Angelo State (2-1, 0-1 LSC South) at  Tarleton State (0-4, 0-1 LSC South)
Date	Saturday, Sept.11
Location	Memorial Stadium (7,000)  Stephenville, Texas
Kickoff	7 p.m.
Game Notes	Week 4 Notes
Radio	KIXY 94.7 FM  Jeremy Bryant // Play-by-Play  Randy Ward // Analyst
Live Video	N/A
Live Stats	TarletonSports.com

The Game
Something has to give when Angelo State rolls into Memorial Stadium in Stephenville for a match-up with winless Tarleton State Saturday at 7 p.m. The Texans haven't won a game in four chances under new head coach Cary Fowler but the Rams haven't defeated Tarleton State in nearly 10 years, that includes five games under ASU skipper Dale Carr.

A win by the Rams would help the team get back in the Lone Star Conference South Division race after a tough loss to No. 9 West Texas A&M at San Angelo Stadium last weekend. Tarleton State has been without projected starting quarterback Nick Stephens, a former starter for the University of Tennessee, but could get their leading man back in time for Saturday's game.

Angelo State's defense should be ready for any challenge, posting nine interceptions and nine sacks through the team's first three games. The Rams clamped down in the second half against the nation's top offense, limiting No. 9 West Texas A&M to 154 yards and no points after halftime.

<< Player to Watch // Nate Bayless
Angelo State tight end Nate Bayless could only watch last season as fellow teammate Bradan Ritchey went off for eight catches and 58 yards against Tarleton State in the Rams' 21-14 loss at San Angelo Stadium. Bayless, who missed the entire 2009 season while battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, has been one of ASU quarterback Josh Neiswander's favorite targets this season with five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown in two of three games.

The Series
Angelo State may hold a 14-12 lead in the all-time series but it seems like an eternity since the Rams last walked off the field with a victory against Tarleton State. The Texans have won nine in a row against the Rams. Angelo State's last win against Tarleton State was a 45-25 decision in San Angelo, Oct. 28, 2000. Tarleton won last season's meeting at San Angelo Stadium, 21-14. In that loss, ASU wide receiver V'Keon Lacey had five catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns.

The Coaches
Angelo State: Dale Carr (Colorado State, '76) took over the ASU program in 2005 and has guided the Rams to a 25-32 overall mark, including a NCAA Division II postseason appearance in his first season. Carr was previously head coach at Tyler Junior College.

Tarleton State: Carey Fowler (Murray State, '94) is in his first year as head coach of the Texans after previously serving as the team's defensive coordinator. Fowler is no stranger to the Lone Star Conference, having spent seven seasons as defensive coordinator at Midwestern State.

The Program
Angelo State won the NAIA National Championship in 1978 and has won three Lone Star Conference Championships (1978, 1984, 1987). The Rams have seen five NCAA DII playoff appearances and produced 55 All-Americans. Angelo State has sent 11 student-athletes on to successful NFL careers, including Pierce Holt, who earned two Super Bowl rings with the San Francisco 49ers in 1988-89, was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and was inducted into the NCAA Division II Football Hall of Fame in 2000. Legendary Baylor head coach Grant Teaff coached at ASU, and has been inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame with Holt and former Ram tackle Rodney Cason.

This Week's Opponent
Tarleton State University is located in Stephenville, Texas, and has an enrollment of 9,450. Founded in 1899, the Texans are members of the South Division of the Lone Star Conference. The 2009 Texans finished 10-3 overall and shared the LSC South title with a 7-2 mark in LSC play overall and 4-2 record in the division. Tarleton State has five All-LSC returners, including senior safety Lonnie Buchanan, who earned first team honors. Offensive Lineman Bubba Wagner and defensive back Brandon Johnson were named to the second team, and tailback Evan Robertson and linebacker Matt Knicky were honorable mention. Tarleton State enters Saturday's contest 0-4, with three losses to Lone Star Conference foes and a loss to NCAA Division I FCS member Northwestern State. Tarleton has been without projected starter Nick Stephens at quarterback, a transfer from the University of Tennessee, but the junior signal caller is expected back Saturday.

