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SAN ANGELO – Angelo State will be thinking a lot about the last six minutes of the first half of Saturday's game with No. 9 West Texas A&M at San Angelo Stadium. During the stretch of doom, the nation's leader in total offense rattled off three quick scores and turned a three-point margin into a commanding 24-point halftime lead and an eventual, 37-27, win to open Lone Star Conference South Division play. 

The what-ifs are numerous, and were heightened by the Ram defense holding the Buffaloes to 154 yards and no scores after the halftime break. Angelo State (2-1, 2-1 LSC, 0-1 LSC South) attempted to rally with 14 unanswered points in the second half but the deficit proved too large to overcome. West Texas A&M (3-1, 3-0 LSC, 1-0 LSC South) still finished Saturday's contest with 532 total yards of offense but three interceptions by the ASU defense kept reigning National Offensive Player of the Week Taylor Harris from reaching the end zone for the first time this season. 

Both teams traded touchdowns in the early going but the extra-point attempt by the Rams that would have made it a tie game at 14 was blocked by Rashad Sanders and returned by Tae Evans for two points. Angelo State had a chance to go on top for the first time two drives later, but Evans snagged an errant pass from Neiswander in the end zone – then came the stretch of doom. 

Seemingly stopped for just a field goal by the Ram defense, West Texas A&M faked the try and place holder Tim Cowdrey completed a shovel pass to Jay Tillman for a 10-yard score with 5:39 left in the first half. On the second play of the ensuing drive by ASU, Neiswander was picked off for the second time and it was returned 43 yards for a score by Caleb Randolph. The Buffs added one more tally, again from Tillman as he plunged into the end zone from two-yards out with 1:09 left in the half. 

Angelo State looked like it flipped a switch out of the break as it cut the Buffs total offense in half. The Rams scored on a 55-yard reverse punt return by Garrett Tidwell and Tristan Carter punched across his second score of the game early in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 10, but the rally fell short. 

“We're just trying to win and that's basically it,” Angelo State linebacker Brandon Mayse said. “The first half we came out kind of flat, but at halftime the coaches came in and told us what we need to do. We came out in the second half and did what we were told to do and didn't let them score. We wanted to win and we made plays to try and win.” 

Carter topped the century mark for the second time in his three-game career with 129 yards, thanks largely to a 75-yard touchdown run on ASU's first offensive play. Angelo State quarterback Josh Neiswander was limited to just 110 yards, his career low as a starter, and was picked off twice. The Ram defense recorded three interceptions for the third time this season, including one by Mayse returned for a 29-yard touchdown. Alvin Johnson notched the other two interceptions and tallied a team-high 10 tackles. 

Thompson carried the ball 20 times for 127 yards and a touchdown for the Buffs. Tommy Hampton also found the end zone for the WT backfield as the trio helped the ground attack run up 202 yards. Tyson Williams led the receiving corps with eight catches for 75 yards and Stephen Burton had seven grabs for 94 yards. 

Angelo State will hit the road for another LSC South Division showdown with Tarleton State in Stephenville next weekend.