West Texas A&M will begin its 2010 season with a nationally televised game at Grand Valley State on Thursday, Sept. 2.  The game will be shown live by CBS College Sports in high definition at 7 p.m.   This is the fifth time an LSC team was selected to be part of the Division II and CBS College Sports Network package.  Last year, WT won its last six games, including a 31-25 victory over Nebraska-Omaha in the Lower Kanza Bowl in Topeka, Kansas. GVSU reached the 2009 Division II championship game against Northwest Missouri State last year before falling, 30-23. The Lakers have won two national titles since 2005 and reached the national semifinals in 2007.

 

Due to the addition of Incarnate Word, all 14 LSC football teams will play 10 conference games with four crossover and six division contests.  Previously, each team counted only nine games in the conference standings and due to unequal teams in the divisions, three South Division teams played a crossover game that did not count in the standings.

 

The LSC will play 13 non-conference games this year including five this week, six in week two and two more in week four.  Games are scheduled against opponents from the Mid-America Intercollegiate (MIAA), Great Lakes Intercollegiate, Gulf South, Northern Sun and Rocky Mountain conferences along with the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision and NAIA ranks.  Below is the breakdown:

      MIAA (5): Emporia State at Southwestern Oklahoma; Pittsburg State at Central Oklahoma; Texas A&M-Kingsville at Northwest Missouri State; Abilene Christian at Washburn; East Central at Fort Hays State

      GLIAC (1): West Texas A&M at Grand Valley State

      GSC (1): Southeastern Oklahoma at Henderson State 

      NSIC (1): Upper Iowa at Texas A&M-Commerce

      RMAC (1): Midwestern State at New Mexico Highlands

      NAIA (2): Langston at Incarnate Word; Southern Nazarene at Eastern New Mexico

      DIVISION I FCS (2): Northeastern State at North Dakota; Tarleton State at Northwestern State

 

The LSC has added a new member and 14th football team with the addition of Incarnate Word.  The Cardinals will play in the South Division, while Eastern New Mexico moves to the North resulting in seven teams for each.  UIW’s first LSC game will be a crossover tilt at Southeastern Oklahoma on Sept. 11.  Head coach Mike Santiago leads the team in the program’s second year.

 

FOOTBALL QUICK HITS

LSC set to kick off 78th year of football in 2010.

Four LSC teams earned top-25 rankings -- No. 7 Abilene Christian, No. 11 West Texas A&M, No. 16 Texas A&M-Kingsville and No. 19 Midwestern State -- in the American Football Coaches Association Preseason Poll, while four others - Texas A&M-Commerce, Tarleton State, Angelo State and Southeastern Oklahoma - are all receiving votes.

101 All-LSC players, including 51 in the North Division and 50 in the South, from a year ago return to the gridiron in 2010.

In week 1 the LSC had one quarterback throw for 300-plus yards, two receivers and one rusher over the century mark and six double-digit tacklers.  Top performances included:

                        Passing: 391, Wesley Wood (41-57-0), ENMU vs Southern Nazarene

                        Rushing: 15-111, Josh Birmingham, UCO vs Pittsburg State

                        Receiving: 10-126, Jesse Poku, ENMU vs Southern Nazarene

                        Tackles: 18, Anthony Laws, SWOSU vs Emporia State

 

Wesley Wood, Eastern New Mexico University, SO, QB, Muleshoe, Texas/Muleshoe HS

Wood passed for 391 yards and seven touchdowns, which tied the LSC record, in leading the Greyhounds to a 59-21 win over visiting Southern Nazarene. He completed over 71 percent of his passing attempts and rushed for 51 yards to post 442 yards of total offense.

Kalisch turned in a stellar game for the Hounds against Southern Nazarene, registering two sacks, including one in the first quarter, while the game was still in doubt. He finished with 10 tackles, including seven solo stops and one quarterback hurry.

Chris Robbs, University of Central Oklahoma, SO, K, Dallas, Texas/Bishop Lynch HS

Robbs made all four kicks and scored eight points in UCO’s season-opening 31-20 loss to Pittsburg State, hitting both field goal tries and both extra point attempts. The sophomore place-kicker had two PATs in the first half as the Bronchos took a 14-7 lead and he came back with field goals of 39 yards late in the third quarter and 36 yard with 10:06 left to play to give UCO a 20-17 lead after PSU had surged in front.