Lone Star Conference action continues this week with four league contests and one non-conference game. Angelo State and Tarleton State both remain unbeaten at 4-0 overall and 2-0 in LSC games. The Texans host the Rams this week.
LSC football teams are 22-13 overall this season. The squads are 5-2 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 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 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 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
Zimari Manning, Tarleton State, SR, Kinesiology, WR, Long Beach, Calif., LB Wilson HS
Manning was unstoppable for the #4 Tarleton Texans as the senior wide receiver set a new school record with 257 receiving yards on seven catches with three touchdowns in Tarleton’s 49-7 rout of UT Permian Basin Saturday night. Manning sparked the offense with a mammoth first quarter as he hauled in three passes – all touchdowns – for 199 yards in the opening quarter of the game. He broke Tarleton’s record for receiving yards in a game, previously held since 1994 by Colin Yocom and became the first Texan since 2010 with over 200 yards in a game. Manning broke off a 33-yard catch-and-run on the third play of the game and then struck for touchdown runs of 77 and 74 yards later in the quarter.
DEFENSIVE
Josh Quinton, Angelo State, SR, Intelligence and Analysis, LB, Lubbock, Texas, Lubbock Cooper HS
Quinton was a force on the Angelo State defense in the upset of Midwestern State. He led the team with eight total tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery and one interception. Quinton’s fumble recovery set ASU up at the MSU seven-yard line leading to a quick score to start the fourth quarter. Then he stopped another MSU drive in the fourth quarter with a pick. The Rams defense limited MSU to 218 total yards of offense and negative-3 yards rushing on 20 attempts. MSU was shutout until the final two minutes of the 28-6 victory. This season, Quinton ranks third on the team with 22 total tackles, 10 solo and 12 assisted. He has tallied 4.5 tackles for loss for 17 yards.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Donte Ross, Texas A&M-Kingsville, SR, Interdisciplinary Studies, PR/KR, Palmdale, Calif., Highland HS (Kent State)
Ross was a spark in both the offensive and special teams’ portion of the contest against Eastern New Mexico. He returned a punt 48 yards for a score midway through the third quarter to put the Javelinas up by 14 before the Greyhounds mounted their comeback. It was the first punt return touchdown by a Javelina in nearly 10 years as the last to accomplish the feat was Corey Robertson on October 31, 2009, against Abilene Christian. Ross is second in the league with 158 punt return yards and is one of two on the leaderboard with a touchdown.
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
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
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
SELECTED NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Donte Ross, Texas A&M-Kingsville, was a spark for the Javelinas in their 48-34 loss to ENMU in league action on Saturday. The senior transfer from Kent State brought in eight catches for 151 yards, his first 150-yard game in the Blue and Gold, and added one touchdown in the third quarter. Overall he finished with 242 all-purpose yards as he added another 91 on special teams.
Keke Chism, Angelo State, helped the ASU Rams upset No. 14 Midwestern State this past weekend. He received six passes for 129 yards with two touchdowns. The Daingerfield native has helped ASU to be the No. 1 red zone offense with his powerful performances. Chism averages 110.75 yards per game and has accumulated 443 yards so far on the season with five touchdowns to lead the Rams offense.
Wyatt Strand, Eastern New Mexico, rushed for 195 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns to lead the Greyhounds to 515 yards rushing in a 48-34 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday night. Strand sparked a 14-point comeback for the Hounds midway through the third quarter on a 19-yard touchdown run and then put the Hounds ahead with 9:11 remaining in the game with a 10-yard passing touchdown to Zachery Fields. The Logan, N.M. native completed 5-of-7 passes through the air for 49 yards to guide Eastern New Mexico to 564 yards of total offense for the week.
Duke Carter IV, West Texas A&M, ran for a season-high 106 yards in WT's 45-21 victory over Western New Mexico on Saturday evening at Buffalo Stadium. The senior eclipsed the 100-yard plateau for the second time this season and fifth time in his career on 17 carries while scoring a pair of touchdowns as the Buffs improved to 2-0 at the new on-campus stadium. He also went over the 1,000-yard mark for his career as a Buff.
