Lions face Javelinas Saturday

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  • Lions face Javelinas Saturday
    Lions face Javelinas Saturday
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Texas A&M-Commerce | Football

COMMERCE – The No. 21 Texas A&M University-Commerce football team will look to rebound from a regional loss as the Lions return to Lone Star Conference play for the annual Chennault Cup battle with Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

The Texas A&M University-Commerce Lions play at the Javelina Stadium at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5.

RECORDS: A&M-Commerce is 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the Lone Star Conference after losing at Colorado State-Pueblo last week, 24-17. A&M-Kingsville is 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the LSC after a 48-34 loss at Eastern New Mexico.

RANKINGS: A&M-Commerce is ranked No. 21 in the AFCA Coaches’ Poll and No. 20 in the D2Football.com Media Poll. A&M-Kingsville is unranked.

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

LIVE VIDEO: http://lonestarconferencenet work.com/kingsville/

BAILIFF BEGINS ON RIGHT FOOT

Lion Football head coach David Bailiff was hired in December 2018 as the 20th head football coach at A&M-Commerce.

Since East Texas joined the Lone Star Conference as charter members in 1931, Bailiff is the 13th head coach of the Lions.

He has won all three of his “firsts” games at A&M-Commerce, defeating Nuevo Leon for the win in his first game, beating Western Oregon for the win in his first road game, and taking down Eastern New Mexico in his first LSC game.

This is another “first” game, as the Kingsville game is his first LSC road game.

Bailiff was the head coach at Texas State University from 2004-06 and at Rice University from 2007-17.

The Lions’ 2019 season will be Bailiff ’s 15th season as a collegiate head coach.

As a collegiate head coach, Bailiff has led a team to the NCAA Division I National Semifinals and has made five total postseason appearances with a 5-2 postseason record.

The 2005 Texas State Bobcats were Division I National Semifinalists, and Bailiff led the Rice Owls to four bowls with a 3-1 record in those games.

Bailiff has led teams to 10-win seasons in three seasons (one at Texas State, two at Rice).

Under his watch, the Owls had the most wins in school history over a two

(18), three (25), and four

(30) year periods. Rice’s 18-9 mark from 2013-14 was the second-best of any FBS program in Texas.

ALL-TIME

AGAINST THE HOGS

The Lions and Javelinas are meeting for the 66th time in a series that dates back to 1930.

The Javelinas have a 35-29-1 lead in the series.

A Lion win would be the eighth straight victory in the series for A&M-Commerce.

The Lions’ current seven-game winning streak is their longest in the series with the Hogs.

A&M-Commerce’s current streaj is tied for the longest streak by either school in the long-standing rivalry. A&M-Kings-ville won seven straight matchups from 1992-99.

Of the Lions’ current seven-game streak, the 2013, 2015, and 2017 wins came in Kingsville and the 2012, 2016, and 2018 wins came in Commerce.

The 2014 victory was part of the Lone Star Conference Football Festival held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

THE CHENNAULT CUP

The two teams play for the Chennault Cup, which was implemented in 1991 and recognizes the late Lt. General Claire Chennault.

Chennault was a Commerce native who was a member of the famous “Flying Tigers” fighter squadron during the 1930s and was the commander of the 14th Air Force during World War II.

He spent time training and teaching at the Naval Air Station Kingsville during his distinguished military career.

The original series was between West Alabama and A&M-Commerce, but shifted to Kingsville in 1992.

The Javelinas hold a 16-10 advantage in Chennault Cup games despite the Lions holding it for the past seven seasons.

WE’RE GOING

STREAKING!

By qualifying for their fourth straight NCAA Division II Playoff berth in 2018, the Lions have the third-longest active playoff streak in the nation.

Only Northwest Missouri State (15 straight) and Ferris State (five straight) have longer active playoff streaks than A&M-Commerce.

In Lone Star Conference history, only A&M-Kingsville (1992-98, 7 straight) has a consecutive streak of more than four appearances.

The Lions have also advanced to the regional semifinal round for three consecutive seasons.

LIONS ON RANKINGS RUN

The Lions fell to No. 21 nationally in the 2019 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll released Monday.

A&M-Commerce has been ranked in 58 consecutive AFCA polls, dating back to the 2015 preseason poll.

This is A&M-Commerce’s 64th all-time appearance in the AFCA poll since its inception in 2000.

In the polls recognized by Division II as the top rating system, the Lions have been recognized as a nationally ranked team 113 times since joining Division II in 1981.

SENIORS SUCCEED OVER CAREER SPAN

The 2018 senior class claimed sole possession of the school record for wins in a four-year period with

43.

The 2019 senior class is already on pace to challenge that record, with a record of 41-7 through 48 games.

They are five games away from tying the school record for most games played by a senior class.

Years Record

2015-18 43-10

2014-17 42-10

2016-19 41-7

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

GRADS KEEP

ON TRUCKIN’

Eight Lions are continuing their football careers after earning a degree. Here are the eight graduates and the school they earned their degree from:

• Neema Behbahani -

A&M-Commerce

• Terrell Collins – Arkansas

• L.A. Dawson – West

Texas A&M

• Tyler Guice -

A&M-Commerce

• Deion Malone – Arkansas

• Alex Shillow –

A&M-Commerce

• Darent White -

A&M-Commerce

• Preston Wheeler -

A&M-Commerce

OPENING SIX PACK

The Lions have won their first Lone Star Conference game of the season in each of the last six years.

• 2019 Eastern

N.M. W 45-27

• 2018 A&M-Kingsville

W (2OT) 37-36

• 2017 Eastern

N.M. W 51-22

• 2016 at Eastern N.M. W 49-10

• 2015 at

A&M-Kingsville W

37-17

• 2014 vs.

A&M-Kingsville (at

AT&T) W 55-20

NO SMALLS FEAT

Quarterback Miklo Smalls won Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance in the win over ENMU on Sept. 21.

Smalls completed 13-of-15 passes for 243 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.

His passing efficiency rating of 297.413 is the best single-game performance by a quarterback in Division II this season.

One FBS, one FCS, and three Division III quarterbacks have had 300-plus ratings this year.

TO THE CRIB!

Junior return specialist Dominique Ramsey’s 55-yard punt return for a touchdown in the ENMU game earned him Lone Star Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

He became the first player in the Lone Star Conference to return a punt for a touchdown this season.

He averaged 35 yards per punt return in the ENMU game and ranks second in the LSC in punt and kickoff return average.

He now has five career returns for touchdown.