A&M-Commerce Lions vs. #25 Midwestern State Mustangs
Saturday, September 28 • 6 p.m.
Memorial Stadium • Commerce, Texas
Records: A&M-Commerce (2-1, 0-1 LSC); Midwestern State (1-1, 0-1 LSC)

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

Opening Kick
A&M-Commerce returns to Memorial Stadium this Saturday, September 28th, hosting 25th-ranked Midwestern State at 6 p.m. The game against the Mustangs marks the 2013 Harvey Martin Classic, recognizing the former Lion Hall of Famer.

Lions on the Web
Fans unable to make it to Commerce for Saturday's game against the Mustangs can still catch every Lion play. Live video of the game will be available at LionAthletics.com, powered by Stretch Internet, and available for a subscription fee. 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.

Harvey Martin Classic Where It Belongs
For the past five season, A&M-Commerce has staged the Harvey Martin Classic, honoring the Lion All-American and Super Bowl champion. The previous five games have taken place at both the Cotton Bowl and Cowboys Stadium, but for the first time, the Classic returns to the place where Martin made a name for himself - Memorial Stadium. A&M-Commerce will bring the classic to Commerce when it takes on LSC rival Midwestern State on September 28th, putting the game on the same field where Martin was one of the most feared defensive players of his era. Martin was a two-time All-American and first team All-Lone Star Conference selection for East Texas State, serving as one of the key figures in the Lions' national championship run in 1972. He then went on to a stellar career with the Dallas Cowboys, being named the co-MVP of Super Bowl XII and was the team's all-time sack leader with 114 up until this past Sunday when he was passed by DeMarcus Ware.

Scouting the Mustangs
Roster • Statistics
2013: 1-1 overall, 0-1 Lone Star Conference. Ranked 25th in last week's AFCA Division II Coaches poll
Last Week: Defeated West Georgia 38-28 in Carrollton, Ga.
Head Coach: Bill Maskill (Western Kentucky, '71). 12th season at Midwestern State (89-35, .718); 14th season overall (102-43, .703)
Key Offensive Players:
• #4 Jake Glover (Jr., QB): 22-of-34 passing (64.7%) for 259 yards, 2 TDs
• #1 Keidrick Jackson (Sr., RB): 44 rushes for 230 yards (5.2 avg.), 2 TDs, long of 27
• #28 Dante Taylor (Fr., RB): 9 rushes for 127 yards (13.7 avg.), 2 TDs, long of 56
• #10 Joe Sanders (Jr., WR): 11 catches for 112 yards (10.2 avg.), 1 TD
Key Defensive Players:
• #17 Marqui Christian (So., S): 19 tackles (12 solo), 1.0 TFL, 1 PBU
• #8 Taiyon Jackson (Sr., DB): 19 tackles (12 solo), 1.0 TFL, 2 FF, 1 FR
• #33 Daniel Laudermilk (So., LB): 15 tackles (7 solo), 1.5 TFL
• #18 Ricardo Riascos (Jr., CB): 10 tackles (7 solo), 1 INT, 1 PBU
Synopsis: Midwestern State enters Saturday's game with a 1-1 overall record, coming off a 38-28 victory at West Georgia Saturday night. Keidrick Jackson continued to pace the Mustangs offensive attack, rushing for 184 yards and a pair of touchdowns as Midwestern State held off a late West Georgia rally to preserve the victory. It comes one week after the Mustangs fell to Tarleton State 27-24 at the Lone Star Football Festival at AT&T Stadium, dropping the Mustangs from 13th to 25th in the AFCA Coaches Poll.

Series Information
Saturday's game marks the 18th all-time meeting between A&M-Commerce and Midwestern State with the Lions holding an 11-6 edge in the all-time series which dates back to 1947. A&M-Commerce won the first 10 meetings between the two, but it is the Mustangs that have had the edge in recent years, winning six of the last seven, including a pair of convincing victories the past two seasons at Cowboys Stadium. Saturday's game marks the first time the Mustangs have visited Memorial Stadium since 2005 as A&M-Commerce is 7-1 all-time against Midwestern State in Commerce.

Lions Strike First, But Fall at Fourth-Ranked West Texas A&M
Head coach Colby Carthel had a trick up his sleeve in his first trip back to Kimbrough Memorial Stadium, calling for a 75-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage. But host West Texas A&M wore down the Lions in the second half to secure a 62-28 victory in Canyon Saturday evening. The fourth-ranked Buffs were led by Dustin Vaughan's career-best 508 passing yards and outscored A&M-Commerce 38-14 in the second half to secure the victory.

Touchdown Johnson
Junior wide receiver Vernon Johnson has made quite a splash on the A&M-Commerce offense in his first two games as a Lion, catching 12 passes for 266 yards and four touchdowns. Johnson and quarterback Tyrik Rollison connected on a 75-yard strike on the first play of the game against West Texas A&M as he leads the Lions with 24 points on the season, averaging 12.0 points per game.

Closing in on 1,000
Through the first three games of 2013, junior quarterback Tyrik Rollison has spearheaded the A&M-Commerce offense, completing 68 of his 109 passes (62.4%) for 923 yards and nine touchdowns. Rollison had back-to-back 300-yard passing games in his first two outings for the Lions as the Sulphur Springs native sits just 77 yards shy of surpassing 1,000 yards for the season. If he continues at his current pace, averaging 307.7 yards per game, Rollison could become the first Lion to throw for over 3,000 yards in a single season.

Change of Pace
One of the biggest differences Lion fans have seen thus far in 2013 is the vastly improved offensive schemes for A&M-Commerce. Through the first three games of the season, the Lions have scored 124 points, which is just two shy of the 126 A&M-Commerce scored in all of 2012. The Lions are also averaging 392.7 yards of total offense per game, which is over 100 yards more than the 280 yards per game A&M-Commerce averaged in 2012.

For the First Time
Two more Lions recorded significant "firsts" against fourth-ranked West Texas A&M Saturday evening, and they both came on the first play. Junior quarterback Harrison Stewart threw his first touchdown in a Lion uniform, connecting with junior wide receiver Jordon Jenkins from three yards out in the fourth quarter. It adds to a lengthy list as the 12 players that have scored touchdowns for the Lions thus far in 2013 had never found then endzone in an A&M-Commerce uniform prior to this season.

Fore Sets Career Mark in Kimbrough
Senior safety Marcus Fore had a night to remember Saturday in Canyon, setting a new career-best with a team-high nine tackles against the Buffs. The senior from Fort Worth recorded nine stops on the night, including seven solo, complemented by a forced fumble. It surpassed his previous career-best of seven tackles set at Angelo State in 2012, as Fore now has 95 tackles for his Lion career, just five shy of reaching 100 all-time career stops.

100 in Their Sights
A trio of senior defensive anchors are within striking range of reaching 100 career tackles. Defensive lineman Jake Williams has posted seven tackles in 2013 and sits at 95, along with safety Marcus Fore after notching 14 thus far. Williams' defensive line partner in crime Tevin Moore is right behind at 94 career stops after tallying 14 thus far in 2013. All three have been staples on the A&M-Commerce defense for the past four seasons and are three of the few returning starters who have been the leaders of the Lion defensive attack.

Looking Ahead
A&M-Commerce heads back on the road next week, opening up a two-game road trip in Durant, Okla., taking on Southeastern Oklahoma State on Saturday, October 5th. The former Lone Star Conference rivals square off as A&M-Commerce looks to avenge a 31-6 loss in the 2012 season opener at Memorial Stadium. Opening kick against the Savage Storm is set for 2 p.m. at Paul Laird Field.

For the complete weekly release, click the PDF link above