Victory at last

Playing in front of a home crowd for the final time in the 2011 season, the A&M-Commerce Lions finally got their first win of the season, riding the powerful legs of senior Marcus Graham to a 60-28 demolishing of Eastern New Mexico on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Graham – one of 10 seniors playing in their last home game – rushed for a season high 152 yards and two scores and also had 46 yards receiving in a game that saw the Lions (1-8, 1-6 LSC) put up more points in a game than any other team in 21 years. Graham improved his career-rushing total to 1,985 yards and jumped into ninth on the school's all-time rushing list.

J.J. Harp faced his former team for the first time since transferring two years ago, and turned in an outstanding performance, completing 24-of-34 passes for 343 yards and three touchdowns – easily the best outing of his career in Commerce.

The Greyhounds (1-8, 1-6 LSC) entered the game with the conference's top passing attack, but ENMU quarterback Wesley Wood was ineffective, hitting on just 15-of-24 passes for 144 yards with one touchdown and an interception.  Wood had averaged 305 yards per game through the air before Saturday, and was benched in the fourth quarter for backup Sawyer Cornelius.

A&M-Commerce reached several milestones in the game including a new record for points in a half (43), eclipsing the old mark of 38 set in 1992. The Lions also scored 30 points in the second period in four different styles: two touchdown runs, a touchdown pass, a blocked punt for a score and a safety.

It didn't take long for the Lions to get on the scoreboard, dialing up a trick play on the first snap of the game to set up Harp's first touchdown pass – a 29-yard strike over the middle to a wide-open Kevin Bevans. However, the extra point was unsuccessful, leaving the Lions with a 6-0 lead just 1:08 into the contest.

Late in the quarter, ENMU took the lead when Tony Valenzuela burst through the Lions defense for a 13-yard score. Michael Cottingham booted the PAT for a 7-6 advantage. But punter Cameron Frosch pinned the Greyhounds back at their own 1 with a beautiful kick, and Danny Mason put the next A&M-Commerce points on the board, when Wood was forced to scramble in his own end zone before throwing the ball directly into Mason's hands for an easy score. Jacob O'Neill banged in the kick for a 13-7 lead with two minutes left in the period.

Wood made up for the mistake on the ensuing possession, finding Chase Kyser across the middle for a 17-yard scoring play, and Cottingham gave the Greyhounds a 14-13 lead with 11 minutes remaining in the half, but it was all A&M-Commerce from that point.

Matt Claggett blocked an ENMU punt and Cortney Craig pounced on it in the end zone to put the Lions up 20-14. Just 45 seconds later, Brynn Roy sacked Wood in the end zone for a safety to make it 22-14. Another 33 seconds later, Darryll Crummie scored on a 7-yard run to make it 29-14, and a big punt return from Taylor Fore set up Graham for a 1-yard plunge to paydirt, making it 36-14 with four minutes left in the first half.

The Greyhounds' final sign of life came on the ensuing kickoff, which Arvin Jackson returned 92 yards for a touchdown to bring ENMU to within two scores at 36-21, but Harp led the offense downfield just before halftime, and connected with Adorian Arthur on a 9-yard pass with 41 seconds on the clock, allowing the Lions to go into the break with a 43-21 lead.

Wesley Wood scored on a 1-yard run early in the third period for the last ENMU points, but O'Neill added a 39-yard field goal to make it 46-28, and Harp later fired a bomb to Seth Smith for an 80-yard score, the first TD of Smith's collegiate career. The 80-yard play was also the Lions' longest play from scrimmage this season.

In the final period, Graham ripped off a 50-yard run, catapulting him into the top 10 on the all-time rushing list, and setting up his second score, this time from seven yards out, and the final touchdown of the game.

The 60 points was the most scored by the Lions since they put up 63 in a 1990 win over Abilene Christian.  The Lions will take that momentum into their final game of the 2011 season, facing West Texas A&M on the road Saturday at 1 p.m.