Ties with Tarleton State
• Angelo State's Aqura Brown and Tristan Carter share Atlanta, Ga., as their hometown with Saalim Hakim. Brown and Hakim list Atlanta as their hometown, while Carter is from Tucker an Atlanta suburb.
• Cisco College will be well represented on the field Saturday with V'Keon Lacey (ASU), Terrance Preston (ASU), Travis McCloud (ASU), Bubba Wagner (TSU) and Solomon Orr (TSU) as graduates.
• Lacey is also connected to Tarleton's Juan Gonzalez, Brian Nowa and Trayveon Davis as natives of Arlington, Texas.
• Cisco's not the only junior college with a handful of players suiting up Saturday. Angelo State's Husani Sallah and Derek McDonough join eight players from Tarleton State who played at Blinn Junior College.
• Angelo State's Michael Cochran and Jarron Harris list Cedar Park, Texas as their hometown, along with Tarleton's Matt Knicky.
• The city of Allen, Texas, will have three players on the field Saturday - Angelo State wide receiver Dekarai Pecikonis and Tarleton State's Matt McBride and Cory Jackson.
• Blake Hamblin (ASU), Lou Ernst (TSU) and O'Chea Thomas (TSU) are from Rowlett, Texas.
• Ram safety Courtney Moore and the Texans Jamal Mays are from Pflugerville, Texas.
• Five players are from inside the Dallas city limits: Markeith Jones (ASU), Stetson Edwards (ASU), Devin McDonald (ASU), Jackson Crawley (TSU) and Justin Grisham (TSU).
• Austin Sumrall (ASU) and Terrrence Henry (TSU) went to high school in Katy, Texas.

Ground Attack
Tristan Carter ran for a career-best 129 yards and Angelo State rushed for 201 yards as a team in Saturday's loss to No. 9 West Texas A&M. It marked the first time since Oct. 4, 2008, that the Rams rushed for over 200 yards. In that contest nearly two years ago, Angelo State carried the ball 51 times for 285 yards against Eastern New Mexico. ASU went the entire 2009 campaign without a 200-yard rushing effort.

Empty Feeling
For the first time in his ASU career, V'Keon Lacey went without a catch in a game. The senior from Arlington, Texas, was kept off the stat sheet against West Texas A&M, part of the reason the Rams posted a season-low 110 yards through the air. Lacey led the team and Lone Star Conference in catches last season and was Josh Neiswander's favorite target entering Saturday's game. He had made a catch in 13 consecutive games after transferring from Cisco College.

Three's Company
The ASU secondary has been quite busy this season, posting three interceptions in all three games. Alvin Johnson picked off two passes Saturday against West Texas A&M, and Brandon Mayse nabbed the third and took it 29 yards for a touchdown. It was the Rams second defensive touchdown of the season.

Tough Task Ahead
The Rams match-up with No. 9 West Texas A&M was only the beginning of a grueling stretch of Lone Star Conference South Division games. Three of Angelo State's next five opponents are ranked among the top-10 in the country, and two of those high-powered showdowns are on the road.

Carter Can
Tristan Carter ran for a game- and career-high 129 yards in Angelo State's 37-27 loss to No. 9 West Texas A&M. The junior from Tucker, Ga., seems to do his best work on the turf at San Angelo Stadium as he surpassed the century mark at the Rams home for the second time this season, becoming the first ASU player since Daniel Thomas in 2008 to rush for 100 yards. Carter's first carry of the game went for 75 yards and a score to answer an early touchdown by the Buffaloes. He added a six-yard run early in the fourth quarter to help Angelo State pull within 10 points. Carter carried the ball 13 times and averaged 9.9 yards per touch.

