Talented A&M-Commerce squad invades Saturday
10/29/2015 11:10:00 AM | Football
Texas A&M-Commerce, an old foe of the Bearkats with a different name, invades Elliott T. Bowers Stadium for a non-conference football tilt Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
According to Sam Houston head coach K. C. Keeler it's fitting the game is being played on Halloween because the Lions are “scary good.”
Texas A&M-Commerce is ranked No. 8 in the NCAA Division II national rankings this week. The Lions stand 7-1 and already have clinched the Lone Star Conference championship
“They will be one of the top three offenses we see all year,” Keeler said. “They had a quarterback who can sling it. The offensive line is as big and physical as ours, two very good running backs and wide receivers are really big athletic kids. Defensively, they're athletic and fly to the ball. They are a good football team.”
Keeler believes his team will not take a non-conference game at this time of the season lightly or be caught looking ahead to big Southland Conference games in the coming weeks.
“All we have to do is switch on the video of these guys and let the players see just how talented and athletic A&M-Commerce really is,” Keeler said.
With Sam Houston's 100th football season approaching the home stretch, it's appropriate that the squad from Commerce, Texas, should visit. The Bearkats and the Lions first met on the gridiron in 1919 when the institution was known as East Texas State.
The pair met as rivals in the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association from 1924 to 1931 and in the Lone Star Conference from 1932 to 1984. When Sam Houston moved up to the NCAA Division I level, the pair met in two more non-conference games.
The Kats and the Lions last meet in 1985 with East Texas winning 40-21. Overall, A&M-Commerce holds a 39 to 23 advantage in the series with one tie.
A&M-Commerce has won 22 Lone Star Conference football championships and made 10 NCAA Division II national playoff appearances.
Quarterback Harrison Stewart is averaging 234.6 yards per game in the air, having completed 126 of 215 passes for 1,877 yards. He has thrown only two interceptions in eight games.
The Lions feature a one-two punch at running back. Richard Cooper is averaging 131.1 yards per game while Theo Wofford owns a 101.5 rushing mean. The two have combined for 11 touchdowns.
Game time Saturday is 6 p.m. at Bowers Stadium. Tickets are available on line now at www.gobearkats.com and at the SHSU athletic ticket office located on the west side of the stadium. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.
