Texas A&M University-Commerce begins its defense of the 2017 NCAA Division II National Football Championship tonight. The Lions kick off against traditional rival Texas A&M University-Kingsville at 7 p.m. Pregame coverage on KETR begins at 6 p.m.
Head coach Colby Carthel breaks down the 2018 Lions, squad by squad:
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers / tight ends
Offensive line
Defensive line
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
Taking a look at this evening's opponent, Texas A&M University-Kingsville:
START STRONG, FINISH BETTER
The Lions are 54-44-2 for a .550 winning percentage in 100 season openers prior to Thursday.
The Lions have never lost a season opener under head football coach Colby Carthel (5-0).
The last time the Lions lost a season opener was Sept. 1, 2012, under Guy Morriss, 31-6 against SE Oklahoma St.
ET vs A&I
Lions have won 6 straight against the Javelinas, but need another long streak to even the rivalry, Kingsville leads all-time series 28-35-1
Lions first win against Kingsville: Nov. 6, 1954 26-6, though they could have won the Oct. 17, 1931 matchup, falling 7-6
Oct. 6, 1962- Only tie in the series, 3-3
Hawk’s first win: Oct. 15, 1966, 25-24, he would go 10-12 against A&I
Colby Carthel has only coached for five seasons, but is halfway to Hawk’s mark of ten wins against Kingsville. With a win in 2018, he will pass J.V. Sikes for second-most wins of any Lion coach against A&M-Kingsville.
From 1992-1998 Kingsville won 7 in a row, longest streak by either side in rivalry history (’96-’98 were vacated due to NCAA violations). With a win, the Lions would match it at 7 straight games.
This is the first game for the Lions after they won the 2017 NCAA Division II National Championship, 37-27 over West Florida. Texas A&M-Kingsville also advanced to the National Championship Game in 1994, losing to North Alabama.
All-time, the Lions are 0-1 in games following a National Championship. The 1972 Lions won the NAIA National Championship, and the 1973 squad began their year with a 24-0 loss against Northwestern State Sept. 8, 1973. The ’73 Lions would finish 7-4, but beat A&I 28-7 at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 6, 1973.
HEAD COACHES vs KINGSVILLE/A&I
Colby Carthel 5-0 (1.000)
J.V. Sikes 5-4-1 (.550)
Ernest Hawkins 10-12 (.455)
Eddie Brister 2-3 (.400)
Eddie Vowell 4-9 (.308)
Scotty Conley 1-3 (.250)
Guy Morriss 1-3 (.250)
Will Hill Acker (1930) 0-1 (.000)
J.W. Rollins (1931) 0-1 (.000)
BY THE DECADES
Lions record vs Javelinas by decade:
1930s: 0-2
1950s: 4-2
1960s: 3-6-1
1970s: 5-5
1980s: 5-5
1990s: 3-7
2000s: 2-7
2010s: 6-2 (so far)
RECENT RIVALRY HISTORY
Before the current winning streak, Lions had only won three of the last 12 matchups between the teams, but there has been some close calls on both sides.
Oct. 10, 2009- Homecoming for the Lions, Kingsville No. 9, 35-34 Javelinas the final, Lions led 27-14 at half, and 34-21 with 9:05 remaining, 2 fumbles on the next 2 drives, Kingsville takes lead from 26 yards out with 2:45 to go. Lions had one more shot but were picked off with under 30 seconds left. Lions fell to 2-5, Kingsville 7-0, but would be the last loss for the Lions in their last 6 games that year.
Sept. 29, 2012- In what would be the only win of the year for the Lions, and Guy Morriss’s last with the team, a good old-fashioned defensive classic on a rainy day near the end of September. Lions and Javelinas punted 8 times in the first half before points were tallied, Lions recovered a fumble and scored two plays later. Kingsville also took advantage of a fumble, recovering one in the end zone in the third to even the score. A 29-yard strike in the 4th gave Kingsville the lead, but the Lions got one more drive with just under four minutes left. They got down to the 1 with 25 seconds left, but 3 straight incompletions made it a do-or-die situation. Davis plowed in from a yard out to even the score, and get it to OT, the Lions converting on 4th down twice on that final drive. The Lions lost the toss so they played offense first in OT, taking four plays to reclaim the lead, Davis finding Mosley from 16 yards out. A sack started off the Lions on defense, but Kingsville faced a 4th & 8 to keep the game going. An incompletion was the result, and the Lions secured the victory.