Sticky Situations
Alvin Johnson earned the nickname "Stick" from coaches and teammates for his hard hits but after Saturday's loss to No. 9 West Texas A&M, during which Johnson picked off two passes, it might as well refer to his hands and the football. The redshirt sophomore from Houston was a big part of a defensive effort that kept the Buffs quarterback from reaching the end zone for the first time this season. Johnson nabbed his second and third interceptions of the season against West Texas, tallied a game-high 11 tackles, and nearly forced another turnover with a forced fumble.

Special Delivery
Angelo Statewas looking for a spark in the second half against No. 9 West Texas A&M and senior return specialist Garrett Tidwell delivered. Tidwell returned the opening kickoff of the second half 41 yards, then later in the third quarter scored on a 55-yard punt return for a touchdown off a reverse from Dekarai Pecikonis. Angelo State's first special teams touchdown of the season provided the start of a 14-0 run by the Rams to pull within 10 late in the game, although the rally would fall short. Tidwell averaged 29.25 yards on four kickoff returns, and surpassed 2,500 all-purpose yards for his career in the game.

Two Grand
Angelo State wide receivers V'Keon Lacey and Dekarai Pecikonis both went over 1,000 career receiving yards in the Rams' win over Texas A&M-Commerce in the Harvey Martin Classic. The catches to put the pair over a grand were also memorable, as Pecikonis scored on an 83-yard strike and Lacey on a 33-yard pass from ASU QB Josh Neiswander.

Nice, Even Numbers
Several Angelo State players are approaching statistical milestones:
• Quarterback Josh Neiswander (5,949) needs 51 yards to reach 6,000 in his career.
• Defensive back Markeith Jones (93) and defensive lineman Cody Smith (92) are closing in on 100 tackles for their careers.

SHAM-wow!
Angelo State punter George Shamblen produced some booming, As-Seen-On-TV punts in Angelo State's 31-10 win over Texas A&M-Commerce, including a career-best 66 yarder in the second quarter. He booted a 50-yard punt later in the quarter and averaged 44.7 yards on six attempts. Last weekend against West Texas A&M, Shamblen averaged 46.2 yards on six punts. Shamblen's effort helped Angelo State climb to No. 3 in the country in net punting.

Neiswander, Like No ASU QB Before?
Angelo State senior quarterback Josh Neiswander took a Sharpie to the Rams' single season record book last season, setting new highs for pass completions (242), pass attempts (388), passing yards (2,933), touchdowns (25) and completion percentage (62.4). After tossing the ball for a combined 610 yards in the first two games of 2010, Neiswander has 5,949 career passing yards, the third-highest total ever by an ASU signal caller. The Winnsboro, Texas, native needs 57 yards to catch Erik Hartman (1994-97) for second all-time at 6,006. The top spot is held by Ned Cox (1983-86), who passed for 7,843 yards in his career - a number within reach (1,894 more to tie) if Neiswander has a similar season to 2009.

Player	Career Passing Yards
1. Ned Cox (1983-86)	7,843
2. Erik Hartman (1994-97)	6,006
3. Josh Neiswander (2006-present)	5,949
4. Mickey Russell (1986-89)	5,081
5. Trey Weishuhn (2003-06)	4,974

Getting Yards in Bunches
It takes more than a couple good games to move into third all-time on a school's passing charts and Josh Neiswander has had certainly had his share. Neiswander posted the third-highest single-game passing effort in school history at Eastern New Mexico (Oct. 3) last season, completing 29-of-47 attempts for 403 yards. Neiswander posted another top-10 performance with the second-best performance of his career (349) against the Greyhounds to open the 2010 season (Sept. 9). In all, Neiswander has five of the top 20 single-game passing efforts in ASU history.

