Tarleton State clinched a share of the Lone Star Conference Championship for the second straight season. The Texans remain unbeaten at 9-0 overall and 7-0 in league play.
This week features four LSC games and one non-conference contest. The West Texas A&M at Texas A&M-Kingsville game will air via live television broadcast as part of LSC Football on Nexstar.
LSC football teams are 44-36 overall this season. The squads are 7-5 combined versus the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and Great Northwest Athletic Conference teams, which are also in NCAA Super Regional Four.
LSC schedule and results available here:
http://www.lonestarconference.org/calendar.aspx?path=football
LSC FOOTBALL ON NEXSTAR
The Lone Star Conference and Nexstar Media Group, Inc. announced a new partnership to bring college football fans exclusive coverage of multiple matchups featuring NCAA Division II teams via live television broadcast and streaming online video.
Four LSC games - Western New Mexico at Texas A&M-Commerce (Oct. 26), Midwestern State at Tarleton State (Nov. 2), West Texas A&M at Texas A&M-Kingsville (Nov. 9), and Texas A&M-Commerce at Angelo State (Nov. 16) - will air via live television broadcast and/or streaming online video exclusively on network-affiliated stations and/or websites owned by Nexstar and select broadcast partners including: KTAB (Abilene), KASY (Albuquerque), KCPN (Amarillo), KBVO (Austin), KVEO (Brownsville), KTSM (El Paso), KLBK (Lubbock), KMID (Midland/Odessa), KSAN (San Angelo), KTPN (Tyler), KWKT (Waco) and KJBO (Wichita Falls).
LSC FOOTBALL ON ESPN3
A pair of Lone Star Conference games will be featured as part of the 2019 Division II football showcase schedule on ESPN3.
The Midwestern State at Texas A&M-Commerce match-up on October 12 in Commerce, Texas, and the Texas A&M-Commerce at West Texas A&M contest on November 2 in Canyon, Texas, were selected to be streamed on ESPN3, and available on the ESPN App.
ESPN3 is ESPN’s live multiscreen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible on computers via ESPN.com/watch and on smartphones, tablets and streaming devices through the ESPN app. The network currently is available nationwide at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. It also is available at no cost to U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.
LSC TO HOST 2019 DIVISION II FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Following a tremendous experience in 2018, the NCAA Division II Football Committee has chosen McKinney Independent School District Stadium in McKinney, Texas, as the host site of the 2019-21 Division II football national championship games.
The 2019 title game is set for 2 p.m. CST on Saturday, Dec. 21 and will be televised live by ESPNU.
The Lone Star Conference in conjunction with McKinney ISD hosted the 2018 championship game.
McKinney ISD Stadium and Community Event Center, a 12,000-seat facility built primarily for football, will host the Division II Football Championship games on Dec. 21, 2019, Dec. 19, 2020 and Dec. 18, 2021.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Miklo Smalls, Texas A&M-Commerce, SO, Sports & Recreation Management, QB, Plano, Texas, East Senior HS
Smalls was the offensive catalyst in the Lions' 34-20 win over West Texas A&M, including responsibility for two important touchdowns in the fourth quarter. With the game tied at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Smalls went 7-for-7 on a 10-play, 82-yard drive, capping it with an 11-yard touchdown rush. He also completed the insurance score on a 24-yard touchdown pass to Kelan Smith.
DEFENSIVE
Prince Robinson, Tarleton State, SR, Kinesiology, CB, Houston, Texas, North Forest HS
Robinson cut loose for the Texans on senior day in Stephenville as the corner back from Houston ended the first half and started the second half with interception returns for touchdowns on back-to-back Midwestern State possessions. On the final Mustang drive of the first half, Robinson picked it off and ran it back 38 yards for the final score of the opening half. After the Tarleton offense started the second-half scoring, Robinson struck again on the Mustang's first drive of the new half when he returned an interception 64 yards for his second touchdown of the day. Robinson totaled over 100 yards (102) in total return yards for the game. He also forced a fumble and added a pass breakup and a tackle. In the 66-7 triumph, Robinson had a hand in three of Tarleton's six turnovers.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Ben Galaviz, UT Permian Basin, SR, Physical Therapy, PR/KR, El Paso, Texas, Canutillo HS
Galaviz came up big on special teams with two fumble recoveries in the 48-38 victory over Eastern New Mexico. His first recovered fumble to start the second quarter was after a punt that deflected off of a Greyhound that he dove on near the sideline. Early in the third quarter, Galaviz pounced on a loose ball on a kickoff return to give the Falcons possession following a touchdown drive that tied the game. He also averaged over 27 yards per kickoff return this past week, returning three kicks for 83 yards.
