COMMERCE – The first points on Saturday afternoon were scored by the Texas A&M University-Commerce football team, but the Nicholls Colonels scored 27 straight to sink the Lions, 27-7, on Homecoming weekend at Ernest Hawkins Field in front over 8,000 fans.
The Lions got the ball to start the game and put together a 75-yard scoring drive to go up 7-0. On fourth down,
Josh Magana (Dinuba, Calif.) connected for a short pass to
Keith Miller (The Colony), who marched into the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown.
KEITH MILLER TOUCHDOWN HIGHLIGHT
After punts from both teams, Nicholls tied the game at seven on a Pat McQuaide 35-yard touchdown pass to Neno Lemay. Following another Lion punt,
Daryion Taylor (Humble – Atascocita) picked up an interception in the red zone.
DARYION TAYLOR INTERCEPTION HIGHLIGHT
The Colonels jumped out to a 14-7 lead with 9:51 left in the second quarter on a 14-yard Collin Guggenheim run up the middle and with 50 seconds left in the first half, Jaylon Spears ran in a 17-yard touchdown to put Nicholls up 21-7 at halftime.
Receiving the ball first in the second half, Nicholls punted on its opening drive and A&M-Commerce started the second half with
Lake Bennett (Rockwall) at quarterback. The Lions drove down to the Nicholls 16-yard line on their first drive of the second half, but it was stalled by an interception.
After another punt, the Lions once again got to the Colonels' 16-yard line, but once again, an interception kept A&M-Commerce off the scoreboard. Guggenheim rushed in his second touchdown of the game, this time for two yards, with 8:59 left in the game. Gavin Lasseigne's extra-point attempt was no good.
A&M-Commerce falls to 1-6 on the season overall and 1-2 in Southland Conference play, this is the first time since 2013, that A&M-Commerce lost on its homecoming weekend. The Colonels have won both ever meetings over the Lions. Nicholls is 3-3 overall, being atop the Southland with a 3-0 conference record.
Magana went 17 for 20 and threw a touchdown, as well as 130 yards in the first half, while Bennett went 6 for 14 with 101 yards, but throwing three interceptions. On a fake punt attempt,
Mitchell McGarry (Gregory-Portland) had a 21-yard rush, making him the Lion leading rusher of the game.
In the receiving corps, Miller led the team with two catches for 53 yards. Defensively,
Levi Drake Rodriguez (Georgetown – East View) posted 10 tackles, which were the most from either team, Warren Marshall (Fort Bend Marshall) led the team with two tackles for loss and a sack, while Taylor's interception was the lone turnover forced by the Lions.
POST GAME INTERVIEW
UP NEXT
The Lions are on the road for the next two weeks, facing Houston Christian next Saturday at 2 p.m.
-TAMUC-