CJ Fowler, Western New Mexico, was 30-of-49 with 344 passing yards, for his second consecutive game throwing over 300-yards this season against West Texas A&M. His three touchdowns are a season best.
Tre'Michael Tutt, Texas A&M-Kingsville, broke a school record that stood for over 35 years on Saturday in the loss to ENMU as he totaled 22 tackles on the evening to lead the Javelina defensive effort. The original school record of 21 tackles was set on September 15, 1984, by Robert Soza against Nevada and matched by Chris Hensley on December 2, 1995, against Pittsburg State. Tutt leads the team in tackles with 49 and is second in the conference in that category.
Chris Hoad UT Permian Basin, tied his career high with 19 tackles for the fourth time in his career against #4 Tarleton. It ranks as the second-most tackles in a game this season, and he now has the second through fourth most tackles in a game in the Lone Star Conference in 2019. Hoad currently leads the conference with 52 tackles through four games and is the current NCAA leader across all divisions with 421 career tackles.
Roosevelt Calhoun Jr., Western New Mexico, continued to rack up tackles this weekend, tallying 14 against West Texas A&M, 10 of which were solo. He leads the Mustangs defense with 27 solo tackles, 45 total on the season.
Frank Honang, West Texas A&M, recorded a season-high 13 tackles as part of Buffs defense that shutout Western New Mexico in the first half en route to 45-21 victory on Saturday evening at Buffalo Stadium. The senior linebacker also recorded 1.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble in the Buffs first Lone Star Conference win of the season.
Prince Robinson, Tarleton State, stole the show in the second half of #4 Tarleton’s 49-7 rout of UT Permian Basin in Odessa Saturday night. In addition to his work on the special teams unit – on which he returned two punts for 60 yards and set up Tarleton’s offense for a five-yard scoring drive – Robinson also had five tackles and two interceptions on the defensive side, including the final score of the night. Robinson intercepted his first pass of the season in the end zone to keep the Falcons off the board in the second half and turn things over the Texan offense, which marched down the field in 10 plays for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Robinson handled business himself on his second pick of the night by returning it 12 yards to pay dirt for the final score of the evening and a 49-7 score. It was Robinson’s first interceptions of the year and moved him into a three-way tie for the third-most interceptions in school history (7). With Robinson leading the way, Tarleton held UT Permian Basin to just 318 total yards on the night and only 161 on 31 attempts in the air.
Charles Countee, Eastern New Mexico, recorded four tackles, one of which was for a loss, and produced a key interception with less than five minutes to go in the ball game to ensure a 48-34 come-from-behind victory for Eastern New Mexico. Countee returned that interception 21 yards to set up the Greyhound offense with 4:32 remaining on the clock for their final possession of the evening and captained the Greyhound defense to four second half turnovers.
Andrew Gomez, Texas A&M-Commerce, was a key cog in the Lions' special teams at CSU-Pueblo, averaging 46.6 yards per punt with three over 50 yards and a net of 45.9 yards per punt. The junior's swirling 45-yarder in the second quarter was fumbled by the Pueblo return man and recovered in the end zone for a Lion touchdown. Gomez leads the conference and ranks eighth in the nation in punting (44.1 yards/punt), and the Lions lead the LSC and rank 13th in the nation in net punting (40.33 yards/punt).
Tyler Vargas, Eastern New Mexico, averaged 42.7 yards a punt and connected on both field goal attempts in the Hound's 48-34 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville. Vargas connected on field goals from 30 yards and 39 yards and converted on all six PAT attempts for the game. The San Diego, Calif. native also kicked off nine times, four of which were downed in the end zone for a touch back.
Christian Hernandez, Tarleton State, was a perfect 7-7 on extra point attempts for Tarleton in a 49-7 win over UT Permian Basin.
Tobias Harris, West Texas A&M, was once again a difference maker of the Buffs on special teams in their 45-28 win over Western New Mexico on Saturday evening. The nation's leader in punt return average recorded five kicks for 156 yards including a 37-yard punt return in the fourth quarter that sets up one of three redone touchdowns for WT.