WEEKLY AWARDS
Offensive
S-9 Daniel McCants, Tarleton State
S-16 Wyatt Strand, Eastern New Mexico
S-23 Miklo Smalls, Texas A&M-Commerce
S-30 Zimari Manning, Tarleton State
O-7 Paul Terry, Eastern New Mexico
O-14 Miklo Smalls, Texas A&M-Commerce (2)
O-21 Triston Williams, Midwestern State
O-28 Daniel McCants, Tarleton State (2)
N-4 Miklo Smalls, Texas A&M-Commerce (3)
Defensive
S-9 Melik Owens, Midwestern State
S-16 Quincy Arceneaux, Eastern New Mexico
S-23 B.J. Jefferson, Tarleton State
S-30 Josh Quinton, Angelo State
O-7 B.J. Jefferson, Tarleton State (2)
O-14 B.J. Jefferson, Tarleton State (3)
O-21 Jai Edwards, Tarleton State
O-28 Mike Jones, West Texas A&M
N-4 Prince Robinson, Tarleton State
Special Teams
S-9 Jaron Imbriani, Midwestern State
S-16 Tobias Harris, West Texas A&M
S-23 Dominique Ramsey, Texas A&M-Commerce
S-30 Donte Ross, Texas A&M-Kingsville
O-7 Justin Manyweather, Eastern New Mexico
O-14 Josh Wilson, Texas A&M-Kingsville
O-21 Tyler Vargas, Eastern New Mexico
O-28 Dominique Ramsey, Texas A&M-Commerce (2)
N-4 Ben Galaviz, UT Permian Basin
SELECTED NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Jeremiah Cooley, UT Permian Basin, had five catches for a career-high 100 yards in UT Permian Basin's 48-38 victory over Eastern New Mexico. His 10-yard touchdown catch in the back of the end zone gave the Falcons a 41-24 lead halfway through the fourth quarter.
Daniel McCants, Tarleton State, continues to dazzle in his senior season for Texan Football. The running back from Killeen recorded his second consecutive 200-yard rushing performance, including 156 in the first half of a 66-7 rout of Midwestern State. McCants joins Derrick Ross as the only Texans in program history to rush for 200 yards in back-to-back weeks. McCants broke two more long touchdown runs to spark the Tarleton offense, including touchdown runs of 36 and 29 yards.
Luis Lopez, Texas A&M-Kingsville, put together his second three-touchdown performance of 2019 in TAMUK's 44-30 road win over Western New Mexico on Saturday. The senior rumbled his way for 122 yards on the ground on 17 attempts and posted his first touchdown from 15 yards out at the end of the first half. His second score capped off a 98-yard drive for the Javelinas late in the third and his final touchdown sealed the win as a turnover deep in WNMU territory was covered up by the Hogs before he punched it in from three yards out. Lopez didn't have a single rushing attempt for negative yardage as he pushed his season totals to 11 touchdowns and 526 yards, both of which lead the team.
Kaleb King, Angelo State, dominated the Rams' running game against Adams State on Saturday, leading the rushers with a 112 net yards. After the Rams defense grabbed an interception late in the fourth quarter, the Blue and Gold offense went one play for 33 yards in 10 seconds with King rushing for the 33-yard touchdown to increase the Rams lead to 41-19 over the Grizzlies. King finished the day with two touchdowns in the Rams 41-21 victory.
Duke Carter IV, West Texas A&M, had another impressive performance in the backfield for the Buffs in their 34-20 defeat to No. 24 Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday afternoon at Buffalo Stadium. The senior carried the ball 20 times for 89 yards including a 17 yarder in the third quarter. On the season, the senior tailback has rushed for 581 yards and five touchdowns on 140 carries.
Chris Hoad, UT Permian Basin, surpassed 500 tackles in his career this past week as UT Permian Basin defeated Eastern New Mexico 48-38. Hoad led the Falcons with 16 total tackles in the victory, including a game-best 10 solo tackles. He added 1.5 tackles for loss for five yards as the Falcons held the Greyhounds to 290 rushing yards, 85 below their season average. Hoad leads the Lone Star Conference and Division II with 131 tackles on the season, 39 more than the second-highest player in the conference, and is averaging 15.6 tackles per game. Hoad's 500 tackles make him the current NCAA active tackles leader across all divisions.
Frank Honang, West Texas A&M, had a game-high 14 tackles in West Texas A&M's 34-20 loss to No. 24 Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday afternoon at Buffalo Stadium. The senior linebacker reached double digit tackles for the sixth time this season as the now has a team-high 101 tackles though nine games.
Terrell Collins, Texas A&M-Commerce, was vital for the Lions in the 34-20 road win over West Texas, leading A&M-Commerce in tackles with 13. He also picked up a key sack in the fourth quarter, pushing the Buffs out of field goal range while the game was tied.
Hunter Kyle, Angelo State, led the Rams defense with a season-high 13 tackles, six of them solo. Kyle helped seal the victory for the Rams with an interception late in the fourth quarter and returned it 12 yards to set the Rams up at the Adams State 33-yard line. As a unit, the defense held the Grizzlies to just nine points in the second half and grabbed four interceptions for 76 yards and six breakups.
Amos Coleman III, Texas A&M-Kingsville, had his first interception as a Javelina on Saturday in a 44-30 road win over Western New Mexico in thrilling fashion as he cut off the pass from C.J. Fowler deep in their own territory and ran the ball back 15 yards to give the Hogs their first lead of the game. He also added four tackles and two pass breakups on the day to go with his first career interception.
Jemal Williams, Texas A&M-Commerce, put the Lions ahead 20-7 in the second quarter of the 34-20 win at West Texas A&M, when he scooped and scored a blocked punt. Jaquorious Smith (Kilgore, Texas/Kilgore) came off the edge and blocked the punt. Williams was also the Lions' leading rusher in the game with 14 carries for 80 yards (5.7 ypc).
Christian Hernandez, Tarleton State, made a 24 yard field goal and nine extra points.