COMMERCE – It is almost game day for the Texas A&M University-Commerce football team as the season begins on Saturday night at San Diego State.  
 
WHO: A&M-Commerce at San Diego State
WHERE: San Diego | Snapdragon Stadium
WHEN: Saturday, August 31 | 5 p.m. PDT (7 p.m. CDT)
RECORDS: Saturday is the season opener for both teams.  
RANKINGS: Neither team is nationally ranked
 
LIVE AUDIO: Lion Sports Network – KETR 88.9 FM, Commerce (http://www.ketr.org)
LIVE VIDEO: TruTV | https://www.trutv.com/ | MAX | https://www.max.com/sports
LIVE STATS: https://statb.us/v/tame/530673
TICKETS: https://vivenu.com/event/lion-football-away-game-tickets-knuq7p
WATCH PARTIES: Commerce & Houston: https://www.tamuc.edu/football-watch-party/
GAME NOTES: TAMUC | SDSU
 
LIONS ENTER THIRD YEAR IN NCAA DIVISION I FCS
• The Lions begin the third season in NCAA Division I FCS this year.
• It is also the third season for the Lions in the Southland Conference and second under coach Clint Dolezel.
• A&M-Commerce will be eligible for FCS Playoffs during the 2026 season.

GAS TANK LEAGUE
• The Southland adds two members going into year in Stephen F. Austin and UTRGV to bring total membership to 12 schools overall and nine football playing schools in 2024. UTRGV begins its football program in 2025.
• The Lions re-unite with SFA on November 9 for the 59th time overall. This season's meeting between the two teams will not affect the SLC standings.

SLC MEMBERS IN 2024-25
Institution Offers Football in 2024?

A&M-COMMERCE	YES
Houston Christian	Yes
Incarnate Word	Yes
Lamar	Yes
McNeese	Yes
New Orleans	No
Nicholls State	Yes
Northwestern State	Yes
Southeastern	Yes
Stephen F. Austin	Yes
A&M-Corpus Christi	No
UTRGV	No

 
HE'S AN ALL-AMERICAN
• Max Epps earned All-America honors by the Associated Press after last season, he became the first Lion student-athlete in any sport to earn All-America honors in the Division I era.
• Prior to the start of the 2024 season, Epps also earned Preseason All-America honors from FCS Stats Perform.
• Epps was also named to first team all-Southland and garnered National Player of the Week and SLC Player of the Week honors following the Lions' narrow loss at Old Dominion.
• He finished the 2023 season being tied for 10th in the country with four interceptions, while being second in the nation with 150 interception return yards. He had an interception in each of the first three games to start the season.

LION TRIO ON PRESEASON ALL-SLC TEAMS
• Three players from A&M-Commerce were named to the preseason all-Southland Conference teams. Epps was named to the first team defense, while Jaden Rios was named to second team defense and punter Mitchell McGarry was named to the second team as well.
• Rios totaled 23 tackles, one tackle for loss, three pass deflections, one forced fumble in 2023 as well as an 86-yard interception returned for touchdown at Houston Christian. He also forced a fumble at Old Dominion.
• McGarry recorded 62 punts for 2,453 yards on an average of 39.56 yards per punt average last season. He totaled three touchbacks, 20 punts inside the 20, eight punts of 50 yards or more, and the longest punt of the season was 58 yards.

TUCKER NAMED TO SENIOR BOWL WATCHLIST
• Linebacker Brandon Tucker Jr. was named to the Reese's Senior Bowl Watchlist.
• He makes his return to the Lion squad in the 2024 season, he last played in 2022, recording 20 tackles in 11 games, including one sack, four tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one pass deflection.
• Tucker Jr. looks to become the first Lion to play in the Senior Bowl since Antonio Wilson in 2000.

SEVEN HONORED BY PHIL STEELE MAGAZINE
• In the three preseason SLC teams released by Phil Steele Magazine, seven Lions were honored.
• Epps and long snapper Josiah Kennard were named to the first team, while McGarry and defensive lineman Clifford Funderburk were named on the second team.
• The third team all-conference honorees were Rios and wide receivers Paul Odidi and Jared Wilson.

