Lion Football Game Week – Prairie View A&M

COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce football team begins a two-game road swing this Saturday at Prairie View A&M, playing the Panthers for the first time in over 50 years.   

WHO: A&M-Commerce at Prairie View A&M

WHERE: Prairie View | Panther Stadium

WHEN: Saturday, October 26 | 2 p.m.

RECORDS: A&M-Commerce is 1-6 on the season, while Prairie View A&M is 2-5 on the season.  

RANKINGS: Neither team is nationally ranked.  

 

LIVE AUDIO: Lion Sports Network – KETR 88.9 FM, Commerce (http://www.ketr.org)

LIVE VIDEO: ESPN+ | https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/d111fdf3-b5b0-4f94-bd34-849440195c36

LIVE STATS: https://statb.us/v/tame/530610

GAME NOTES: TAMUC | PVAMU

 

LIONS ENTER THIRD YEAR IN NCAA DIVISION I FCS

• The Lions begin the third season in NCAA Division I FCS this year.

• It is also the third season for the Lions in the Southland Conference and second under coach Clint Dolezel.

• A&M-Commerce will be eligible for FCS Playoffs during the 2026 season.

GAS TANK LEAGUE

• The Southland adds two members going into year in Stephen F. Austin and UTRGV to bring total membership to 12 schools overall and nine football playing schools in 2024. UTRGV begins its football program in 2025.

• The Lions re-unite with SFA on November 9 for the 59th time overall. This season’s meeting between the two teams will not affect the SLC standings.

SLC MEMBERS IN 2024-25

Institution Offers Football in 2024?

 
HE’S AN ALL-AMERICAN
• Max Epps earned All-America honors by the Associated Press after last season, he became the first Lion student-athlete in any sport to earn All-America honors in the Division I era.
• Prior to the start of the 2024 season, Epps also earned Preseason All-America honors from FCS Stats Perform.
• Epps was also named to first team all-Southland and garnered National Player of the Week and SLC Player of the Week honors following the Lions’ narrow loss at Old Dominion.
• He finished the 2023 season being tied for 10th in the country with four interceptions, while being second in the nation with 150 interception return yards. He had an interception in each of the first three games to start the season.

CAME UP SHORT ON HOMECOMING

• Last weekend was the annual Homecoming game for the Lions, falling 29-20 to Lamar, who scored nine points in the final 15 seconds of the game.

• The Lions are now 60-37-1 all-time on homecoming weekend, having lost two in a row, after winning the previous eight in a row.

SERIES HISTORY AGAINST PRAIRIE VIEW A&M

• A&M-Commerce and Prairie View A&M meet on Saturday for the first time since 1977, the Lions are 4-0 in the series, that dates back to 1974.

• Saturday is the first time the two teams are meeting on either team’s home stadium, the previous four matchups came in Dallas.

LIONS END STREAK WITH WIN OVER DEMONS

• A&M-Commerce rolled over Northwestern State for the first win this season and also snapped a 10-game losing streak overall, dating back to last season.

• The Lions also won their first game on the road since October 15, 2022, last week, having lost the previous 10 on the road as well.

• The win gave the Lions their first SLC win of the year as well, avoiding a 0-2 start to conference play since 2013.

SHUTOUT STREAK ENDS

• A longstanding streak for A&M-Commerce came to an end against Sac State, being shutout for the first time since 2011.

• The Lions had played 135 games without being shutout during the stretch.

• It was also the first road shutout for Sac State since 2011.

RARE OVERTIME GAME

• The Lions fell in overtime to Grambling in the home opener, which was the program’s first overtime game in the Division I era and first since October 9, 2021, against Saginaw Valley State.

• Over the last six seasons, the Lions have played just three overtime games, the only win being over A&M-Kingsville in 2018.

PEACE NAMED SLC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• Quarterback Ron Peace earned Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors last week after throwing for 457 yards at UC Davis, which are fourth most in a game by a Lion quarterback and most since Luis Perez in 2017.

• Peace is the first Lion quarterback to be named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Week in the Division I era.

• His 457 passing yards were the most for a quarterback in Division I in Week 2.

• Peace has started each of the last three games.

HOME AT LAST

• The Lions played their first home game against Grambling, which marked the first time since 2021 that they are playing their home opener in Week three.

