A&M-COMMERCE 2011 FOOTBALL SEASON RECAP
2011 A&M-Commerce Football Season Statistics
2011 A&M-Commerce Football News Releases
Opening Kick
A&M-Commerce closed out the 2011 season with a 1-9 overall mark and 1-7 in Lone Star Conference play. The Lions finished out the season tied for eighth in the final LSC standings with Eastern New Mexico, one game back of both Angelo State and Incarnate Word for sixth.
Whitfield Named Daktronics All-Super Region Four Second Team Selection
One of the bright spots all season for A&M-Commerce was the play of senior linebacker Cory Whitfield. Whitfield, one of the Lions' team captains, led the team in tackles (103) and tackles for loss (15) and was voted to the Daktronics All-Super Region Four second team, voted on by the regional sports information directors. It marks the second Daktronics All-Region selection for Whitfield, who was also a first team selection in 2009.
Whitfield, Fore Garner All-Lone Star Conference Honors
Senior linebacker Cory Whitfield and senior wide receiver Taylor Fore were both recognized by the Lone Star Conference for their performances on the field during the 2011 season. Whitfield was a first team All-LSC selection at linebacker, marking the second first team All-Conference accolade of his career. Fore was an honorable mention selection, but was also named the Lone Star Conference's Academic Player of the Year. Fore led the group, which recognized the top 11 student-athletes throughout the LSC.
Fore Brothers Named To Capital One Academic All-District Team
Brothers Taylor and Marcus Fore earned a special honor this past fall as both were named to the Capital One Academic All-District Four first team, sponsored by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Both of the Fore brothers played major roles during the season as Taylor led the team in receptions while Marcus was a starter and one of the key players of the Lions' defensive backfield. To be eligible for consideration, student-athletes must be a major contributor to their respective team, boast a GPA above a 3.30 and be at least a sophomore.
Graham Etches His Name in the Lion Record Books
Senior running back Marcus Graham closed out his final season in a Lion uniform in a big way, rushing for a team-best 429 yards on 98 carries with five touchdowns. Graham closes out his collegiate career with 1,990 rushing yards, moving him into eighth-place all-time in Lion history for career rushing yards. Graham exploded into the all-time top-10 in the victory against Eastern New Mexico on Nov. 5, scampering for a career-high 152 yards on 16 carries with a pair of touchdowns. He finishes his career four yards back of both Mike Richardson (1976-78) and Jason Smith (1993-95) for sixth-place all-time and just 10 yards shy of becoming the 10 th Lion to rush for 2,000 career yards. Graham also led the Lions in scoring in 2011, recording seven touchdowns (five rushing and two receiving).
Fore Finishes Fourth All-Time in Career Receptions
Senior wide receiver Taylor Fore has been a constant for the Lions for the past four seasons as a clutch receiver for A&M-Commerce, and fittingly closed out his career ranked fourth all-time in program history for career receptions. Fore led the team with 58 catches in 2011, tying Victor Bennett (2004) for the program's single-season receptions record, and closing out his career with 125 catches, surpassing Hall of Famer Dudley Slice (1971-74) for fourth all-time. Fore racked up 1,549 receiving yards during his career, surpassing the 1,000-yard mark in the season-opener at Upper Iowa.
Whitfield Finishes Lion Career With Dominating Senior Season
Senior linebacker Cory Whitfield made his final season in a Lion uniform count, starting all 10 games while serving as a team captain. After missing the 2010 season with a knee injury, Whitfield returned with something to prove, leading the team in both tackles (103) and tackles for loss (15), ranking second in the Lone Star Conference in tackles per game. He notched double-digit tackle totals in six games in 2011, including tying a career-high with 15 stops in the victory over Eastern New Mexico. Whitfield also tallied 15 tackles for loss, tying for eighth in the conference in tackles per loss per game (1.20). The defensive team captain closes out his A&M-Commerce career with 248 career tackles, 131 of which were unassisted. He posted 30.5 tackles for loss for over 100 yards while registering six sacks. Whitfield had three interceptions for the Lions, returning two of them for touchdowns, including his 100-yard pick-six against A&M-Kingsville on October 1 - the longest interception return in program history. He also had a fumble return for a touchdown against Northeastern State in 2009.
Harp Posts Big Numbers For Lions in 2011
Junior quarterback J.J. Harp posted some big numbers for the Lions in 2011 following his redshirt season in 2010 after transferring from Eastern New Mexico. Harp completed 160 of his 260 passing attempts for 1,634 yards and 10 touchdowns. Harp's 61.5 completion percentage on the year ranks fourth all-time in program history for a single season, one percentage point back of James Gray's 62.5 percent in 1952. Harp started six games under center for A&M-Commerce, throwing for over 250 yards in four of those starts, including a pair of 300-yard performances. He completed 24 of his 34 passes (70.6 percent) with three touchdowns against his former team on Nov. 5 while completing 32 of 56 for 354 yards and four touchdowns at Tarleton State (Oct. 15). Harp also set the Lions' single-game completion mark at Abilene Christian (Oct. 29) completing 36 of his 59 passes against the Texans for 297 yards and two scores.
Rawlings Bolsters Lion Receiving Corps
Junior transfer Tyler Rawlings proved to be a key addition to the A&M-Commerce receiving corps in 2011. The Snow College transfer ranked third on the team in receptions (33) and was second in receiving yards (453) while catching a team-best four touchdowns. Rawlings had three games with six receptions this season, including a career-best 97 yards with two touchdowns at Tarleton State (Oct. 15). He also racked up 82 receiving yards with a touchdown at Abilene Christian (Oct. 29).
Claggett Impressive in Sophomore Campaign
Sophomore linebacker Matt Claggett was another standout for the Lions in 2011, ranking second on the defensive unit with 67 tackles, including 28 solo stops. Claggett finished third on the team with 10 tackles for loss, including 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
Lions Among Lone Star Conference Leaders
A handful of Lions finished the 2011 season among the Lone Star Conference statistical leaders. On offense, Taylor Fore tied for second in receptions per game (5.8) and 10 th in receiving yards per game (56.1); Jacob O'Neil ranked seventh in scoring average for kickers (3.8 ppg), seventh in field goals made per game (0.50) and sixth in PAT percentage (88.5); Darryll Crummie finished fourth in kick return average (18.9) while teammate Seth Smith ranked sixth (15.2); Cameron Frosch placed eighth in punting average (35.5 yds.). On defense, Cory Whitfield ranked second in tackles per game (10.3) and eighth in tackles per loss (1.20); Matt Claggett tied for seventh in tackles per game (6.7); Danny Mason tied for 25th in tackles per game (5.5) and Tevin Moore ranked 15th in sacks (0.33 per game) and fourth in tackles for loss per game (1.28).
Lions Part of History at Lone Star Football Festival
The 2011 Lone Star Football Festival proved to be a huge success as the trio of LSC football games drew a record crowd of 24,837 to the day-long event. That is the highest single-day attendance in Lone Star Conference history. The game between A&M-Commerce and Midwestern State was the first of three on the day as fourth-ranked North Alabama defeated third-ranked Abilene Christian 23-17 while West Texas A&M upset fifth-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville 42-21 in the late game.
