2015 TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-COMMERCE LION FOOTBAll GAME 1 NOTES 22 LONE STAR CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS 11 POSTSEASON APPEARANCES | 1 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 762 LONE STAR All-CONFERENCE PLAYERS | 232 All-AMERICAN SELEctIONS A&M-Commerce Athletic Communications: Josh Manck | Office: (903)886-5131 | Cell: (817)487-5136 | Email: [email protected] QUICK FACTS No. 9/18 A&M-Commerce (0-0, 0-0 LSC) ABOUT A&M-COMMERCE Official Name...... Texas A&M University-Commerce vs. Location ........................ Commerce, Texas University of Faith (0-0) Founded ....... 1889 (as East Texas Normal College) Thursday, September 1, 2016 • 7 p.m. Previous Names ......... East Texas Normal College Memorial Stadium • Commerce, Texas ................. East Texas State Teacher’s College .......................... East Texas State College STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT COOPER ON THE LOOSE ........................ East Texas State University • The Lions have won their home opener in • Senior running back Richard Cooper Enrollment ...................... 12,375 (Fall 2015) each of their first three seasons under head (Angleton HS) enters the 2016 season Nickname ................................... Lions coach Colby Carthel. ranked sixth in school history in career Colors .............................. Blue and Gold • The first game of the Carthel era was a 51-6 rushing yardage with 11 games of 100 or Stadium (Capacity) ..... Memorial Stadium (10,000) win over Sul Ross State in 2013, followed more rushing yards in his storied career. Affiliation ......................... NCAA Division II Conference.............................. Lone Star by the record-breaking 98-20 rout of East • He is one of the top returning running Interim President ..................... Dr. Ray Keck Texas Baptist in 2014. backs in Division II this season in multiple Athletic Director .................... Tim McMurray • The third straight home-opening win came categories. Athletic Department Phone ......... (903) 886-5558 in 2015 with a 48-17 win over Adams State. Official Website .................. LionAthletics.com NCAA Division II Career Ranks for Returning Leaders Facebook ........... A&M-Commerce Lion Athletics LIONS ARE PRESEASON FAVORITE (entering 2016 season) Athletics Twitter ................... @Lion_Athletics • The Lions have won the last two Lone Star Category Stat D2 Rank SR4 Football Twitter......................... @Lion_FB Conference regular season titles and picked Total Rushing Yardage 2,170 15th 3rd up 19 of 28 available first place votes. The Yards Per Game 86.1 10th 3rd COACHING STAFF Lions’ 269 points in the poll placed them Yards Per Carry 6.1 9th 4th Head coach ......................... Colby Carthel above second-ranked Midwestern State Alma mater ....................Angelo State, 2000 with 254 points and eight first place votes. • Cooper was named the Lone Star Record at A&M-Commerce....... 24-12 (4th season) • The Lions are entering their fourth season Conference’s Preseason Offensive Player Overall career record ........................ same under the direction of head coach Colby of the Year in July after earning the LSC’s Carthel and have won 24 games in Carthel’s Offensive Back of the Year award in his Matt Storm.................. Offensive Coordinator first three seasons. junior season. Jared May........... Co-Offensive Coordinator (QB) Justin Deason ............... Defensive Coordinator • Texas A&M-Commerce won all six LSC • He is widely considered to be an All- Yogi Gallegos ................................. WR regular season games last season on the American candidate this year as he looks to Darren Garrigan .............................. Sec way to the Lions’ first NCAA berth since climb up the A&M-Commerce record books. Michael Conrad ................................ LB 1995. Tim Bleil .................................. RB, A’s • A&M-Commerce has won its last seven NOTES CONTINUE Montiese Culton .............................. WR regular season LSC games and the last ON PAGE 2 Caid Faske .................................... DL six regular season LSC games played at Desmund Farris................................ OL Memorial Stadium. Andy Townsend.......................... WILL LBs Scotty Yates............................. SAM LBs TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE (0-0, 0-0 LSC) UNIVERSITY OF FAITH (0-0) Collin Gholston ........................... Safeties Date ...Opponent ........... Time/Result Date ...Opponent ........... Time/Result Dillon Jordan ................... Offensive Assistant S1 (Th) ..FAITH (Fla.) ............................... 7 p.m. S1 ........... at Texas A&M-Commerce ............7 p.m. Ryan Slider..................... Offensive Assistant S10 ........ at Delta State ............................... 