CLEVELAND, Miss. – The No. 8 Texas A&M University-Commerce Lions scored 23 consecutive points to push to a 40-28 win over Delta State University at Parker Field on Saturday night.
 
With the key win, the Lions move to 2-0 on the season, while dropping the Statesmen to 1-1.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- A&M-Commerce quarterback Luis Perez completed 17-of-23 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns to lead a Lions offense which did not turn over the ball all night.
- Richard Cooper carried the ball 22 times for 87 yards with touchdowns of 9 and 8 yards.
- Lance Evans had four receptions for 123 yards and a 66-yard touchdown.
- Linebacker Hatari Byrd had 11 solo tackles and an interception with a 26-yard return
- The Lions' defense did not allow DSU to score with quarterback Tyler Sullivan on the field, picking off the Harlon Hill candidate three times.
- In addition to Byrd, Garrett Blubaugh and D.J. White picked Sullivan off.
- Kristov Martinez was perfect in the kicking game with field goals of 38 and 35 yards as well as four PATs.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions opened the scoring on the first drive of the night, as Kristov Martinez capped off an 11-play, 54-yard drive with a 38-yard field goal.
 
Hatari Byrd intercepted a pass on Delta State's first series and returned it the to the Statesmen 9-yardline. Cooper ran around the right end for a touchdown on the ensuing play to make it a 10-0 game with 10:02 left in the opening quarter.
 
After Delta State drove 58 yards for a touchdown, the Lions were set up in great field position by a 48-yard kickoff return by Buck Wilson. Cooper punched it in from eight yards out on the fourth play of the drive to push the lead to 17-7 with 6:38 left in the first quarter.
 
Delta State scored the next two touchdowns on Chris Robinson carries of 1 and 2 yards to make it a 21-17 lead for the hosts with 8:45 left in the half.

The Lions retook the lead with 7:10 to play in the half on a 66-yard touchdown pass from Luis Perez to Lance Evans, making it a 24-21 lead that would remain into the halftime break.
 
A&M-Commerce kept the heat on in the second half while shutting the Statesmen down. Gabe Rodriguez came in for a short yardage situation and scored a 3-yard touchdown to cap a 7-play, 88-yard drive and make it a 31-21 Lion lead with 9:38 left in the third quarter.
 
Martinez drilled a 35-yard field goal just before the end of the third quarter and the next Lion drive ended on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Perez to Wilson, making it a 40-21 lead with just under 10 minutes in the fourth quarter.
 
DSU scored a touchdown with a backup quarterback running the offense, but the Lion defense stepped up and forced the hosts to turn the ball over on downs twice in the final four minutes.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions head west to Eastern New Mexico for their Lone Star Conference opener on Saturday, September 17. Kickoff at the new Greyhound Stadium on the ENMU campus is set for 1 p.m. Mountain Time.