Regional Champion and Eighth-Ranked Lions Host Harding in National Semifinal

 

Regional champion and eighth-ranked Lions host Harding in National Semifinal.

COMMERCE – The No. 8 Texas A&M University-Commerce Lions’ football team aims to keep a fantastic run alive, hosting the NCAA Division II Football Championship Semifinal against the Harding University Bisons on Saturday in front of a nationally televised audience.

WHO: Harding University at Texas A&M University-Commerce
WHERE: Commerce | Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium
WHEN: 2:30 p.m. CST on Saturday, December 9
RECORDS: A&M-Commerce is 12-1 overall. Harding is 11-3.
RANKINGS: A&M-Commerce is ranked No. 8 in the AFCA Coaches’ Poll and the D2Football.com Media Poll. Harding is unranked in either poll but is receiving votes in the AFCA poll.
SEEDINGS: A&M-Commerce is the second seed of the remaining four teams after winning Super Region Four with road wins over No. 12 Winona State, No. 7 Central Washington, and No. 1 Minnesota State. Harding is the third seed of the remaining four teams after winning Super Region Three with road wins over No. 6 Indianapolis, No. 9 Ashland, and No. 10 Ferris State.

VISIT PLAYOFF CENTRAL
TICKETS: HERE
LIVE AUDIO: Lion Sports Network — KETR 88.9 FM, Commerce (http://www.ketr.org)
LIVE VIDEO: WatchESPN
LIVE STATS: HERE

LIONS WIN ON THE ROAD, HOST SEMIFINALS
• The Lions took down the No. 1 ranked Minnesota State Mavericks, 31-21, on the road to clinch the regional championship for the first time in school history.
• It is the first time the Lions have played four games in a single postseason.
• The win gave the Lions seven road wins, the most in a season in program history.

STILL PUSHING #ToTheTop
• The Lions ended the regular season at No. 8 in the nation in both the AFCA and D2Football.com polls.
• A&M-Commerce has been ranked in 38 straight AFCA polls, dating back to the 2015 preseason poll.
• It is A&M-Commerce’s 44th all-time appearance in the AFCA poll since its inception in 2000.
• The Lions have played five nationally-ranked teams this season, all inside the top 12.
• A&M-Commerce is the fourth nationally-ranked team the Bisons have faced, all in the top 10 and all in the playoffs.

CARTHEL 5TH IN SCHOOL HISTORY IN WINS
• Head coach Colby Carthel now ranks fifth in A&M-Commerce history in coaching wins with 46 wins.
• However, he will be in fifth for a while, as his 46 wins are still 18 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.	46-15
6	M.A. Smith	1951-53	30-2-1

AGAINST THE BISONS
• A&M-Commerce is 3-1 all-time against Harding.
• The Bisons won the last matchup in 2013 in the Live United Texarkana Bowl, 44-3.
• That game was the Lions’ first postseason appearance since 1995. The Lions defeated Harding in 1995 (40-0 in Searcy), 1996 (43-28 in Commerce), and 2001 (14-11 in Commerce).
• The Lions are 18-27-1 all-time against teams from the state of Arkansas.

TOUGH ROAD TO THE SEMIS
• The Lions have won three straight road games to advance to the National Semifinal.
• A&M-Commerce went down the most terrible road since the NCAA Division II playoff field expanded to five rounds in 2004.
• The Lions have defeated three opponents with a combined record of 34-1.
– Winona State (10-1)
– Central Washington (11-0)
– Minnesota State (13-0)
• Only two other teams have beaten three teams with 33 combined wins in a single playoff – Grand Valley State in 2015 (33-1) and Harding this season (33-2).

• 18 teams have won three games to advance to the National Semifinals in the 13 years since the field expanded to five rounds.
• Before this season, six teams advanced to the semifinals with no home games in the first three rounds.
• In 2017, three of the four teams in the semifinals have pushed with three road wins – A&M-Commerce, Harding, and West Florida.
• Of the 18 teams to advance to the semifinals with three wins, only the 2016 Shepherd team hosted their semifinal matchup. That Shepherd team was also undefeated until the semifinal loss to North Alabama.
• Of the 18 three-win semifinalists, two have advanced to the National Championship Game, with the winner of today’s game guaranteed to be the third. A West Florida win at Indiana (Pa.) would be a fourth. The previous two were Northwest Missouri State in 2005 and Wayne State (Mich.) in 2011.

