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COMMERCE - The Tarleton Texans (2-3, 2-2 LSC) are back on the road this weekend and back to Lone Star Conference action as the team faces A&M-Commerce this Saturday, Oct. 13, at Memorial Stadium in Commerce. Kickoff between the Lions and Texans is set for 6 p.m.

QUICK HITS

THE SERIES

Tarleton is 10-9 all-time when playing against the Lions. The Texans have won three-straight over A&M-Commerce, which includes winning the past two President's Trophy contests against the Lions.

A&M-Commerce's last win over the Texans came back on Sept. 23, 2006, when the Lions downed the Texans 14-13 in Commerce. Prior to that particular victory, A&M-Commerce's last win against Tarleton head come back in 1996.

HEAD COACH CARY FOWLER

Tarleton head coach Cary Fowler is in his third year at the helm of the Texan Football program. Fowler took over the team in January 2010 after then-head coach Sam McElroy departed to Texas Tech for an assistant coaching position.

Fowler went just 3-8 with the Texans in his first campaign as head coach in 2010. But the team and his coaching staff bounced back in 2011 with a 6-5 mark, which included going 5-3 in Lone Star Conference play and winning its final five games of the regular-season.

Fowler heads into this weekend's game with an overall record of 11-16. This will be his first contest across the sidelines from Delta State

A&M-C HEAD COACH GUY MORRISS

A&M-Commerce's Guy Morriss is in his fourth season as the head coach of the Lions. In his first season with the Lions, Morriss led his team to 5-0 mark in Lone Star Conference North Division play en route to its first-ever outright divisional title. Since that time though, Morriss has went just 5-20 over the last three seasons.

The former head coach at Baylor University from 2003-2007 and the University of Kentucky from 2001-2002, Morriss brings an impressive background that includes a 15-year playing career in the NFL. Morriss attended Sam Houston High School in Arlington and later Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, where he was a three year letterwinner and two-time All-Southwest Conference selection. The Horned Frogs' team captain, he was selected to play in four all-star games following his senior season (Blue-Gray Game, Senior Bowl, Coaches' All-America Game and College All-Star Game). Morriss was inducted into the TCU Hall of Fame in 1997.

Morriss was a second-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1973 where he played 11 seasons at center in the city of Brotherly Love. A five-time team captain, he helped the Eagles to four consecutive playoff berths (1978-82) under coach Dick Vermeil, as Philadelphia won the NFC East title in 1979 and 1980. Morriss was the starting center on the Eagles' 1980 NFC Championship team, quarterbacked by Ron Jaworski, and played in Super Bowl XV.

Morriss then played for New England from 1984 to 1987, helping lead the Patriots to the playoff appearances in 1985 and 1986, playing in Super Bowl XX.

LAST WEEK

Tarleton dropped its first home game of the season last week as Delta State won the game on a 33-yard field goal as time expired. The Texans led 28-15 heading into the game's final quarter, but the Statesmen battled back to score 23 points in the fourth while holding Tarleton to just a touchdown.

For the first time this season, the Texans did not have an individual tally at least 100 yards rushing and it also led to Tarleton rushing for just 92 yards total as a team against DSU. It was the first time since last season's finale against Angelo State that the team was held to less than 100 yards rushing.

Aaron Doyle completed 27 of his 39 passes for a game-high 293 yards and a career-high four touchdowns, but his two interceptions led to a touchdown and the game-deciding field goal for the Statesmen.

SCOUTING THE LIONS

A&M-Commerce is just 1-4 overall and 1-2 in Lone Star Conference play on the season after dropping a 31-9 contest to Incarnate Word last Saturday.

The Lions offense ranks 146th out of 158 team nation-wide, netting just 247.2 yards per game. The team ranks 149th in the nation as it averages just 13.2 points per contest.

A&M-Commerce ranks 141st against the rush, but is a top-10 team when it comes to defending the pass. The Lions are giving up just 161.00 yards through the air, which also leads the LSC.