HE'S BACK!
• After missing the entire 2023 season and missing the final 2.5 games of the 2022 season due to injury, quarterback Eric Rodriguez is back this season and expected to be the starting quarterback against the Aztecs.
• The Lions are 4-3 in the Division I era when Rodriguez has appeared in the game. He has thrown for 16 touchodwns in those seven games.

EIGHTH IN THE PRESEASON SLC POLL
• The Lions were picked to finish eighth in the preseason Southland Conference poll, receiving 37 points to be ranked eighth, 12 points ahead of Northwestern State. Houston Christian is ranked seventh with 41 points.

PRESEASON SLC POLL

Rank	Team	Points (First-Place Votes)
1	Nicholls	119 (9)
2	UIW	113 (8)
3	Southeastern	94
4	Lamar	88 (1)
5	Stephen F. Austin	72
6	McNeese	64
7	HCU	41
8	A&M-COMMERCE	37
9	Northwestern State	25

THE PICK IS IN: LEVI DRAKE RODRIGUEZ
• On April 27, 2024, Levi Drake Rodriguez heard his name called at the NFL Draft, being drafted in the sixth round by the Minnesota Vikings.
• Rodriguez was the first NFL Draft pick for the Lions since 2000 and 31st overall to be drafted in the NFL/AFL.
• Rodriguez earned first team all-conference honors a year ago and was named to Pro Football Focus' All-America team.

THREE LIONS IN THE PROS
• Along with Rodriguez, who is expected to make the 53-man roster for the Vikings, A&M-Commerce has two other players currently on NFL rosters this training camp.
• Kader Kohou is entering his third season with the Miami Dolphins, second as a full-time starter.
• Earlier in training camp, Luis Perez was signed by the Los Angeles Chargers. Perez won the Harlon Hill Trophy (Division II Heisman) as a Lion and is expected to make the Chargers 53-man roster as well.
• Both Perez and Kohou were part of the 2017 National Championship Team.
• A&M-Commerce has not had three active players during an NFL season since the 1987 season.

SHAKE UP IN THE COACHING STAFF
• The Lions enter the season with five new coaches, as well as different coordinators on both sides of the ball from a year ago.
• Dolezel takes over as offensive coordinator and will call all plays, while Jack Tyler is elevated to being the program's defensive coordinator and remains the linebackers coach.
• Additions in the Lion coaching staff are Andy Townsend as assistant offensive line coach and run game Coordinator, Tony McClain as the running backs coach, Geoff Terry as the defensive backs coach,  Matt Moriarty as the tight ends coach, and Bryce Bailey as the assistant defensive backs coach.
• Several returning coaches also see a change in their duties for the 2024 season. Michael Smith is also the program's assistant head coach along with being the defensive line coach. Chase Paramore moves over to coaching wide receivers and adds the role of pass game coordinator.

SERIES HISTORY AGAINST THE AZTECS
• Saturday's meeting between the Lions and the Aztecs is the first-ever meetings against the two schools. It is also the first time that A&M-Commerce is facing any team that is currently in the Mountain West.

CALIFORNIA LOVIN'
• The Lions play the first two games of the season in California, which marks the second straight season they are playing in the Golden State, they faced off against Sac State a year ago.
• Prior to last season, the Lions had not played a game in the state of California since playing at UC Davis in 1999.

IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
• Saturday's game is slated to be broadcasted on TruTV and Max, which marks the first time the Lions will play on National Television since the National Championship Game in 2017.

HAD ODU ON THE ROPES
• The last time the Lions played an FBS opponent prior to this season was at Old Dominion last season, falling in a narrow 10-9 defeat.
• The Lions scored a touchdown in the final minute of the game and elected to go for two, but came up just short.
• Outside of Old Dominion, the only other at the time active-FBS opponent that A&M-Commerce has faced was UTSA in 2012 with the Roadrunners winning 26-17.

FUTURE FBS GAMES IN THE BOOKS
• The string of games against FBS continues for the Lions as they are scheduled to play at Florida State next season on September 6 and playing at Tulsa on September 19, 2026.