Sept. 24, 2016- Instant classic in Commerce, back and forth battle between the teams that would win a combined 20 games that season, No. 6 Lions fell behind 3-0, but led 10-6 after one, fell behind 13-10 and then 16-10 but scored a TD to lead 17-16 at the break, went ahead by 8, then led by 1 and trailed by 6 after 3, retook the lead the lead with 10:41 to go, and led by 8 with 4:27 to go. Kingsville answered with an 89-yard TD, but failed on the 2-point conversion, Lions led by 2. Lions recover onside kick, victory formation FUMBLE! Kingsville gets it back, and thanks to a penalty, has to attempt 55-yard field goal for the win, kick is blocked and the Lions can’t believe they almost lost that game. (AUDIO AVAILABLE)
YOU LOOK NOT A DAY OVER 60
This will be the 68th season at Memorial Stadium, and the first full season with Ernest Hawkins Field being dedicated. The Lions are 2-0 on EHF. The Lions went undefeated at home last season, including the UT Permian Basin shutout on Senior Day and the National Semifinal win over Harding.
FRIENDLY CONFINES
The Lions have won nine straight home games at Memorial Stadium, going back to their last loss 26-25 vs Midwestern State on Oct. 8, 2016.
A&M-Commerce is 21-4 at Memorial Stadium in the last four seasons, stretching back to the start of the 2014 season.
THE ‘CINCO’
Tonight’s game against A&M-Kingsville on ESPN3/Watch ESPN marks the fifth time the Lions have played before a televised/streamed audience at Memorial Stadium since the beginning of the 2015 season.
The Lions are 2-2 in those games, picking up a victory over Angelo State 38-35 on Oct. 10, 2015 (ESPN3), and a 31-17 win in the National Semifinal game over Harding on Dec. 9, 2017 (ESPN3/Watch ESPN).
Both losses came to Midwestern State, a 37-33 loss in the Lone Star Conference Playoff Final on Nov. 14, 2015 (American Sports Network), and a 26-25 heartbreaker on Oct. 8, 2016 (ESPN3).
This is the third consecutive game for the Lions that will be televised/streamed by the ESPN family of networks, their last two games coming in the National Semifinal and National Championship games in 2017.
Overall, the Lions have been televised/streamed eight times since 2015; their record coming into tonight is 3-4.
KEEP THE POINTS COMING
If the Lions avoid being shutout for three more games, they will break their record for most consecutive games avoiding a shutout.
The last time the Lions were shutout was a 49-0 loss at West Texas A&M on Nov. 12, 2011.
From 2012-present, the Lions have scored in 74 straight games.
The team record is 76 games from 1978-1986.
NO NEED TO GET DEFENSIVE
Since Colby Carthel took over in 2013, the Lions have held opponents to 10 points or fewer 11 times.
The Lions have shut out opponents four times since 2015. Before then, the Lions had not shut out an opponent since a 26-0 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma on Sept. 9, 2004.
DOG DAYS
This is the earliest the season has begun since 2009, when the Lions lost 21-7 at Angelo State on August 29.
Lions have not fared well with August games; they are 0-5 in the month:
21-19 L Southern Arkansas Aug. 26, 2004
14-7 L at Southern Arkansas Aug. 27, 2005
28-14 L at Pittsburg State Aug. 25, 2007
30-14 L at Northwestern State Aug. 30, 2008
21-7 L at Angelo State Aug. 29, 2009
Lions were supposed to start the 2017 season on August 31, but due to weather from Hurricane Harvey were pushed back to September 1.
This is only the second time ever the Lions have played in Memorial Stadium in the month of August, and the first time on EHF.
OTD:
Lions lost 30-14 at Northwestern State on August 30 in 2008.
