Date: October 30, 2021
Time: 4 PM
Where: Memorial Stadium, Commerce, Texas
Weather: 71 degrees and sunny, wind 7 mph
Watch: Lone Star Conference Digital Network
Listen: Rock 95.1 FM
Follow Along: Live Stats
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The Falcons are still alive in the hunt for a Lone Star Conference championship and in control of their destiny down the stretch.  If the Falcons win out they'll finish with one-loss in LSC play and hold the head-to-head tiebreakers over Midwestern State.  This weekend they Falcons face a huge challenge in Texas A&M – Commerce, voted the preseason LSC favorite.  Both teams head into Saturday tied for second place in the LSC at 3-1.
 
Scouting the Opponent
The preseason favorite in the Lone Star Conference welcomes the Falcons, who received the second most first place votes in the preseason polls.  Back under center for the Lions is LSC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Miklo Smalls, who missed the first five games recovering from an injury.  In three games, Smalls has only thrown for 603 yards and three scores and has been picked off four times. 
The Lions win the game on the ground and with defense.  This season they are averaging 167.5 yards per game on the ground and rushed for 17 touchdowns.  They are susceptible through the air, throwing eight interceptions on the season.
This might be one of the best defensive units in Division II.  The Lions are only allowing 13.9 points per game this season and that number is even lower in their five wins, allowing just 5.0 per game.
 
Restarting the Streak
Falcon Football restarted their Division II winning streak after having it snapped at 10 at Angelo State. Overall the team has still won of 12 of their last 15 games.  In the spring of 2021, the Falcons went 5-0 and re-wrote the record books along the way.  The Falcons won five games in a season for the first time in program history and set a record for the longest winning streak to start a season.   During this hot streak the Falcons have:
· Tied for the largest comeback in program history (14)
· Scored the most points in program history (75)
· Set the largest margin of victory (75)
· First shutout
· First overtime game and win
· Beat West Texas A&M and Midwestern State for the first time
 
Best in Class
Since stepping onto the field in the spring, MJ Link has been one of the best players in Division II football.  Last week, the junior broke the single season record for receiving touchdowns with a pair against Eastern New Mexico.  The junior has eight touchdowns on the season and has been held out of the end zone only once.  He is just one behind Kristian Brown and Mitchell Leonard who hold the career record with 14 each.  Link is just 157 yards away from breaking the single season yards record.
 
Ground and Pound
The Falcons have completely remade their rushing attack from the spring.  That team averaged 74.8 yards per game and finished with 374 total on the ground.  So far in 2021, the Falcons have averaged 150.3 per game and 1,052 total yards.
 
A major reason is the combo of Nathan Tilford and Jayvon Davis.  Tilford, a transfer from Arizona, and Davis, a true freshman, are the perfect duo in the Falcon backfield.  Davis leads the way with 448 yards while Tilford is just behind with 393.  Davis has found the end zone five times this season, just one off the single season record, and returned a kick for a score.  Against Lincoln the freshman became the second player in program history to score three touchdowns in a single game.
 
Getting Defensive
The Falcon defense has been stout at home this season.  The unit has only allowed 14 points and 423 yards over the last two games.  They have forced 12 turnovers this season in the Permian Basin and made life difficult for opponents. 
 
Derrian Forge was the hero last week.  The junior picked off two passes and returned one for six to seal the Falcons win over Eastern New Mexico while leading the team with seven tackles. Forge and the defense held the Greyhounds to zero points, six first downs, and 120 yards of offense in the second half. In that half the defense was terrific on third down, as the Greyhounds were held to 1-for-7.
 
Home Cooking
The Falcons have turned the Permian Basin into a tough place for opposing teams in recent years.  Since 2018 the Falcons are 12-5 at Ratliff and Grande Stadium.  The last two seasons the Falcons are 10-2 and winners of eight straight home games.  During the streak the Falcons have gotten back to a .500 record all-time at home.
 
Closing Time
Give the Falcons a lead and they won't look back.  All-time the Falcons are 16-2 with a halftime lead and 19-3 with a lead after three quarters. 
 
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