Lone Star Conference power rankings: The LSC flexes its muscle on opening weekend

West Texas A&M running back Brandon Blair races in for a touchdown against Azusa Pacific last Saturday. [Ben Jenkins/ Press Pass Sports]

1. Tarleton (1-0): The No. 5-ranked Texans opened some major eyes in a 37-26 win over Division I (FCS) for Stephen F. Austin State, spoiling the home debut of new head coach Colby Carthel. Tarleton put up a school-record 667 yards of offense. QB Ben Holmes threw for 372 yards with two TD tosses.

2. MSU-Texas (1-0): Tarleton wasn’t the only ones making noise in the LSC in week 1. MSU-Texas rolled Division I (FCS) Norwthestern State, 33-7. Quarterback Zach Purcell made a heck of a debut, tossing three touchdown passes, completing 26 of 40 for 323 yadds

3. E. New Mexico (1-0): Running back Johnny Smith scored on a 6-yard run late in the fourth quarter to lift the Greyhounds past Missouri S&T, 35-28. Randall graduate and ENMU senior Paul Terry ran for a career-high 189 yards with three scores.

4. A&M-Commerce (1-0): Coach David Bailiff earned his first win with the Lions, handing a beating to Selección Nuevo León. QB Miklo Smalls was a perfect 4 of 4 for 104 yards with three TDs in limited action. Canyon graduate and linebacker Dayne Douglass had five tackles.

5. W. Texas A&M (1-0): The Buffs opened their brand new on-campus stadium in style by rolling over Azusa Pacific 35-16. WT snapped a four-game losing skid to the Cougars while winning their first season opener in 6 years. The defense was impressive, holding APU to under 300 yards of offense. Linebacker Frank Honang finished the historic night with 11 tackles.

6. Angelo State (1-0): Jeff Girsch picked up his first win as the head coach of the Rams, 45-20, at home against Western Oregon. Quarterback Payne Sullins helped the Girsch era get off on the right foot going 20 of 24 for 210 yards, tossing three touchdown passes.

7. UTPB (1-0): The Falcons shattered the school’s single game scoring record in a route of Wayland Baptist, 60-7. Former Bushland Falcons QB and UTPB senior Kameron Mathis had a successful start

throwing for two touchdown passes.

8. A&M Kingsville (0-1): Five turnovers doomed the Javelinas in their season opener, falling to Saginaw Valley State, 35-14. The Cardinals converted two of those turnovers into 14 points. TAMK also sputtered in its run game, mustering 42 yards.

9. W. New Mexico (0-1): Former West Texas A&M head coach Mike Nesbitt won his last LSC game in 2016 against the Mustangs before being relieved of his duties. Three years later, Nesbitt, now coaching NAIA’s Ottawa, Az. Spirit beat WNM again Saturday, 38-31. A tip of the cap to the former WT coach on the W.

LSC Standings

Team  LSC  Overall

Tarleton  0-0  1-0

MSU-Texas  0-0  1-0

E. New Mexico  0-0  1-0

A&M-Commerce  0-0  1-0

West Texas A&M  0-0  1-0

Angelo State 0-0  1-0

UT Permian Basin  0-0  1-0

A&M-Kingsville  0-0  0-1

W. New Mexico  0-0  0-1

Week 2 games

Saturday

W. Texas A&M at William Jewel, 3 p.m.

A&M-Commerce at Western Oregon, 3:05 p.m.

W. New Mexico at Northern Arizona, 5 p.m.

Simon Fraser, B.C. at Angelo State, 6 p.m.

MSU-Texas at Lindenwood, 6 p.m.

Doane College at Tarleton, 6 p.m.

Northern Michigan at UT Permian Basin, 6 p.m.

Sul Ross St. at A&M-Kingsville, 7 p.m.

E. New Mexico at Colorado Mesa, 8 p.m.