SENIORS BREAK SCHOOL RECORD
• With the win at Tarleton, the senior class broke the school record for wins in a four-year period. The previous record stood since the Tangerine Bowl runs of the early 1950s.
• That record extended with the win at Minnesota State to 40 games won in a four-year span.

Years	Record
2014-17	40-10
1951-54	36-5-2
2013-16	35-14
1957-60	34-7
1972-75	32-13-1
1936-39	31-8
1990-93	31-16-1

PEREZ’ OUTSTANDING SEASON AND CAREER LEAD TO HARLON HILL FINALIST
• The Harlon Hill Trophy announced Lion quarterback Luis Perez as a finalist.
• The AFCA named him a second-team All-American on Wednesday. D2CCA previously named him as the Super Region Four Offensive Player of the Year and First-Team All-Region quarterback.
• He has won the Lone Star Conference J.W. Rollins Award as Offensive Player of the Year. He also earned First-Team All-Lone Star Conference honors for the second consecutive season.
• A Lion quarterback has earned first-team all-LSC honors a total of 17 times since the league’s formation in 1931.
• He became the Lions’ fourth quarterback to repeat as a first-team all-LSC selection, joining Bobby Bounds (1990-91), LSC Hall of Honor member Wade Wilson (1979-80), and R.A. Hitt (1933-34), who was the second-ever all-LSC quarterback.
• Perez’ passing-average has vaulted him to the top of the Division II ranks. He is one of nine passers in Division II averaging over 300 yards passing per game.

Rk	Team	Cl.	Gms	A-C-I	TD	Yds	Avg
1	Luis Perez, A&M-Commerce	Sr.	13	532-374-10	42	4,388	337.5
2	Connor Jessop, Shepherd	Sr.	11	394-249-9	40	3,532	321.1
3	Tanner Garry, Slippery Rock	Sr.	11	437-268-9	32	3,522	320.2
4	Amir Hall, Bowie St.	Jr.	11	381-249-4	41	3,519	319.9
5	Grant Russell, Ohio Dominican	Sr.	10	305-221-3	30	3,182	318.2
6	Nick Rooney, Adams St.	Jr.	10	441-271-10	29	3,153	315.3
7	Brook Bolles, Central Mo.	Jr.	12	430-242-12	23	3,766	313.8
8	Y. Gavalas, LIU Post	Sr.	10	363-257-8	37	3,087	308.7
9	Javia Hall, Western N.M.	Sr.	10	458-255-12	24	3,006	300.6
10	Barrett Renner, Southern Arkansas	Sr.	11	397-265-10	35	3,204	291.7

• He did not play high school football, and was a competitive bowler, with 12 perfect 300 games to his name.
• He now has 15 games of 300-plus passing yards in his career, including ten straight games.
• He went 267 passing attempts without an interception over the course of 6-plus games.
• 449:46 of game time elapsed between Perez interceptions.

SINGLE SEASON PASSING TOUCHDOWN LEADERS
1.	42	Luis Perez	2017
2.	32	Luis Perez	2016
3.	31	Tyrik Rollison	2014
4.	30	Harrison Stewart	2015
5.	22	James Gray	1952

• Perez also became the school’s single-season passing yardage leader.
  • He ranks second in all NCAA Divisions in passing yards this season through 13 games, behind only Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph (4,553). The only other quarterback with 4,000 yards this season is Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield (4,340).

SINGLE SEASON PASSING YARDAGE LEADERS
1.	4,388	Luis Perez	2017
2.	3,764	Tyrik Rollison	2014
3.	3,326	Luis Perez	2016
4.	3,173	Harrison Stewart	2015
5.	2,861	Buster Faulkner	2004

• Perez is also the Lion career leader in three major passing categories.