• A&M-Commerce began the season at home in each of the past two seasons.

CALIFORNIA LOVIN’

• The Lions played the first two games of the season in California, which marked the second straight season they played in the Golden State, they faced off against Sac State a year ago.

• Prior to last season, the Lions had not played a game in the state of California since playing at UC Davis in 1999.

FAMILIAR IN UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY

• The Lions have now played two FBS opponents since moving up to Division I and held the opposing offenses to a combined three points in the first half.

• After shutting out Old Dominion a year ago in the first half, the Lions allowed just three points to San Diego State this season.

LION TRIO ON PRESEASON ALL-SLC TEAMS

• Three players from A&M-Commerce were named to the preseason all-Southland Conference teams. Epps was named to the first team defense, while Jaden Rios was named to second team defense and punter Mitchell McGarry was named to the second team as well.

• Rios totaled 23 tackles, one tackle for loss, three pass deflections, one forced fumble in 2023 as well as an 86-yard interception returned for touchdown at Houston Christian. He also forced a fumble at Old Dominion.

• McGarry recorded 62 punts for 2,453 yards on an average of 39.56 yards per punt average last season. He totaled three touchbacks, 20 punts inside the 20, eight punts of 50 yards or more, and the longest punt of the season was 58 yards.

TUCKER NAMED TO SENIOR BOWL WATCHLIST

• Linebacker Brandon Tucker was named to the Reese’s Senior Bowl Watchlist.

• He makes his return to the Lion squad in the 2024 season, he last played in 2022, recording 20 tackles in 11 games, including one sack, four tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one pass deflection.

• Tucker looks to become the first Lion to play in the Senior Bowl since Antonio Wilson in 2000.

• Through six games, he is the team leader in tackles and is top five in the country for tackles per game.

SEVEN HONORED BY PHIL STEELE MAGAZINE

• In the three preseason SLC teams released by Phil Steele Magazine, seven Lions were honored.

• Epps and long snapper Josiah Kennard were named to the first team, while McGarry and defensive lineman Clifford Funderburk were named on the second team.

• The third team all-conference honorees were Rios and wide receivers Paul Odidi and Jared Wilson.

HE’S BACK!

• After missing the entire 2023 season and missing the final 2.5 games of the 2022 season due to injury, quarterback Eric Rodriguez is back this season and was the starting quarterback against San Diego State.

• In 2022, the Lions went 4-3 in the Division I era when Rodriguez appeared in the game. He threw for 16 touchodwns in those seven games, including the road win at nationally ranked Southeastern.

• At the Aztecs, Rodriguez went 14 for 20 with an interception as well as a touchdown pass to Drew Allison.

• Rodriguez returned against Sac State after missing the previous two games, he is the listed starter this week.

EIGHTH IN THE PRESEASON SLC POLL

• The Lions were picked to finish eighth in the preseason Southland Conference poll, receiving 37 points to be ranked eighth, 12 points ahead of Northwestern State. Houston Christian is ranked seventh with 41 points.

PRESEASON SLC POLL

DEMPS NAMED CAMPBELL TROPHY SEMIFINALIST
• Jewelz-Unique Demps was named a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy by the National Football Foundation.
• Dubbed the ‘academic Heisman’ trophy, Demps looks to become the first Lion to be named a finalist.

SETTING UP FOR LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL

• Last week, the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame released the list of 3,568 graduates playing college football this year.

• The Lions have 22 graduates on their roster, which ranks eighth in the FCS, 47th in Division I (FBS & FCS) and 48th among all levels of College Football.

 

THE PICK IS IN: LEVI DRAKE RODRIGUEZ
• On April 27, 2024, Levi Drake Rodriguez heard his name called at the NFL Draft, being drafted in the sixth round by the Minnesota Vikings.
• Rodriguez was the first NFL Draft pick for the Lions since 2000 and 31st overall to be drafted in the NFL/AFL.
• Rodriguez earned first team all-conference honors a year ago and was named to Pro Football Focus’ All-America team.

TWO LIONS IN THE PROS

• Along with Rodriguez, who made the 53-man roster for the Vikings, A&M-Commerce had two other players currently on NFL rosters during training camp.

• Kader Kohou is in his third season with the Miami Dolphins, second as a full-time starter.