Deric Davis has completed 81 of his 150 passes for 860 yards and six touchdowns. He has thrown four interceptions and comes into Saturday's contest with a quarterback efficiency of 110.0. He averages 172.0 passing yards per game as well.

Jamar Mosely leads the team on the ground with 124 yards rushing, but Davis leads the squad with three rushing touchdowns.

Linebacker Danny Mason leads the team in tackling with 54 total tackles, which also includes seven tackles for loss and three and a half sacks on the season. Mason ranks 21st in the nation in tackles so far in 2012.

SPREADING THE WEALTH

Tarleton quarterback Aaron Doyle completed passes to nine different receivers against Delta State last week. Doyle has found 13 different receivers this season and has found at least 10 different receivers in a game for three of his five games.

SMITH NEARING 500 YARDS ON THE GROUND

Junior running back Vaughn Smith heads into Saturday's contest needing just 114 yards to get over the 500-yard rushing hump. Should Smith reach the 500-yard plateau, he would become the 11th-straight Texan to reach the barrier. Tarleton has had at least one, 500-yard rusher in 15 out of the last 16 seasons.

HOLDING OFF JOHNNY WISHBONE

Tarleton's defense stymied ENMU's wishbone offense a few weeks ago, allowing the Greyhounds to just 139 yards on the ground. In the two previous games heading into its meeting with Tarleton, ENMU rushed for 301 yards against Sul Ross State and 244 yards against UIW.

ON THE RHODES AGAIN

Clifton Rhodes III (WR, So, Fort Worth) has a pair of 100-yard receiving games this season. The sophomore wideout had 10 catches for 111 yards two weeks ago against Eastern New Mexico. He also tallied nine catches for 106 yards the previous week against Abilene Christian.

Rhodes had four 100+ yard receiving games last season, giving him six total in his young career.

GIVE ME FIVE... HUNDRED

The Texan offense has accumulated over 500 yards of total offense twice this season. Tarleton tallied a season-high 564 yards against Eastern New Mexico and 556 yards against Abilene Christian.

PUNT THIS

Isaac Arellano (K, So, Euless) was forced to punt the ball seven times last weekend in Canyon, which he booted for a total of 330 yards. That also included a season-long punt of 55-yards.

On the season, Arellano is averaging an LSC-best 45.2 yards per game and has just two punts that went for touchbacks.

COMING OFF A LOSS

The Texans are now 1-1 this season when coming off a sloss. Tarleton went 2-3 following a loss last season and since the 2007 season, Tarleton is 11-8 in its next contest after falling the week before.

HONORED BY THE LSC 

Following Tarleton's first week of play, two Texan players earned Lone Star Conference Player of the Week accolades.  On the offensive side of the ball, Jerome Regal got the nod for his 33-carry, 152-yard and two touchdown perfomance.  Defensively, Marquis Wadley showed why he was the leading tackler in the LSC in 2011.  The junior from Mesquite had a game-high 12 tackles, seven of which were solo, and picked off Kelsey's pass with 47 seconds to go on the game-tying drive attempt.

LSC LEADERS

Tarleton's Vaughn Smith ranks second in the league in rushing yardage per game. The junior averages 85.2 yards per game, just 20.0 yards shy of LSC-leader, Keidrick Jackson of Midwestern State.

Aaron Doyle (QB, JR, Evant) averages 237.5 yards passing on the season, which ranks him third behind West Texas A&M's Dustin Vaughan and Abilene Christian's Mitchell Gale. Vaughan leads the conference with 326.2 yards through the air.

Clifton Rhodes III averages 6.0 catches per contest, which is good enough for second in the league behind WTAMU's Torrence Allen. Allen leads the LSC with 6.2 catches per game.

UP NEXT FOR THE TEXANS

Tarleton returns home to host Texas A&M-Kingsville in its 52nd Homecoming contest since 1961. The Texans are 29-22 in Homecoming games, which includes winning three of the last four. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. in Stephenville.