CAREER PASSING YARDAGE LEADERS
1.	7,714	Luis Perez	2016-pres.
2.	5,955	Bob Bounds	1987-91
3.	5,800	Kyle Mackey	1980-83
4.	5,635	Terry Skinner	1973-77
5.	5,362	Tyrik Rollison	2013-14

CAREER PASSING COMPLETION LEADERS
1.	618	Luis Perez (618-921-15)	2016-pres.
2.	375	Bob Bounds (375-706-36)	1987-91
3.	372	Kyle Mackey (372-751-44)	1980-83
4.	367	Terry Skinner (367-813-45)	1973-77
5.	353	Adam Farkes (353-700-30)	2009-10

CAREER PASSING TOUCHDOWN LEADERS
1.	74	Luis Perez	2016-pres.
2.	51	James Gray	1951-53
3.	48	Harrison Stewart	2013-15
4.	43	Jim Dietz	1967-70
	43	Tyrik Rollison	2013-14

• He ranks first in Division II and ninth in all of the NCAA in career passing yards per game.

Rk	Team	Div	Cl.	Gms	A-C-I	Yds	TD	Yds/Gm
1	Luke Falk , Washington St.	FBS	Sr.	43	2,055-1,404-39	14,486	119	336.9
2	Mason Rudolph , Oklahoma St.	FBS	Sr.	41	1,415-894-26	13,267	90	323.6
3	Devlin Hodges , Samford	FCS	Jr.	33	1,346-922-25	10,301	79	312.2
4	Josh Rosen , UCLA	FBS	Jr.	30	1,169-711-26	9,302	59	310.1
5	Riley Ferguson , Memphis	FBS	Sr.	25	884-558-19	7,669	68	306.8
6	Gage Gubrud, Eastern Wash.	FCS	Jr.	28	1,005-654-27	8,568	74	306.0
7	Chase Burton , Franklin	D-III	Sr.	38	1,255-842-20	11,579	121	304.7
8	Baker Mayfield , Oklahoma	FBS	Sr.	47	1,462-1,003-29	14,320	129	304.7
9	Luis Perez, A&M-Commerce	D-II	Sr.	26	921-618-15	7,714	74	296.7
10	Ryan Sample , Benedictine (IL)	D-III	Sr.	30	1,133-647-34	8,806	82	293.5

KICKIN’ IT WITH KRISTOV
• Kicker Kristov Martinez was named the Lone Star Conference’s first team All-Conference kicker. He was also named second-team All-Super Region Four by the D2CCA.
• He hit his 50th career field goal at Minnesota State to become the school leader in that category. The 50th field goal was a career-long 48-yarder.
• He hit field goals of 38 yards in each of the two overtime periods of the 34-31 win at Central Washington
• He became the all-time leading scorer with an LSC Player of the Week effort in the regular season finale at Tarleton.
• He scored 15 points in that game and scored 10 points or more in seven games this season. The four field goals at Tarleton tied a school single-game record.
• He has scored 117 points this season. The late Saul Martinez scored 134 points in 2014 to set the school single-season record.
•Martinez was also an LSC All-Academic selection for the second consecutive season. He is majoring in management.

CAREER SCORING LEADERS
1.	318	Kristov Martinez (168 PAT, 50 FG)	2015-pres.
2.	281	Billy Watkins (134 PAT, 49 FG)	1990-93
3.	224	David Dell (104 PAT, 40 FG)	1995-98
4.	222	Aundra Thompson (37 TD)	1972-75
5.	219	Saul Martinez (126 PAT, 31 FG)	2013-14

CAREER PATs MADE LEADERS
1.	168	Kristov Martinez (168-175)	2015-pres.
2.	134	Billy Watkins (134-143)	1990-93
3.	126	Saul Martinez (126-130)	2013-14
4.	121	Leonard Allen (121-134)	1973-76
5.	105	Kevin Garman (105-113)	1981-84

CAREER FIELD GOALS MADE LEADERS
1.	50	Kristov Martinez (50-67)	2015-pres.
2.	49	Billy Watkins (49-84)	1990-93
3.	40	David Dell (40-61)	1995-98
4.	31	Saul Martinez (31-38)	2013-14
5.	29	Ha’a Bento (29-44)	2004-05
	29	Leonard Allen (29-52)	1973-76

FIREWORKS AFTER A SCORE
• The Lions have excelled on kickoffs, both when kicking the ball away, and when receiving.
• The Lions rank 1st nationally in kickoff return defense, allowing 11.63 yards per return. That average dropped after the Minnesota State game.
• A&M-Commerce is 6th in the nation in kickoff return average at 26.84 yards per return.