• Earlier in training camp, Luis Perez was signed by the Los Angeles Chargers. Perez won the Harlon Hill Trophy (Division II Heisman) as a Lion and is expected to make the Chargers 53-man roster as well.

• Both Perez and Kohou were part of the 2017 National Championship Team.

• Rodriguez and Kohou mark the first time the Lions have two active players in the NFL since 2002.

• Kohou has 17 tackles and one fumble recovery through six games, while Rodriguez has been a healthy scratch thus far this season.

SHAKE UP IN THE COACHING STAFF

• The Lions enter the season with five new coaches, as well as different coordinators on both sides of the ball from a year ago.

• Dolezel takes over as offensive coordinator and will call all plays, while Jack Tyler is elevated to being the program’s defensive coordinator and remains the linebackers coach.

• Additions in the Lion coaching staff are Andy Townsend as assistant offensive line coach and run game Coordinator, Tony McClain as the running backs coach, Geoff Terry as the defensive backs coach,  Matt Moriarty as the tight ends coach, and Bryce Bailey as the assistant defensive backs coach.

• Several returning coaches also see a change in their duties for the 2024 season. Michael Smith is also the program’s assistant head coach along with being the defensive line coach. Chase Paramore moves over to coaching wide receivers and adds the role of pass game coordinator.

IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT

• The season opener at San Diego State was broadcasted on TruTV and Max, which marked the first time the Lions played on National Television since the National Championship Game in 2017.

HAD ODU ON THE ROPES

• The last time the Lions played an FBS opponent prior to this season was at Old Dominion last season, falling in a narrow 10-9 defeat.

• The Lions scored a touchdown in the final minute of the game and elected to go for two, but came up just short.

• Outside of Old Dominion, the only other at the time active-FBS opponent that A&M-Commerce has faced was UTSA in 2012 with the Roadrunners winning 26-17.

FUTURE FBS GAMES IN THE BOOKS

• The string of games against FBS continues for the Lions as they are scheduled to play at Florida State next season on September 6 and playing at Tulsa on September 19, 2026.

WE LOVE IT AT HOME

•The Lions played just four home games a year ago, but return to hosting six this season, matching the totals in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

• A&M-Commerce welcomes Grambling as well as nationally ranked Sacramento State, and Stephen F. Austin in non-conference play, while hosting Lamar, Houston Christian, and UIW in conference play.

ALWAYS FARED WELL AGAINST RANKED TEAMS

• The Lions have played two ranked opponents thus far this season, playing the No. 18 ranked UC Davis to a one-possession game in the final minute of the game and No. 8 Sac State at home.

• Last season, the Lions played three nationally ranked teams.

• Dating back to the 2015 season, A&M-Commerce had picked up at least one win over a ranked team each

season, a streak that ended a year ago.

• In 2022, the Lions beat No. 20/19 Southeastern on the road, for the first ranked win as a Division I FCS member.

• Lamar is currently receiving votes in both major FCS polls.

STARTING ON THE RIGHT FOOT

• To begin SLC play a year ago, the Lions downed McNeese 41-10 a year ago to start off 1-0 in SLC play and it was also the first collegiate coaching win for Clint Dolezel.

• A&M-Commerce has started 1-0 in conference play in its both years in the Southland Conference and NCAA Division I FCS.

• This season’s first SLC game comes at Southeastern on October 5. A&M-Commerce came out on top the last time the two teams played in Hammond, which was also the conference opener in 2022.

  

REUNITED WITH THE LUMBERJACKS

• A&M-Commerce and Stephen F. Austin met in Nacogdoches last season, which was the first meeting between the two programs since 2014 and just the third since 1983.

• The two former conference rivals have played 58 times and this season marks the first time since 1983 that the two teams are playing in Commerce.

• Despite SFA joining the Southland this summer, this season’s game will be considered a non-conference game for both teams.

• The Lions are 43-14-1 all-time against the ‘Jacks.

RARE FEAT FOR THE LIONS

• The Lions won their first three conference games in the Southland and Division I, becoming just the fourth program to start conference play 3-0 during its first season in NCAA Division I AA/FCS, joining UAlbany (DII), Dayton (DIII), and Gardner-Webb (DII).

 

-TAMUC-