6 p.m. Tyrin Evans..................... Defensive Assistant S17 ......... at Eastern New Mexico * ......... 1 p.m. MT Brandon Ramsey ...............Defensive Assistant S24 ........TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE * ..... 7 p.m. Randall Fannin.................. Defensive Assistant O1 .......... at Oklahoma Panhandle St. * ....... 1 p.m. John Bonilla .................... Offensive Assistant O8 ..........MIDWESTERN STATE * ............ 7 p.m. O15 ........ at Western New Mexico * .......1 p.m. MT GAME COVERAGE O22 ........ at Angelo State * .......................... 6 p.m. Audio ........................ Lions Sports Network O29 .......WEST TEXAS A&M * .................4 p.m. Online Audio................ www.LionAthletics.com N5 .......... at UT Permian Basin * ..................7 p.m. Play-by-play...................... Charlie Chitwood N12 ........TARLETON STATE * ..................4 p.m. Color .............................. Brock Callaway * - Lone Star Conference game LIONSATHLETICS • WWW.LIONATHLETICS.COM • @LION_ATHLETICS & @LIONS_FB 1 2016 TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE FOOTBALL GAME NOTES CARTHEL’S FIRST THREE YEARS DEPTH STEPS UP • Head coach Colby Carthel has had unprecedented success in • Despite an abundance of talent returning from the 2015 playoff his first three seasons at Texas A&M-Commerce in comparison to squad, not many Lions were in the starting lineup for the Ferris State previous coaches for the Lions. playoff game. • Only M.A. Smith from 1951-53 and Bob Berry from 1935-37 have • Only six A&M-Commerce players were starters in the snow in higher winning percentages in their first three seasons. Only Smith Michigan, all on the offensive side of the ball. has more victories in the first three seasons in Commerce. • Carthel is the only coach at A&M-Commerce to go to the Jason Osei ....................................................................................... LG postseason in each of his three seasons. Smith took the Lions to a Avery Poates ................................................... RT in 2015, RG in 2016 pair of Tangerine Bowls, but did not reach the postseason in his first Richard Cooper ............................................................................... RB year. Lance Evans ...................................................................................WR Darby Smith ...................................................................................WR Coach ....................... First 3 Seasons ........ Record .......... Winning Pct Chris Chumley .................................................................................... A M.A. Smith ............... 1951-53 ....................30-2-1 ........................ .924 Bob Berry ................1935-37 .................... 22-6-1 .........................776 RECEIVERS LOOK FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS Colby Carthel ........ 2013-15 ................... 24-12 ........................ .667 • Senior wide receivers Lance Evans and Darby Smith were two of Eddie Brister ............ 1999-2001................16-17 ...........................485 the top receivers in the Lone Star Conference in 2015 and will look to J.W. Rollins .............. 1931-33 .................... 11-12-2 .......................480 build on outstanding numbers from last season. Scottie Conley ......... 2004-06 ................... 14-16 .......................... .467 • Evans (Mansfield HS) ranked third in total receiving yardage with J.V. Sikes ................. 1954-56 .................... 13-15-2 ....................... .467 986 yards on 50 catches and also ranked fourth in the conference in Ernest Hawkins .......1964-66 .................... 11-15-2 ........................429 receiving yards per game with 82.2. His 19.7 yards per catch average Russell Jernigan ...... 1921-23 ....................9-13-1 ........................ .380 was tops in the league amongst players with double digit catches Eddie Vowell ............ 1986-88 .................... 12-21 ......................... .364 and his eight touchdown catches tied for third in the league. Guy Morriss ............. 2009-11 .................... 9-22 .......................... .290 • Evans was a first team all-Lone Star Conference honoree in 2015 Joe Murphy .............. 1924-26 .................... 5-21-1 ........................ .204 • Smith (Ennis HS) finished sixth in the league with 72.3 receiving yards per game with 868 yards on his 45 catches. His total yardage DOLEZEL TO BE HONORED AT HALFTIME ranked fourth in the league, right behind Evans. He also scored • Former East Texas State quarterback Clint eight receiving touchdowns to tie for third in the league and his 19.3 Dolezel is an inductee into the Texas A&M- yards per catch average tied for second in the conference amongst Commerce Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016. He will regulars. be honored at halftime