 19-14 Delta State victory in 1994. Tickets for the Festival are available through the A&M-Commerce Athletic Department at (903) 886-5558, with single-day passes available for $25 for adults and $10 for students, or an All-Festival pass for $40 for adults and $15 for students. Parking will be $10 all around the stadium as tailgating festivities for the Lions will get underway at 2 p.m.
For the complete weekly release, click the PDF link above