SUCCESS IN SEASON OPENERS
• A&M-Commerce has won nine of its last 10 season openers after falling to UC Davis in the season opener a year ago.
• Prior to last season, the Lions last lost a season opener in 2012.

LION SEASON OPENERS SINCE 2013

2013	W, 51-6, Sul Ross State
2014	W, 98-20, East Texas Baptist
2015	W, 48-17, Adams State
2016	W, 40-28, at Delta State
2017	W, 8-7, at North Alabama
2018	W, 37-36 (OT), Texas A&M-Kingsville
2019	W, 93-0, Seleccion Nuevo Leon
2021	W, 12-6, at Colorado State-Pueblo
2022	W, 52-7, vs. Lincoln (Calif.)
2023	L, 48-10, vs. UC Davis

STILL STREAKING
• Though the Lions ended their streak of season-opening games ended last season, one other impressive streak
continues.
• A&M-Commerce extended its non-shutout streak to 132 games last season. The Lions were last shutout on Nov. 12, 2011, which was a 49-0 loss at West Texas A&M.

WE LOVE IT AT HOME
•The Lions played just four home games a year ago, but return to hosting six this season, matching the totals in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
• A&M-Commerce welcomes Grambling as well as nationally ranked Sacramento State, and Stephen F. Austin in non-conference play, while hosting Lamar, Houston Christian, and UIW in conference play.

ALWAYS FARED WELL AGAINST RANKED TEAMS
•Last season, the Lions played three nationally ranked teams.
• Dating back to the 2015 season, A&M-Commerce had picked up at least one win over a ranked team each
season, a streak that ended a year ago.
• In 2022, the Lions beat No. 20/19 Southeastern on the road, for the first ranked win as a Division I FCS member.
• Based on the preseason FCS polls, the Lions are scheduled to face three ranked teams: UC Davis (Week 2), Sac State (Week 4), UIW (Week 13).

STARTING ON THE RIGHT FOOT
• To begin SLC play a year ago, the Lions downed McNeese 41-10 a year ago to start off 1-0 in SLC play and it was also the first collegiate coaching win for Clint Dolezel.
• A&M-Commerce has started 1-0 in conference play in its both years in the Southland Conference and NCAA Division I FCS.
• This season's first SLC game comes at Southeastern on October 5. A&M-Commerce came out on top the last time the two teams played in Hammond, which was also the conference opener in 2022.
  
REUNITED WITH THE LUMBERJACKS
• A&M-Commerce and Stephen F. Austin met in Nacogdoches last season, which was the first meeting between the two programs since 2014 and just the third since 1983.
• The two former conference rivals have played 58 times and this season marks the first time since 1983 that the two teams are playing in Commerce.
• Despite SFA joining the Southland this summer, this season's game will be considered a non-conference game for both teams.
• The Lions are 43-14-1 all-time against the 'Jacks.

BIG RED IN THE 'MERCE
•Lamar and A&M-Commerce played each other for the first time since 1963 in Beaumont last season. It was the 14th meeting between the two programs.
• The trip for the Cardinals to Commerce this season has been long awaited as the last time the two teams played in North East Texas was 1962. The Lions are 8-6 against the Cardinals, including being 5-2 at home.

HOMECOMING WINNING STREAK COMES TO AN END
• The Lions fell to Nicholls on homecoming weekend a year ago, marking the first loss on homecoming weekend for the Lions since 2013.
• A&M-Commerce is now 60-36-1 all-time on homecoming weekend.

RARE FEAT FOR THE LIONS
• The Lions won their first three conference games in the Southland and Division I, becoming just the fourth program to start conference play 3-0 during its first season in NCAA Division I AA/FCS, joining UAlbany (DII), Dayton (DIII), and Gardner-Webb (DII).

Yr.	Team	Conf.	Strk	Final Record
1983	Dayton	Pioneer	W6	6-0
1999	UAlbany	Northeast	W5	6-1
2002	Gardner-Webb	Big South	W3	3-0
2022	A&M-COMMERCE	SOUTHLAND	W3	3-3