Playing in Angelo State’s first Homecoming in its new facility, facing a 13-point halftime deficit and struggling through a mountain of miscues in the first half, A&M-Commerce stepped up in the face of adversity and ran right through it pulling out a thrilling 41-40 win over the Rams Saturday night in LeGrand Stadium.
A&M-Commerce, who entered the game ranked No. 17 in the Massey computer rankings but not ranked in the AFCA Top-25 Coaches’ Poll, flexed its championship muscle behind the nation’s leading tackle for loss defense and the performance of running back Richard Cooper.
“(ASU’s) Kyle Washington is a tremendous dual-threat quarterback,” Carthel said. “We were hoping to contain him. He did have some nice runs, but they were eight to 14 yards instead of 40 to 60 yards. I was really impressed with him and this whole Angelo State team. They affected our play in the first half and caused us to make some mistakes, but we feel like we came in here and stole a win.”
The Lions struggled through the first quarter after suffering three miscues, a intercept, a muffed punt and a lateral that resulted in an ASU safety allowing the Rams to take a 16-7 lead after the first quarter.
The second quarter for the Lions fared only slightly better as A&M-Commerce continued to struggle turning the ball over for a third time on an interception. The Lions also missed a field goal before the half allowing the Rams to take a 30-17 lead into the intermission. Meanwhile, Washington had the Ram offense rolling completing 17 of his 25 passes for 142 yards and three TDs at the break. He also had 14 carries for 56 yards. The Rams dominated time of possession controlling play for over 20 minutes running 49 plays compared to only 9:31 of possession and 30 offensive plays for the Lions.
However, A&M-Commerce took the opening kick of the second half and scored, a Rollison six-yard TD pass to Taylor Peasha, following an 11-play 65-yard drive in 3:47 that seemingly set the tone of play in the second half. The scoring drive cut the Ram lead down 30-24.
After forcing a Ram punt, the Lions offense suffered its third interception of the game on an acrobatic player by corner Fred Lawrence at the A&M-Commerce 31-yard line. The defense held on one of the biggest stands of the night as the Rams had to settle for 30-yard field goal to take a nine point lead, 33-24, with just over five minutes to play in the third quarter. It was the Rams only points in three drives during the third quarter.
The NCAA’s leading scoring offense regained its form as the Lions pieced together a 10-play 76-yard touchdown down drive capped off by a four-yard pass from Deric Davis to Vernon Johnson – the duo’s second scoring connection of the game. The drive chipped the Ram lead down to two points, 33-31, with 1:40 remaining in the third quarter and a full 15 minutes of the fourth quarter left.
After the Lions drive stalled with 13:37 left to play, Chase Thrasher pinned with Rams on their own three-yard line with a crafty 35-yard punt. However, Washington orchestrated a masterful 10-play, 97-yard scoring drive highlighted by a 52-yard pass to Ryan Byrd and a capped off by a four-yard keeper by for Washington for a touchdown to put the Lions in a two-score hole, 40-31, with 9:18 showing on the clock. Washington was 3-of-4 for 81 yards through the air on the drive.
A&M-Commerce’s Tyrik Rollison showed his poise in the fourth quarter for the Lions. After struggling through the game, the senior settled in directed the Lions down the field for a touchdown covering 90 yards in only six plays. The 2:05 quick scoring drive was capped off by a 10-yard Cooper run as the sophomore back broke through two tackles and drug another defender into the endzone on the run as the Lions again cut the lead down to two-points, 40-38, with just over seven minutes to play. Rollison connected on three of his four pass attempts for 82 yards including a screen pass to Theo Wofford, who weaved his way down the field for 52-yards on the play.
Needing a stop, the Lions defense stiffened. Facing a crucial third and three at the ASU 31, the Lions leading tackler on the season, Charles Woods, contributed in the passing game deflecting Washington’s pass at the line of scrimmage. It was only Woods’ third pass break up of the season, but could not have come at a better time for the defense forcing the Rams to punt.
With 6:11 left and the ball on the A&M-Commerce 30-yardline, the offense and plenty of time and poise to mount the game-winning drive. Before the drive could get started down the field, the Lions faced a third and 14 from their own 26 after losing four yards on the first play and an incomplete pass on second down. But, Rollison found Johnson over the middle for a 23-yard pitch-and-catch out to the A&M-Commerce 49-yard line. From there it was Cooper time. The back touched the ball five times for 32 yards and carried the Lion offense down to the ASU 20-yard line where the drive stalled out.
