Box Score COMMERCE – The Tarleton Texan defense held the A&M-Commerce Lions to just 20 yards rushing and Texan kicker Blake Barnes (K, Fr, Stephenville) tied a school record with five field goals as the Texans (3-3, 3-2 LSC) defeated the Lions (1-5, 1-3 LSC) 46-10 in Lone Star Conference action at Memorial Stadium in Commerce on Saturday.
 
The game was delayed for more than one hour and 40 minutes due to lightning in the area, but the Texans held strong for its first road victory of the season on the way to the 36-point win. The win also marked the third President's Trophy victory for the Texans since the rivalry for the trophy began in 2010.
 
Following A&M-Commerce's first possession of the game that went three-and-out, the Texans set the tone of the game early, going for it on 4^th-and four in Tarleton's first possession of the game. Aaron Doyle (QB, Jr, Evant) found a wide-open Arthur Buckingham (WR, Sr, Pilot Point) from nine-yards out to pick up the first down and keep the drive alive, which ended with the Texans kicking a field goal to take and early 3-0 lead with 9:03 left to play in the first quarter.
 
On a 4^th-and goal situation from the Lions' one-yard line, Blake Barnes (K, Fr, Stephenville) connected on an 18-yard field goal to complete an 11-play, 57-yard drive that took 4:52 off the clock and give the visiting team the first points of the game.
 
The Texans scored its first touchdown of the contest as time expired in the first quarter when Doyle tossed his 10^th touchdown of the season. Clifton Rhodes III (WR, So, Fort Worth) caught the ball at the 12-yard line and then danced his way into the end zone, breaking a few tackles along the way, to score from 34 yards out and put the Texans up 9-0. Barnes nailed the point-after-attempt and Tarleton led 10-0 heading into the second quarter.
 
The Lions were held scoreless in the first quarter for the sixth time in as many games this season, but finally got on the board with a wind-aided 42-yard field goal from Jacob O'Neil at the 10:48 mark in the second quarter to pull within seven points of the Texans.
 
A&M-Commerce's Paplo Vasquez intercepted Doyle's pass on Tarleton's ensuing possession, which he took back 43-yards into the end zone for the Lions with 9:21 left to play in the half. O'Neil then connected on the PAT as the Lions tied the game 10-10.
 
The Texans would close-out the remainder of the half scoring 13-unanswered points on its final three possessions en route to a 23-10 lead heading into the locker room. The Texans got back on the board with 5:24 left to play when Zach Hensahw (RB, Fr, Fischer) scored from 15 yards out before Barnes' PAT made it a 17-10 game.
 
Barnes then closed out the remainder of the quarter with back-to-back field goals at the 2:37 mark 31 yards out and then again as time expired from 20 yards out, which gave the Texans a 13-point lead at the break.
 
Smith led the Texans on the ground with 47 yards on 13 carries and Frye led the receiving corps with four catches for 67 yards. Doyle completed 15 of his 25 passes for 163 yards and a score.
 
Rufus Johnson (DE, Sr, Dallas) returned to the line-up this week for the Texans and he made his presence known, collecting a team-high five tackles and a sack for the purple and white.
 
Along with Tarleton's defense, Buckingham may have been the other highlight for the Texans in the first half, as he returned three punts for 110 yards, which led to three Tarleton scores. Meanwhile, the Texan defense held the Lions to just 55 total yards on offense through the first two quarters. Johnson and company held A&M-Commerce to just 57 yards through the air, while stopping the rush for a combined minus-two yards.
 
Henshaw took the first handoff of the second half from Tarleton's own 25-yard line and drove the field for 43 yards, which led to a Barnes 29-yard field goal with 11:51 left to play in the third quarter. The three points capped off a nine-play, 62-yard drive that took 3:10 off the clock and give the Texans a 26-10 lead.
 
The Lions looked to have made a desperation touchdown toss from Davis to Garrett Smith around the 5:30 mark in the third quarter, as Davis rolled out to the right following a quarterback hurry from Tarleton's Andre Allen (De, So, Killeen), but the score was called back as Smith was called for offensive pass interference in the end zone on the play. A&M-Commerce was later forced to kick a 46-yard field goal with the wind at its back, but O'Neil's kick was wide left, turning the ball back over to the Texans.
 
The rain began to come down on Tarleton's next possession and lightning interrupted the game, stopping play at the 2:32 mark in the third quarter. The Texans had the ball at the A&M-Commerce 21-yard line with a 4^th-and eight to go situation for the Texans.
 
As the Texans came back onto the field following the stoppage in play, not even a one hour and 40 minute delay could stop Barnes from connecting on his fifth field goal of the evening. Barnes' kick from 39-yards out gave the Texans a 29-10 lead with 2:26 left to play in the third quarter and he tied a Tarleton school record in the process. His fifth field goal of the contest tied Trampas Wilson (Sept. 4, 1993 vs. East Central) and J.W. Boren (Oct. 21, 2000 vs. Abilene Christian) for the school's all-time single-game record.
 
A&M-Commerce drove the field on its next drive to the Tarleton 24-yard line and set up to kick a 31-yard field goal into the wind, but the Lions attempted a fake on the play but the pass attempt from holder Blake Ohm was batted away by a Tarleton defender and turned the ball over on downs.
 
The Lions' next possession was intercepted by Tarleton's Jamal Hale (DB, Jr, Anchorage, Alaska) which he took back 21 yards, but the play was called back 10 yards for a block in the back on the return setting the Texans up with 1^st-and 10 from the A&M-Commerce 18-yard line. The Texans took advantage of the Lion miscue and on the second play of the drive as Henshaw scored his second touchdown of the contest, this time from 25 yards out. Barnes was good on the extra point and Tarleton led 36-10 with 10:49 left to play in the game.
 
The Texans picked off another one of Davis' pass with 5:58 left to play in the game as Devin Figures (DB, Jr, Jefferson) grabbed the ball out of the air at the A&M-Commerce 40-yard line and returned it for 24 yards down to the Lions 16-yard line.
 
Tarleton again took advantage of the turnover with Henshaw capping off a three-play drive on his two-yard touchdown run with 4:58 remaining in the game. Barnes' PAT was good and the Texans pushed its lead to 46-10, which would turn out to be the final score of the game.
 
The Texans got the ball back one more possession, but on 4^th-and long elected to punt the ball deep into A&M-Commerce territory. The Texan defense held the Lions to a turnover on downs and the Tarleton offense just took a knee in the game's final play to secure the win.
 
Tarleton finished the contest netting 424 yards on offense while holding the Lions to just 205 yards, with the majority of them coming in the waning moments of the game. Doyle completed 22 of his 42 passes for 224 yards and the one score, while throwing just one pick in the game. Henshaw led the rushing attack with his second 100+ yard game of this career, netting 119 yards and scoring a career-high three touchdowns on the night. Frye tallied eight catches for 103 yards to lead the Texans in receiving.
 
Johnson led the defense with nine tackles, while Cameron Bridgewater (LB, Sr, Channelview) was in on for seven tackles in the contest. Both players had one and a half sack on the night as well.
 
The Texans picked up 24 first downs in the game and the Lions only managed to get 11. While Tarleton racked up 100 yards rushing in the game, A&M-Commerce was held to just 20 yards on 25 attempts.
 
The Texans return to action next Saturday, Oct. 20, with a home contest against Texas A&M-Kingsville. It will be homecoming for the Texans and kickoff against the Javelinas is scheduled for 6 p.m.