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This page curates KETR's news stories related to Texas A&M University-Commerce.

No. 18 Lions to host no. 10 Delta State

The Lions defeated Delta State 45-37 in 2013 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.
lionathletics.com
The Lions defeated Delta State 45-37 in 2013 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

After opening the season with 200th victory at Memorial Stadium, the 18th-ranked Texas A&M University-Commerce football team hopes to grab another home win in its Sept. 12 game against No. 10 Delta State University.

  The Lions answered some questions in last week’s 48-17 defeat of Adams State University. A&M-Commerce’s new look offense started slowly. But a 24-point outburst in the second quarter gave the Lions a 27-6 lead, and the team cruised to victory

Lions Head Coach Colby Carthel knows that his team must break out the scoring more quickly against Delta State.

"We struggled a bit in the first quarter, but once we settled down we were able to put a lot of points on the board,” Carthel said. “But we are looking to improve a lot, because if we play on Saturday like we did last Thursday, that score will be flipped.”

Carthel was especially impressed with the play of his offensive front, one that features two freshmen in starting roles. “Our offensive line dominated the game,” Carthel said. “We didn’t give up any sacks and we got over 250 yards rushing, and any time you do that you’re going to be really successful.”

Delta State opened its season with a lopsided 48-7 victory over Fort Valley State University. The Statesman finished last season 9-2, falling to the University of West Georgia in both the regular season and in the NCAA Playoffs. Delta State is led by redshirt junior quarterback Tyler Sullivan, who last year compiled over 3300 passing yards and 27 touchdowns, and was a candidate for the Harlan Hill Trophy, a yearly award given to the best player in Division II Football.

The Lions’ secondary might have their work cut out for them. Delta State has made liberal use of the long ball, with four touchdown passes of more than 50 yards in their first game.

Delta State’s defense feature senior defensive back Richard Nash, who lead the team with 74 tackles last season. Fellow defensive back Romelo Wilson led the Statesman with four interceptions in 2014, and already has one this year.

Carthel said that his players are “excited because they are a quality opponent that’s going to have lasting effects on our season.”

This game marks the sixth meeting between the two schools. In the last meeting in 2013 at Cowboys Stadium, the then-unranked Lions toppled the No. 25 Statesman 45-37. The defeat has marked the only non-conference loss for Delta State Head Coach Todd Cooley, who has a 7-1 record outside of the Gulf South Conference. The Lions lead the all-time series 3-2, with all of their wins coming either at home or at a neutral site. The game, set to kick off at 7 p.m., will also be the first meeting between two ranked teams at Memorial Stadium since 1992.

After this meeting, the Lone Star Conference schedule will begin as the Lions will travel to Texas A&M University-Kingsville for a showdown against the Javelinas.

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