LSC ROUNDUP: Commerce, MSU pick up league wins at Festival

Lonestarconference.org

ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas A&M-Commerce and Midwestern State picked up Lone Star Conference victories in Saturday’s LSC Football Festival at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

Commerce (2-1, 1-0 LSC) ran all over Texas A&M-Kingsville (1-2, 0-1) 55-20 while MSU (2-0, 1-0) ended Eastern New Mexico’s eight-game winning streak dating to last season with a 42-17 decision over the Greyhounds (2-1, 0-1).

In non-league game in the Festival, West Texas A&M (1-2, 0-1) rallied past Shorter (Ga.) 27-19 while Florida Tech edged Tarleton State (1-1) 37-31.

In a separate league contest at San Angelo, Texas, Angelo State (2-0, 1-0) defeated McMurry (0-1, 1-1) 45-6.

Commerce 55, Kingsville 20 — Joe Bergeron rushed for 101 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries and Tu’u Lui intercepted two passes, returning one for a score, as the Lions kept the Chennault Cup from Kingsville for the third consecutive year.

The Lions erased an early 6-0 deficit to build a 38-13 halftime lead. Quarterback Tyrik Rollison went 15-for-21 passing for 196 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.

Trey Mitchell went 9-of-19 for 72 yards and also ran for 42 yards and two scores for the Javelinas.

West Texas A&M 27, Shorter 19 — Connor Hollabaugh hit a 38-yard field goal to give the Buffaloes their first lead late in the third quarter at 20-19. Shorter then fumbled on its next possession and the Buffs converted on a fourth-and-6, 13-yard TD pass from quarterback Preston Rabb to Dimitri McDonald.

The Hawks (2-1), of the Gulf South Conference, had a chance to tie late, but WT’s Markus Pierce-Brewster sacked QB Eric Dodson on the fifth play of the possession to seal the win.

Florida Tech 37, Tarleton State 31 — The Panthers (3-0), in the second year of their program and also members of the GSC, upended the 12th-ranked Texans when Mark Canto connected with Tyler Bass on a 7-yard TD pass with just under four minutes to go.

Cato went 25-for-38 through the air with two TDs and no interceptions, while RB Trevor Sand added 152 yards on 24 carries. Xavier Milton caught nine passes and Gabe Hughes three for Florida Tech, both for 138 yards.

Tarleton QB Collin Strahan went 23-of-49 for 305 yards for the Texans, and also ran for 75 yards on 16 carries. Zach Henshaw rushed 16 times for 84 yards, while Bubba Tandy caught seven passes for 154.

Angelo State 45, McMurry 14 — The Rams built a 24-0 halftime lead and cruised over the War Hawks, fulfilling a one-year commitment to the LSC after going up from Division III, then deciding to go back down last spring.

Angelo State finished with 322 total yards, as quarterback Kyle Washington went 14-for-16 for 137 yards and two touchdowns, while backup QB Warren Truesdale also threw for a pair of scores. Meantime, Paul Mason intercepted a tipped pass in the ASU end zone and returned it a school-record 103 yards for a touchdown.

QB Matt McHugh threw for both touchdowns for the War Hawks.