“We were running the ball and gashing them (ASU) in the first half and we just had to get back to it in the second half,” Cooper said. “I knew I was going to have to step up when coach told me I was starting this weekend. I feel like I surprised a lot of people, but I knew what I was capable of doing, I was just waiting on my chance. I could not have done it tonight without the offensive line providing the holes.”
The Lions brought out Saul Martinez, who was one of just four kickers in the NCAA without a missed field goal prior to start of the game, but had uncharacteristically missed a 39 yarder to end the first half. Martinez confidentially drilled the kick with 2:04 remaining lifting the Lions to their first lead, 41-40, since the 7-0 advantage A&M-Commerce had after the opening touchdown.
“You just have to have a short memory kicking,” Martinez commented after the game. “If you miss one it is onto the next kick. Coach told me right after the half, that he was going to come back to me and give me another shot. I was just thankful for the opportunity the offense gave me getting down the field. The guys did great up front on the kick and gave me time to hit it.”
The 2:04 proved to be just as thrilling and dramatic as the previous 57:58 had been. Washington and the Ram offense moved down the field seven plays covering 47-yards before having its drive stall on the A&M-Commerce 30 yard line when Dionte Taylor stopped wide receiver Anthony Yancy four yards shy of the first down marker. Out comes the Ram field goal unit and kicker, Peter Marquez for a 47-yard attempt. Marquez pulled the kick wide left, but the Lions celebration was halted in the form of an offside penalty resulting in an ASU first down at the A&M-Commerce 25. But the Lions defense stiffened for the final time of the game as the group kept the Ram offense out of the end zone for the game-winning touchdown forcing a second field goal attempt. Marquez appeared to have given the Rams the win only the game-winning kick voided on a timeout by the Lions. The move paid off as Marquez’ third attempt at the game winner sailed wide right giving the Lions the 41-40 win.
“We showed that we do not have to be at our best, but they showed how to overcome adversity and lift each other up,” head coach Colby Carthel said. “When one unit was down or a player was down they found a way to lift each other up and ultimately win the ball game tonight.”
The Lions’ defense turned in a stellar performance holding the league’s second best rushing attack to 205 yards on 42 carries – under their season average. The unit also recorded nine tackles for a loss. Woods led all tacklers in the game with 16 total tackles. Izzy Eziakor and Cole Pitts followed with 13 and 12 tackles respectively, while Toni Pulu led all players with two tackles for a loss.
Cooper, who was called into action as the start mid-week, turned in a career-high game with 116 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown. Rollison recovered from his first half performance to a tune of 380 yards and two TDs completing 26 of his 43 passing attempts. Ricky Collins hauled in 10 passes for 132 yards, while Johnson brought in nine catches for 113 yards and three touchdowns.
The Lions, who are now 4-0 in the Lone Star Conference, currently sit two games ahead of the rest of the league except for their next opponent, West Texas A&M, who defeated Midwestern 34-13 Saturday. They will travel back to Commerce, where they will host the Buffaloes on Military Appreciation Day, sponsored by Texas Army National Guard. That game is scheduled to kick off Saturday, October 18 at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.
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At Angelo State Game 6 Notes
- Richard Cooper made his first career start ... He recorded four carries for 33 yards on the opening drive ... Career-high is 103 against ETBU.
- The Lions threw only their second INT of the season in the first quarter ... It was only the Lions second INT of the season ... Prior to Saturday, A&M-Commerce was 20th in the NCAA and led the Lone Star in passes intercepted.
- The Lions had four turnovers in the first half -- an two INTs, a fumble and a muffed punt – setting a season-high ... A&M-Commerce turned the ball over three times against ETBU and ENMU.
-- Shawn Hooks’ 38-yard kick return in the first quarter was his longest kick return of the season ... It was the Lions third longest as a team.
- A&M-Commerce trailed 16-7 at the end of the first quarter ... It was only the second time in 2014 the Lions trailed at the end of the first quarter ... SFA held a 14-3 lead at the end of the first quarter ... It was only the third time A&M-Commerce trailed in a game ... Kingsville held a 6-0 lead with 10:19 in the first quarter in that game.
- Theo Wofford caught a 50-yard screen pass in the fourth quarter the led to a TD... It was his longest play from scrimmage this season.