LIONS CLEAR THE HUNDREDS
If math has been done accurately, the Lions will play their 1,000th game in program history on Nov. 3, 2018 at UT Permian Basin.
If the Lions go undefeated at home this season, and host a playoff game at Memorial Stadium, they will have a chance of winning their 300th home game in program history, as they need seven more to reach that milestone.
CARTHEL 5TH IN SCHOOL HISTORY IN WINS
• Head coach Colby Carthel now ranks fifth in A&M-Commerce history in coaching wins with 48 wins.
• However, he will be in fifth for a while, as his 49 wins are still 14 behind J.V. Sikes’ 63 wins in fourth place.
1....... Ernest Hawkins ....... 1964-85 ...........132-92-6
2 ...... Eddie Vowell............ 1986-98 ..............74-71-1
3...... Bob Berry................ 1935-41, 46-50...72-34-8
4......J.V. Sikes................. 1954-63 .............63-34-4
5 ..... Colby Carthel.........2013-pres. ..........49-15
WE’RE GOING STREAKING!
• A&M-Commerce now has the longest active winning streak in Division II football, having won ten consecutive contests since the October 2017 loss at Midwestern State.
• The Lions last had a 10-game winning streak in 1958-59 (split 7 in 1958, 3 in 1959).
• East Texas had a 31-game unbeaten streak from 1951-53, going 29-0-2 over two-plus seasons.
The Lions have won nine straight home games at Memorial Stadium, going back to their last loss 26-25 vs Midwestern State on Oct. 8, 2016.
LIONS' PRESIDENTIAL RUN
The Lions will be playing under President Dr. Mark Rudin for the first time. Dr. Ray Keck had the best football winning percentage of any ET/A&M-Commerce president:
Ray Keck (2016-2018): 24-3 (.889)
Arthur Ferguson (1946): 4-1-2 (.714)
James Gee (1947-1965): 119-59-9 (.660)
F.H. McDowell (1972-1981): 69-38-3 (.641)
Jerry Morris (1987-1996): 66-46-1 (.589)
D. Whitney Halladay (1966-1971): 34-25-3 (.573)
William Mayo (1914-1916): 8-6-1 (.567)
Samuel Whitley (1925-1946): 78-71-8 (.522) Note- 1946 team was 1-1 at the time of his death 10/2/46
Charles Austin (1982-1986): 26-25 (.510)
Dan Jones (2008-2015): 39-48 (.448)
Randolph Binnion (1917-1924): 18-28-4 (.400)
Keith McFarland (1997-2007): 44-73 (.376)
Mark Rudin (2018-): ???
RECORD RUN IN CONSECUTIVE POLLS
A&M-Commerce has been ranked in 40 consecutive AFCA polls, dating back to the 2015 preseason poll. The Lions are one of three teams that have been ranked every week during that span, the other two are Northwest Missouri State and Sioux Falls.
Consecutive Ranking in Polls:
Northwest Missouri State- 185 (Week 12, 2003)
Sioux Falls- 50 (Week 3, 2014)
A&M-Commerce- 40 (Preseason, 2015)
This is A&M-Commerce's 46th all-time appearance in the AFCA poll since its inception in 2000.
Prior to 2014, the Lions had only appeared in the AFCA Top 25 poll three times (#24 Weeks 6 and 7, 2001; #18 Preseason 2008)
A&M-Commerce Fast Facts
Overall Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532-427-31 (.553)
Total Games Played. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .990
Texas A&M-Commerce Overall Home Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (493 games) 293-173-19 (.614)
Ernest Hawkins Field (Nov. 4, 2017-present). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2 games) 2-0 (1.000)
Memorial Stadium (1950-present). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (350 games) 219-120-11 (.641)
Lone Star Conference Overall Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304-210-12 (.589)
Total Lone Star Conference Games Played. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526
Lone Star Conference Championships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1933, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1942, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1959, 1966, 1969, 1972, 1983, 1990, 2014, 2015, 2016
Lone Star Conference Runner-Up Finishes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Lone Star Conference Third-Place Finishes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
