The Angelo State football team wrapped up the season Saturday night with a wild 35-32 loss at Texas A&M-Kingsville. The Rams close out the season at 6-5 overall, finishing it first winning season since 2005. ASU would finish 5-4 in the Lone Star Conference and 2-4 in LSC South play.

ASU scored 15 fourth-quarter points to turn a blowout in a close game late, but needed two on-side kicks to have chance for the comeback. The Rams only got one.

With 4:13 left in the contest, the Rams would trim the TAMUK lead to 11 points, 35-24, on a four-yard touchdown pass from junior Josh Neiswander to junior fullback John Norcott. The short touchdown pass was set up one play earlier on a season-long 38-yard run by junior Garrett Tidwell. The Rams then recovered an on-side kick for the second game in a row as junior Ryan Smith's high-bouncing kick was covered up by a handful of Rams.

ASU would rush down the field in a 10-play, 61-yard drive that took just 2:45, capped by 14-yard touchdown pass from Neiswander to sophomore Zach McCormick. The Rams would add just their third two-point conversion of the year as Neiswander found junior V'Keon Lacey wide open in the end zone.

Smith would then attempt a second-straight on-side kick, but the Rams would be penalized for touching the ball before it went 10 yards, allowing TAMUK to run out the clock.

Angelo State had just 150 yards of total offense in the first half and trailed 21-10 at the break. The Rams exploded for 253 yards of offense in the second half, outscoring TAMUK, 22-14, in the final 30 minutes.

The Rams marched down the field on the opening drive of the game, but stalled in the red zone before Smith would give ASU an early lead, 3-0, on a 31-yard field goal with 11:26 left in the first quarter. It took more than a quarter for the Javelinas to respond as TAMUK took the lead, 7-3, with 10:38 left in the second quarter on a 34-yard run by Fred Winborn.

Angelo State would re-take the lead with 7:08 left in the half as freshman Austin Benson found a huge hole in the right side off the line for a four-yard touchdown run, giving the Rams a 10-7 advantage after the extra point. It took TAMUK less time to answer this time as quarterback David Garza scored on a three-year bootleg around the left end, giving the Javelinas back the lead, 14-10, with 1:38 remaining in the half. The Rams would then fumble the ensuing kickoff, allowing TAMUK to extend its lead to 11 points at the break, using a nine-yard touchdown toss from Garza to Ryan Lincoln just two plays later.

It was another Ram fumble that gave TAMUK a short field early in the third quarter as the Javelinas quickly extended their lead to 28-10 on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Joseph Vela to Damian Couthren on a trick play. On the first play after the Ram turnover, Vela took to a reverse threw up it for grabs near the goal line. The pass was deflected by ASU's Alvin Johnson but Couthren snagged the tip in the end zone with 10:30 left in the third quarter.

The Rams would counter on their ensuing drive as Neiswander would set a new ASU single-season record with his 23rd touchdown pass of the year to cap a 12-play, 59-yard drive with a four-yard toss to Lacey, trimming TAMUK's lead to 28-17 with 4:00 left in the third frame. Neiswander, who ended the season with 25 touchdown tosses, broke the old school mark of 22, set by Ned Cox in 1986. Neiswander had tied Cox's mark last week against Tarleton State.

It took the Javelinas just four plays to respond this time as Winborn scored on a four-yard plunge up the middle, giving the home team a 35-17 lead with 2:00 left in the third frame. TAMUK marched down the field in just 1:53 as Winborn accounted for all 63 yards on the drive.  Garza connected with Winborn on a 25-yard catch-and-run followed by three consecutive runs by Winborn to once again give the Javelinas their largest lead of the game at 18 points.

Neiswander would end the night with 215 yards on 27-of-39 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He would close out the best season by a Ram quarterback with a school-record 2,932 yards and also set ASU single-season records for completions (242), attempts (388), touchdown passes (25), completion percentage (62.4%), passing yards per game (266.5 ypg) and total offense (2,895).

Tidwell accounted for 246 all-purpose yards in the loss and added a five-yard completion against the Javelinas, his second of the season. Tidwell rushed for a team-high and career-best 90 yards on 11 carries and had four catches for 37 yards. He also added four kickoff returns for 111 yards (27.8 per return) and two punt returns for eight yards. Tidwell would end the season with 597 yards on kickoff returns, giving the junior an ASU-record 1,337 career kickoff return yards.

Lacey had 11 catches for 99 yards, both game highs, with one touchdown, giving him 10 TD catches on the season, the most by a Ram since 1997 (13, Chris Brazzell). Lacey would end his junior season with a school-record 74 receptions.

Junior linebacker Brandon Mayse recorded a team-high 11 tackles (three solo) while junior safety Jake Eannarelli added nine stops, including a team-high five solo tackles. For the second-straight game, and only third time this season, the Ram defense did not record a sack, ending the season with a conference-best 39 sacks.

For TAMUK (9-2, 6-2 LSC, 4-2 LSC South), Winborn rushed for 187 yards on 24 carries and two scores as the Javelinas earned a share of the LSC overall and LSC South titles. Garza completed 13-of-20 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown. Lincoln had a game-high five catches for 83 yards.