Despite leading at halftime, UT Permian Basin fell just short in their upset attempt of #16 Texas A&M - Commerce, losing 20-17.
The Lions were able to get on the scoreboard first after a 26-yard field goal by Kristov Martinez. The Falcons would get to work on the ensuing drive.Â
Taylor Null would find
Kristian Brown for 47-yards. On the next play, Null would find
Michael Myers from 11 yards out and take the 7-3 lead. The Lions answered with a touchdown of their own. Capping off a drive with a 15-yard run by Carandal Hale to make it 10-7 Lions.
The second quarter the defenses would settle in. In the final two minutes of the quarter, the Falcons scored the first points of the quarter. Myers would keep the drive alive tiptoeing the sideline on a third-and-ten. Null finished the drive with an 11-yard strike in the corner to take the 14-10 lead. After a long kick return, Martinez would add his second field goal of the game for the Lions. Â
Martinez would have an opportunity from 48-yards just before the half, but
Jaques Tyler would get a hand on it and
Jack Lacy returned the loose ball down to the 16. From there
Sergio Landeros would knock it through the uprights to send the game to the half, Falcons up 17-13.
The Lions controlled the ball for most of the second half, but the Falcon defense would keep them in the game. With the Lions driving deep into Falcon territory,
Chris Hoad would fly in to force a fumble where Lacy would recover. After a Falcon punt, the Lions would drive again and set-up a field goal attempt by Martinez. This time a bad snap derailed their scoring chance giving the Falcons back the football. Â
After trading punts, the Lion offense was able to breakthrough and retake the lead. Kane Wilson ran it in from just a yard out to take the 20-17 lead, seconds into the fourth quarter. Both defenses refused to budge with the Falcons hold the Lions four times to force a punt in the fourth quarter. On their final drive of the game, the Falcons would pull a trick play out and Brown's pass was caught by
Baylon Ware at midfield. A penalty and two sacks ended the final Falcon attempt before the Lions just ran out the clock.
Null led the Falcons with 179 yards passing and two scores but was sacked nine times. Brown led the receivers with four catches for 86 yards and a score. Once again
Chris Hoad was all over the field with 17 tackles, while
Keegan Gray added 12 and
Diameon Brewer had 11.
The Falcons wrap-up their season next weekend on the road when they take on Texas A&M - Kingsville at 7 p.m. on Saturday.