COMMERCE – A three-touchdown deficit in the first quarter proved to be too much for Tarleton State to overcome Saturday night as the Texans dropped their third straight game with a 53-25 loss at Texas A&M-Commerce.
 
The Lions scored on every drive of the opening half, including a pair of touchdowns on their first two offensive drives before Tarleton got on the board with 47-yard field goal from Blake Barnes with 6:38 left in the first quarter.
 
The Barnes field goal was followed up by a Commerce field goal and a blocked punt return for a touchdown on the final play of the opening quarter for a 24-3 score after one.
 
In the second quarter, Commerce scored on each of their first two possessions of the new period to stretch the lead – by only nine after Tarleton blocked an extra point – to 33-3 before the Texans finally found pay dirt with 30 seconds left in the half on a five-yard touchdown pass from Collin Strahan to Clifton Rhodes III.
 
Tarleton held Commerce to just three points in the third quarter and added a touchdown on the final play of the period when Strahan ran in for a score from two yards out.
 
In the final quarter, Tarleton added another touchdown on a 16-yard completion from Eric Mathews to Tyler Wright. However, Commerce scored three times in the final quarter en route to the 53-25 final score.
 
 The 53 points allowed is the most scored against Tarleton since 2010.
 
As a team, Tarleton State ran the ball 25 times for 38 yards with Strahan checking in as the top rusher with 22 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown. Zach Henshaw (5-13) and Cody Burtscher (4-10) combined to run the ball nine times for 23 yards.
 
Strahan was the team's top passer, accounting for 254 yards through the air on 22-43 passing with a touchdown and no interceptions. Meanwhile, Mathews was 10-18 for 95 yards with a pick and a touchdown.
 
Le'Nard Meyers was the top target on the night with a career-high 12 catches for 158 yards while Rhodes III hauled in eight passes for 63 yards. Bubba Tandy added 62 yards on five catches and Wright racked up four catches for 36 yards and a score.
 
Charles Moore led the Texan defense with 11 tackles while Keenan Blair was second on the team with nine, all of which were solo. Tarleton was able to force two fumbles – one from Alex Anderson and the other from Anthony Gonzales – but were unable to recover either one.
 
Tarleton State will return home next weekend for Homecoming weekend when they host Texas A&M-Kingsville for a 6 p.m. showdown at Memorial Stadium in Stephenville.