CSU-Pueblo 23, Texas A&M Commerce 13: ThunderWolves snap Lions' 13-game winning streak

Dreary night ends with an equally dreary result for the No. 1 team in DII.
Cory Hogue

COMMERCE -- The defending DII national champions had their 13-game winning streak snapped as No. 1 Texas A&M-Commerce lost to No. 22 Colorado State-Pueblo 23-13. It is the first non-conference home loss for the Lions since they lost to Delta State on Sept. 12, 2015. CSU-Pueblo held the Lions offense to 180 total yards in the rain as TAMUC could not find any offensive rhythm despite JUCO All-American QB Kane Wilson seeing his first playing time this season. The Commerce defense kept the team in the game despite the Thunderwolves being able to start four drives in Lion territory in the second half. 

Special Teams Mistakes

Texas A&M-Commerce is known for being solid on special teams. Tonight was a different story as three special teams fumbles led to 10 points and multiple momentum shifts for CSU-Pueblo in the second half. The Lions had fumbles on two kickoff returns in the third quarter, and a mishandled snap on a punt led to a touchdown for the Thunderwolves. CSU-Pueblo used a 30-yard run on a fake punt to maintain a critical drive with just under five minutes left in the game. Texas A&M-Commerce also used two timeouts on fourth down prior to the fake punt with one time out called because they did not have enough men on the field. 

Important Game

Texas A&M-Commerce and Colorado State-Pueblo currently reside in Super Region Four in the NCAA DII playoff system. There are currently nine ranked teams and two teams receiving votes in the current AFCA poll from Super Region Four. One loss does not typically keep a team from the playoffs, but the Lions will need to rebound quickly as they still have some tricky conference games ahead. This win will certainly bolster the resume for CSU-Pueblo after they lost last week to No. 17 Colorado School of Mines.

Tough Road Ahead

After hosting Lock Haven next week, the Lions will face two of the toughest teams remaining on their schedule as they travel to Midwestern State on Oct. 6, and host Tarleton State the following week. These games will be crucial for the Lions as they fight for the Lone Star Conference title and a playoff seed. Texas A&M-Commerce cannot afford many more losses if they hope to defend their national championship.

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