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COMMERCE – Tarleton quarterback Nick Stephens hit Saleem Hakim on a 21-yard touchdown pass with 40 seconds left to lift the Texans to a 34-31 victory on Saturday at Texas A&M-Commerce.
The Texan defense held the Lions to just 109 yards in the second half and outscored the Lions 17-7 in the final 30 minutes of action in front of a regional television audience.
“This is a great win for our program,” said Tarleton head coach Cary Fowler. “Our guys never gave up, and they fought to the end. A big part of that last play was Nick Stephens who checked down after seeing the coverage. We fought hard today and got the win.” 
The Texans claimed their second come-from-behind victory in three weeks as the purple and white improved to 2-5 overall while the Lions fell to 2-5 on the season.
The win gave the Texans the possession of the President's Cup - a new tradition that was started this season where the winner of this game will hold the cup until the next meeting. Tarleton president Dr. F. Dominic Dottavio was on hand to receive the cup from the TAMUC president. He then handed it to Fowler and the team.
The Texans opened the game by recovering an onside kickoff. Tarleton took the ball and drove 48 yards on 10 plays. Blake Wiest put the first points on the scoreboard when he connected on a 24-yard field goal.
The Lions took the ensuing kickoff and drove 63 yards on six plays, scoring when Marcus Graham ran it in from 36 yards away. Ahmed Abo-Mahmood had the extra point to make it 7-3.
Chez Thomas intercepted a pass from Tarleton's Nick Stephens and returned it 21 yards to the Texan 29-yardline. Seven plays later, Abo-Mahmood hit a 32-yard field goal to increase the lead to 10-3 in favor of the home team.
The Texans then drove five plays on 81 yards. The touchdown pass was set up by a 49-yard completion from Stephens to Saalim Hakim down to the TAMUC 10-yardline. Jerome Regal then punched it in from six yards out two plays later. The extra point by Wiest tied the score at 10 points apiece.
The Lions then drove the ball 74 yards for their next score, but penalties by the Texans sustained the drive and gave the home team almost 20 extra yards. Jamar Mosley then rushed three yards for a touchdown, and the extra point made it 17-10 Lions.
Tarleton was then forced to punt before Logan Johnson forced an Adam Farkes fumble as he hit the quarterback. Jason Billings recovered the fumble, and Tarleton drove the field. Stephens found Regal for a 21-yard gain before the running back rushed for seven more yards. Stephens then hit Hakim for 35 yards before the quarterback found Jeken Frye on an 11-yard touchdown pass. Wiest hit the extra point to tie the game at 17 with 3:38 left in the first half.
On the next Lion drive, the Texans forced two fourth downs, but on the first, TAMUC rushed for a first down. On the second, facing a fourth and 10 at the Tarleton 41 after what should have been called an intentional grounding, Derek Lee rushed for 35 yards on a fake punt that was snapped to the up-back. Mosley then punched it in from six yards out. The kick made it 24-17 with 39 seconds left in the half.
Tarleton got the ball first in the second half, but the Texans went three and out. Tarleton then forced a punt by the Lions, and the Texans took the ball down the field.
Tarleton faced a third and goal from the four, and Stephens threw a fade pattern to the right side of the field, but the receiver was held – though no penalty was called – and Tarleton was forced to kick. Wiest hit the 20-yard field goal with 1:45 left in the third quarter to cut the deficit to four, 24-24.
Tarleton then took the lead with 11:32 left in the fourth quarter when Robertson ran the ball around the left corner and scored from 21 yards out. Wiest's kick made it 27-24 Texans.
On the next possession for the Lions, London Hamilton got hit behind the line of scrimmage on five different occasions, but he broke each tackle and scored on a 48-yard touchdown run. The kick made it 31-27 with 10:14 remaining in the game.
The two teams traded possessions before Tarleton's defense held and forced a punt, but the TAMUC punt was flubbed by the Texan receiver, though Tarleton recovered the ball at their own eight-yardline. Nine plays later after getting sacked, Stephens hit Hakim for a 21-yard touchdown pass with 40 seconds left in the game. Wiest hit the extra point to make it 34-31.
Tarleton went almost had two interceptions as the Lions tried to drive the field before the home team got a first down. Then on second and 14 from the TAMUC 40, Farkes threw a desperation pass that was intercepted by Dashaun Phillips to ice the game for the Texans at the buzzer.
Tarleton gained 390 yards of total offense, including 110 yards rushing and 280 yards passing. TAMUC gained 224 yards on the ground and 137 yards through the air for a total of 361 yards.
Robertson led the team with 20 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown.
Stephens was 17-of-33 for 280 yards and two touchdowns. He threw an interception that was tipped at the line of scrimmage and caught by the defense.
Frye caught five receptions for 76 yards with a touchdown while Hakim turned in his second straight 100-yard receiving game with four catches for 113 yards.
Terrence Henry and Blair Johnson led the team with seven tackles each. Jamaal Steamer had three tackles for a loss of minus-12 yards, including two sacks for minus eight yards.
Tarleton had nine tackles for a loss of minus 38 yards with three sacks for minus-12 yards. Tarleton had three pass breakups, a blocked punt and a forced fumble with a recovery.
Graham had 21 carries for 127 yards and a touchdown to lead the home team while Farkes was 13-of-30 for 137 yards and an interception. Taylor Fore led the team with three catches for 27 yards.
Danny Mason led the Lions with 11 total tackles, including five solo and six assisted stops. The home team recorded five tackles for a loss of minus-29 yards with two sacks for minus-20 yards.
The Texans will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 23 at home against Texas A&M-Kingsville for Homecoming 2010. Kickoff in Memorial Stadium is set for 6 p.m.