WILSON TAKES IT TO THE HOUSE
• Buck Wilson was named the first team all-LSC kick return man. He returned a first-quarter kickoff for a 100-yard touchdown against West Texas A&M, earning LSC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
• Wilson is the fourth Lion on record with a 100-yard touchdown. He is the 25th player in LSC history with a 100-yard kickoff return. He is the seventh player in Division II this season with a 100-yard kickoff return.

Bob Sloan	vs. Midwestern State, 1950
Marvin Brown	vs. Midwestern State, 1951
Gary Berry	vs. Sam Houston State, 1958
Buck Wilson	at West Texas A&M, 2017

• Wilson averages 31.7 yards per kickoff return on 11 returns.
• If he met the return quantity qualification, Wilson would rank fourth in the nation in kick return yardage.
• Wilson also returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown on his first career punt return at Minnesota State.

MACHORRO NAMED ALL-AMERICAN, O-LINEMAN OF THE YEAR
• Tackle Jared Machorro was named a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches’ Association on Wednesday. It is his second consecutive season as an AFCA All-American after earning second-team honors in 2016.
• It is his fifth career All-America honor.
• He was also named D2CCA First Team All-Region and the Lone Star Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year.
• The senior was named first team all-LSC after leading the offensive line to a dominant season that saw the Lions qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs for the third consecutive season.
• It is the second consecutive season he has earned first team all-LSC honors.
• Instituted in 1985, Machorro is the sixth Lion to win ‘Offensive Lineman of the Year’ honors, and the first A&M-Commerce player to do in a single-division LSC.
• He also ranks 11th in the LSC in average punt yardage at 35.5 yards per punt.
• That’s just awesome.
• Actual punter Tristan Perry ranks fourth in the conference with a 39.6-yard punting average. He was named all-LSC honorable mention.

HOBBS EARNS TOP HONORS
• Tight end (or A in the Lions’ system), Vincent Hobbs has had key touchdown receptions in each of the Lions’ playoff victories this season.
• He was named first team all-Lone Star Conference when the league honors were released.
• He is the first Lion tight end to be named first team all-conference since Corey Goodall in 2006.
• The shortlist of Lion tight ends named the first team all-conference include Gary Compton (1988 & 1990), Javier Cardenas (1983 & 1984), Dudley Slice (1972), and Tom Black (1967).

VERSATILE STERLING-LOWE
• Cornerback Yusef Sterling-Lowe was named a second-team All-American by the AFCA after earning first team all-Lone Star Conference honors for a highly successful season in both run and pass defense.
• He was named the LSC Defensive Player of the Week with two interceptions at A&M-Kingsville.
• He had 27 regular season tackles as a cornerback with a season-best eight stops against Eastern New Mexico.
•At Winona, he had a key pass breakup.
• At CWU, he had four tackles with a tackle for loss and a pass breakup.

FIRE AND ICE
• Today’s game features two offenses on the opposite spectrum of styles of play, while both are exceptional in their right.
• The Lions own the nation’s top passing offense, throwing the ball to the account of 355.2 yards per game.
• The Bisons have the nation’s No. 2 rushing offense, carrying the ball for 347.7 yards per game. The only team ahead of Harding in rushing offense is A&M-Commerce’s LSC rival Eastern New Mexico, who leads the nation at 352.7 yards per game on the ground.

ALL-LEAGUE HONORS FOR TOP STOPPER
• Middle linebacker Brucks Saathoff earned first team all-Lone Star Conference honors after he led the Lions in the regular season with 59 stops including three tackles for loss and two sacks. He forced a fumble, had a pass breakup, and five quarterback hurries.
• He had a season-high 12 tackles in the win at West Texas A&M, winning LSC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
• After earning all-Conference honors, Saathoff was the defensive leader for the Lions at Winona State with a critical goalline interception, as well as eight tackles and a tackle for loss.
• He had 11 tackles with a sack to lead the Lion defense at Central Washington.

LIONS ALL-TIME IN THE POSTSEASON

Jan 1, 1953