COMMERCE – The Gold team took a 26-18 win over the Blue team in the Texas A&M University-Commerce football program's annual Spring Game on Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
 
The spring game had modified scoring rules, where the offense (Blue) picked up points for long plays and consecutive first downs, and the defense (Gold) picked up points on three-and-outs, sacks, tackles for loss, turnovers, and stopping the offense in short field situations.
 
"I was really thrilled with the effort and I was thrilled that we only had three penalties on the day, so it was very clean," head coach David Bailiff said of his first spring game at A&M-Commerce. "It got hard on the quarterbacks when the wind picked up and we substituted the starters. But I think we learned a lot and I'm sure we'll get some days like this in season, so it was a good learning experience and good effort. I think the defense really tackled well and I like the progress we've made. We've got to work on eliminating the mistakes we can control, like errant snaps, but we've got to focus and keep working in the last few practices of the spring."
 
Both teams notched points in the opening drive, as Nick Petitti and Dayne Douglass had tackles for loss, but Emmanuel Adagbon drilled a 50-yard field goal to give Blue a 3-2 lead. Gold had a tackle for loss and a three-and-out on the next two drives to take a lead.
 
Nate Davis picked up 19 yards on a run to get the offense on the board again, then Jaired Chamberlain ended a drive with a tackle for loss to start a run of defensive points. DD Fletcher, Pierre Leonard, and Mark Westbrook all had tackles for loss as Gold scored on four straight drives.
 
Isaiah Davis got Blue back in the scoring tally with runs of 13 and 21 yards, but the defense was able to stand. Preston Wheeler completed a 39-yard pass to Davis for an explosive play point, but a sack ended the drive. Gerard Franklin got the Gold side four points with an interception heading into the short-field section of the scrimmage.
 
Wheeler led the offense on a comeback in his drive from the 12-yardline. After two tackles for loss, he threw a pass to convert a third-and-long, then Carandal Hale punched in a 1-yard touchdown carry. Jacob Zepeda kicked the extra point.
 
Blue needed to score in the final 12-yard drive of the day to pick up the win, but two Gunnar Palacios passes were narrowly incomplete, giving Gold four points and sealing the defensive win.