Commerce, Texas – The A&M-Commerce football team opens its 2015 home slate Saturday in Memorial Stadium with the Greyhounds from Eastern New Mexico at 7 p.m.
The Lions will wear their throwback East Texas jerseys for the game, which will also stand to recognize the 1995 team – the last time the Lions wore East Texas.
Saturday's football game vs. Eastern New Mexico will also be the 2015 Military Appreciation Game with tickets for active military, military veterans free and their families for $5.
1st and 10-
Richard Cooper continues to be a force in the backfield accounting for career-high in yards, 158, and carries, 28. Cooper has reeled off three-straight 100-yard games and is the first A&M-Commerce to accomplish the feat in the 2000s.
- Backfieldmate
Theo Wofford set the Lions school record averaging 11.0 yards per carry in the win at Kingsville. Wofford rushed 11 times for 121 including a career-long 48-yarder.
- Kingsville finished with 67 rushing yards on 31 carries. The Lion defense has not given up a 100 rushing game to an opponent through the first three games of 2015. The Javelinas 339 yards of total offense was the least the Lions have given up this season. The Lions ranked 16th in the NCAA in rushing defense.
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Michael Wallace had a 6-yard interception return for a touchdown. The score was his first career TD and the first for the Lions defense in 2015. It was the first defensive score for the Lions since
Dionte Taylor ran an INT back for a 95-yard score in the Heart of Texas Bowl to cap off 2014.
- The Lions continue to be one of the nation's best kickoff return and kickoff coverage teams in the NCAA. The kickoff coverage team allows only 9.39 yards per return which is fifth best in the NCAA. The KOR team averages 31.6 yards per return which is fifth best in the NCAA. Return man
Buck Wilson is seventh in the NCAA averaging 33.6 yards per return.
- At 43 points per game, the Lions offense is the 16th best team in the NCAA and are second in the LSC in scoring. Averaging 498.7 yards per game, the Lions are also the 16th best in total offense in the NCAA and second in the LSC.
About the Series against the Greyhounds- The two teams will meet for the 29th time Saturday ... The Greyhounds hold a narrow 15-13 advantage in the series.
- The Lions took the last meeting in the series 48-32 ...
Tyrik Rollison tossed three TDs and
Deric Davis came on in relief to throw two TDs and 105 yards.
- Eastern New Mexico had won the prior two meetings including a 42-35 win in Commerce in 2013 season ... The Lions were driving down the field for the game-tying touchdown when the Hounds came up with an interception.
- The Hounds had won four of the last six meetings.
- A&M-Commerce is 10-4 at home against Eastern New Mexico ... The Lions last home win came on November 5, 2011, a 60-28 win.
- In the 2013 meeting, the Greyhounds overcame a 28-21 halftime deficit to claim the 42-35 win ... Eastern New Mexico used 14 third quarter points to vault A&M-Commerce for the win.
About Eastern New Mexico - The Greyhounds enter the game at 2-1 on the season after suffering a 28-24 loss to Midwestern State in the Lone Star Conference Football Festival ... The Greyhounds game up a game-winning drive in the final two minutes in the loss.
- The Greyhounds feature a triple-option rushing attack that averages 301.3 yards on the ground per game.
- Kamal Cass leads the team averaging 74.3 yards per game, while Jeremy Doucette averages 55 yards per game on the ground ... Doucette leads the team with four rushing TDs.
- Jeremy Buurma averages 135.3 yards per game passing ... Buurma has tossed three TDs.
- As a team, ENMU averages 436.7 yards per game offensively and gives up 418.3 yards per game on the defensive side.
- The Greyhounds are coached by Josh Lynn in his fourth season.
Fans can follow all the action from the 2015-16 season on www.LionAthletics.com, through twitter @Lion_Athletics and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LionsAthletics.
