COMMERCE – Solid performances across the board handed the No. 10 Texas A&M University-Commerce football team a 34-20 victory over visiting Angelo State at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Lions move to 6-1 overall and 4-1 in the Lone Star Conference with the victory, while the Rams fall to 3-4 overall and 1-4 in the LSC.
 
A&M-Commerce is on the road next week, traveling to Canyon for a 6 p.m. kickoff on October 28 at West Texas A&M.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Lions had their first individual 100-yard rushing performance in nine games, as Carandal Hale picked up 104 yards on 21 carries.
- Luis Perez completed 34-of-47 passes for 368 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He moves into fifth all-time at A&M-Commerce in passing yardage at 5,580 yards, less than 400 yards away from the career lead.
- Two receivers broke the 100-yard mark, as Marquis Wimberly had eight receptions for 113 yards and Darrion Landry had six receptions for 105 yards. Both players had two receiving touchdowns.
- Punter Tristan Perry was excellent, averaging 44.7 yards on seven punts with two punts of over 50 yards and three punts inside the Ram 20.
- The Lion defense limited Angelo State to 379 yards of offense on 86 plays – over 120 yards below the Rams' previous season average on offense.
- Kristov Martinez made field goals of 23 and 26 yards and connected on all four PATs for 10 points.
- Dominique Ramsey and Garrett Blubaugh tied for the team lead in tackles with eight stops apiece. Ramsey sealed the victory with a late interception for the game's only turnover.
- Brucks Saathoff chipped in with seven tackles and Norman Moimoi had a sack.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lion offense took the opening kickoff and drove deep into Ran territory, before a holding penalty forced a long goal to go situation and an errant snap on a field goal attempt kept the Lions from putting points on the board.
 
The Rams scored first after a 12-play, 53-yard drive ended on a 45-yard Connor Flanigan field goal with the wind at his back. The boot made it a 3-0 lead for the guests with 4:20 left in the first quarter.
 
The Lions quickly took a lead which they would not relinquish. A&M-Commerce needed only five plays to find paydirt, as Perez connected with Landry from 49 yards out for the first Lion points of the day. The hosts took a 7-3 lead with 2:51 left in the first quarter.
 
After an Angelo State three-and-out on the first drive of the second quarter, the Lions extended the lead to 10-3 on Martinez' 23-yard field goal with 11:28 remaining in the first half.
 
The Lions were held on offense just inside Angelo State territory, but Perry boomed a beautiful punt that was downed at the Ram 3-yardline. ASU went three-and-out, and a 24-yard punt return by Shawn Hooks set the Lions up at the Ram 11. Two plays later, Perez completed a scoring pass to Wimberly in the front corner of the endzone to put the lead at 17-3 with 4:11 left in the half.
 
ASU had its best sustained drive of the opening half hour on its next drive and the 11-play, 75-yard drive ended in a 23-yard touchdown pass from Charlie Rotherham to Wesley Lewis. That scoring play made it a 17-10 lead for A&M-Commerce at halftime.
 
The teams traded punts on their opening drives of the second half, and the Rams moved into Lion territory but could not score. At the A&M-Commerce 26, the long field goal attempt would have been into the wind, and the Rams elected to go for it on fourth down. Defensive lineman Jaylon Hodge broke up the pass to give the Lions the ball.
 
The Lions then took all momentum, as Perez went over the top and found Wimberly on a 51-yard completion to flip the field. That would start a 6-play, 74-yard drive that ended when Perez connected with Wimberly on a high pass in the endzone for a 24-10 lead with 6:41 left in the quarter.
 
The Rams brought the margin back to within one score when Rotherham scored from three yards out with 0:48 on the third quarter clock, capping a 9-play, 71-yard drive with the score at 24-17 in the hosts' favor.
 
A&M-Commerce went back up by two scores after a 12-play, 57-yard drive that ended in Martinez' 26-yard field goal with 11 minutes to play and the Lions in the lead at 27-17. Angelo State responded in kind with its own 12-play field goal drive, making it a 27-20 contest with 8:14 to go after Flanigan's 21-yarder.
 
The Lions put the cap on the scoring with 1:29 to play, as a 3:40 drive ended with a 33-yard scoring strike over the top from Perez to Landry on a long third down to make it 34-20.
 
The Rams had a final opportunity to get a quick score and force some late game dramatics, but Ramsey perfectly read a Rotherham pass and intercepted it at the 1-yardline.