Sept 14, 2002

SAU Hangs On To Defeat Texas A&M-Commerce

Commerce, Tex.-Scoring on their first possession and holding a 27-3 lead midway the final quarter here Saturday night, Southern Arkansas University watched what appeared an insurmountable lead shrink to 27-23 when Texas A&M University-Commerce scored on the final play of the game to cut the margin to four points. The host Lions blitzed the Muleriders with 20 points in the final 6:32 of the contest that turned an SAU breather into a cliffhanger.

The ‘Riders are now 1-1 for the young season and it was the season opener for the Lions of the Lone Star Conference. SAU now leads the series with TA&M-C 8-6.

After the ‘Rider defense stuffed the Lions on their first possession, it took SAU only five plays to cover 53 yards and take a 7-0 lead with 10:20 still left in the first period. The touchdown came on a 37-yard pass from quarterback Ted Williams to wide receiver Nik Lewis. Thomas LaToof added the extra point.

SAU linebacker Keenan Washington intercepted a pass on A&M-C’s next possession to give the ‘Riders an excellent field position on the Lion 26. However, fullback Scott Schroeder was stripped of the ball two plays later by linebacker J.P. Mulligan and SAU was unable to reach the end zone again until late in the opening quarter.

Starting on the SAU 48, halfback Torrence Jones dashed 43-yards to score with 21 seconds on the clock and LaToof’s kick made it 14-0.

In the second period, LaToof booted the first of two field goals, this one good for 28 yards after SAU stalled at the Lion 13. This drive started after end Andrekus Dixon recovered a fumble by A&M-C’s Chris Miller at the Lion 24. This made it 17-0 with 12:57 left in the half.

A&M-C got a big break after the SAU defense forced a punt four downs later when SAU’s Donald Butler fumbled a punt that was recovered by Blayne Dowell of the Lions at the SAU 17. The swarming ‘Rider defense, led by defensive backs Brian Davis and Carl Buchnor, linebacker Tim Rose and Dixon halted the Lions on the nine.

The next play, Jones fumbled on a hit by A&M-C’s Myron Davis and was recovered by Larry Gilbert on the 11. The next play, fullback Adrian Barnes fumbled on the 12 and was recovered by Dixon as the ‘Riders dodged another bullet.

SAU drove down the field behind a run of 11 yards by Schroeder and a 29-yard pass from Williams to tight end Ryan Baker. A personal foul on A&M-C aided the march and from the 23, Williams found wide receiver Jason Bennett in the end zone for an apparent touchdown but it was nullified by a procedure penalty. Holding cost 10 more yards and a 14-yard pass from Williams to Lewis still left SAU facing fourth and seven at the 20. LaToof drilled a 37-yard field goal, 20-0, 2:36 left in the first half.

At the half, SAU had rushed for 111 yards and passed for 102 while A&M-C had a mere 29 yards rushing and 55 passing.

After an exchange of punts started the second half, Bennett, sure-handed throughout his career, fumbled a Lion punt on the SAU 43. This led to the first points of the game by the Lions when Randy Weston booted a 35-yard field goal to cut the margin to 27-3, 8:22 left in the third quarter. That was all the scoring in the period but SAU was driving when the final period began.

A 68-yard, 13-play drive was finished when Williams hooked up with Lewis for a nine-yard touchdown pass with 11:25 remaining in the game. LaToof converted the ‘Riders to a 27-3 lead.

From that point on, it was all TA&M-C. The Lions drove 69 yards in 12 plays with Barnes scoring from the 13, 6:32 remaining. Weston’s toe closed it to 27-10. After SAU’s next drive was stalled by an illegal block penalty, the Lions went 58 yards in seven plays to score on a one-yard pass from quarterback Justin Simons to wide receiver Cory Sims and Weston kicked good, 27-17, only 2:52 left.

A successful onside kick by the Lions gave them possession on the A&M-C 45. After a first down pass conversion, the Lions needed 22 yards on fourth down at the SAU 35. They got a measured 22 yards on a pass play and a pass interference call on the ‘Riders gave them first and goal on the seven. On fourth down from the three, Simons passed over the middle to flanker Melvin Crosby for the touchdown on the final play of the game. Weston’s PAT ended the scoring.

The statistics:

First downs-SAU 14, A&M-C 19; Net yards rushing-SAU 194, A&M-C 118; Passing yards-SAU 121, A&M-C 224; Completions, attempts, had int.-SAU 8-17-0, A&M-C 28-43-1; Total offense-SAU 55 plays for 315 yards, A&M-C 78 plays for 342 yards; Punts, avg.-SAU 4-39.8, A&M-C 6-42.2; Fumbles, lost-SAU 6-4, A&M-C 3-1; Penalties, yards-SAU 8-60, A&M-C 9-81; Possession time-SAU 26:54, A&M-C 33:06.

Individually, Jones rushed 10 times for 91 yards and a touchdown, a 9.1 average per carry for SAU. A&M-C’s leading rusher had only 49 yards. Passing, Williams was eight of 16 for 121 yards and scored twice. Simons was 25 of 38 for 225 yards and two touchdowns and an interception. Lewis caught six passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns for SAU and Cedric Bonner caught eight for 80 yards for A&M-C with Willie Whiting catching five for 66 yards. Grecco averaged 39.8 yards on four punts for SAU and Miller punted six times for a 42.2-yard average for the Lions. Rodney Hill ran a kickoff back 52 yards for the ‘Riders and Dwayne Wallace returned six kickoffs for 119 yards for the Lions.

Defensively, Davis had 11 tackles for SAU, six of them solo, Rose and defensive back Dez Myers had eight with five solos each and defensive back Charles Rollins seven. Rose had two tackles for losses and Rollins and linebacker DeVares Campbell one each. Reggie Williams led A&M-C with 10 tackles with Mulligan getting nine.

It will be Family Day here Saturday when the ‘Riders meet State University of West Georgia at 6 p.m. to open Gulf South Conference play in the first home game for SAU this season.