Coming off a record setting 98-20 win over East Texas Baptist that vaulted the Lion football team into the national spotlight, A&M-Commerce will travel up the road to faceoff against FCS foe and former Lone Star Conference member Stephen F. Austin Saturday at 6 p.m.
The Lions, who tallied an NCAA Division II record 986 yards on offense, will go against the Jacks' defense that has only allowed 29 points per game and 357 total yards of offense.
Stephen F. Austin comes into the game at 1-1 on the season after a season-opening loss at FBS level Kansas State, 55-16, and a win in their Southland Conference opener over Incarnate Word, 38-3.
The Jacks will feature their own record-breaking performer in running back Gus Johnson, who is coming off a 25-carry 252-yard rushing performance against Incarnate Word. He is SFA's all-time leader in career rushing touchdowns leader.
The two teams are meeting after a 14-year hiatus with the last meeting coming in 2000, a 48-21 A&M-Commerce loss on the road at SFA . Stephen F. Austin is a former member of the Lone Star Conference. The Jacks were one of the original conference members in 1931 but departed in 1984 when they left for FCS and the Southland Conference. The two schools have met 56 times with A&M-Commerce holding a 43-12-1 series advantage. The Lions hold the longest winning streak in the series at 14 games and have the highest margin in a victory at 47 points following a 54-7 win in 1954. After playing regularly as duel members of the LSC the two schools have only met once prior to Thursday's contest, the 2000 game, despite being separated by 156 miles.