Yards	Year	Passer vs. Opponent
475	1986	Ned Cox vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville
425	1989	Mickey Russell vs. Eastern New Mexico
403	2009	Josh Neiswander vs. Eastern New Mexico
396	2005	Trey Weishuhn vs. West Texas A&M
383	1996	Erik Hartman vs. Tarleton State
359	1989	Mickey Russell vs. Lamar
354	1985	Ned Cox vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville
349	2010	Josh Neiswander vs. Eastern New Mexico
341	2009	Josh Neiswander vs. Southeastern Okla
338	2004	Trey Weishuhn vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville
335	1992	Wilbur Odom vs. Central Oklahoma
335	1997	Erik Hartman vs. Northeastern State

Josh's Handful
Angelo State quarterback Josh Neiswander threw five touchdown passes with no interceptions in the Rams' 41-38, season-opening win over Eastern New Mexico. It was the second time in Neiswander's career that he's thrown for five or more touchdowns. The senior signal caller notched a career-best six touchdowns against Southwestern Oklahoma in the third game of the 2009 season (Sept. 12). Neiswander's 349 yards through the air against Eastern New Mexico were also the second-most he's ever thrown for and he was one shy of tying his career high in completions with 28.

300-100-100
A trio of Rams combined to wrack-up a good portion of the team's yards in the Rams' 41-38 win over Eastern New Mexico (9/4). Quarterback Josh Neiswander threw for 349 yards, Dekarai Pecikonis had 161 yards receiving, and Tristan Carter rushed for 118 yards. The last time Angelo State had a player with more than 300 yards passing, a player with more than 100 yards, and another player with more than 100 yards rushing in the same game was nearly five years ago. On Oct. 22, 2005, Trey Weishun threw for 396 yards and six touchdowns, Justin Carter had five catches for 106 yards and three scores, and Kyle Fox went off for 281 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Carter's Carries
It took just one play for Tristan Carter to show he's serious about improving Angelo State's rushing attack. The junior college transfer and Tucker, Ga., native rumbled for 39 yards the first time he touched the ball in a Ram uniform and finished Angelo State's 41-38 win over Eastern New Mexico with 118 yards on 21 carries. With the effort, Carter became the first Ram player to surpass the century mark since Daniel Thomas rushed for more than 100 yards against Tarleton State, Oct. 30, 2008. Carter used his first and only catch of the game to punch the game winning touchdown across the goal line with less than a minute to play.

Bayless is Back
Wide outs V'Keon Lacey and Dekarai Pecikones were on the receiving end of a significant portion of Angelo State's passing attempts last season and didn't mind the action, but quarterback Josh Neiswander will have another reliable target this fall with the return of 6-foot-5 tight end Nate Bayless. The redshirt junior missed the 2009 season while battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but Bayless has looked like his old self with a touchdown in two of the first three games this season. A native of Burkburnett, Texas, Bayless played in eight games and caught 10 passes during the 2008 season and two of those catches were for scores.

Pecikonis Faster Than a Greyhound?
Sophomore wide out Dakarai Pecikonis averaged more than 20 yards per catch while hauling in seven passes for 161 yards and a touchdown against Eastern New Mexico. The reigning LSC South Division Freshman of the Year made two one-handed, diving catches while stretching the field for the Rams and hauled in a team-long 41-yard strike from Josh Neiswander. The seven catches and 161 yards were both career highs. His yardage total was the 15th-best single game effort in Angelo State history.

Making his Mark
Markeith Jones intercepted Eastern New Mexico quarterback Wesley Wood's desperation toss on fourth down and ran out the clock during his return to seal Angelo State's 41-38 season-opening win. Jones notched one of ASU's three interceptions in the contest and added three tackles. It marked the second straight year for Jones to intercept a pass in the Rams' opening game after notching an interception against Texas-A&M-Commerce to open the 2009 campaign. Jones led Angelo State with four interceptions last year and is second on the team after three contests with two takeaways.

If the Shoe Fits...
Instead of gaining yards, Austin Benson is looking to take them away. The Del Rio High School product rushed for 156 yards and five touchdowns for the Rams last season helping them to a 6-5 overall mark, but recently made the switch to linebacker and has looked pretty comfortable in his new role. Benson is third on the team with 16 tackles and notched his first career interception against Eastern New Mexico.

Turning the Corners
ASU defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Matt Fryar added a little instant credibility with the addition of Kevin Thomas to his unit's staff as defensive backs coach. Thomas, a former standout at UNLV, was drafted in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft and played three seasons for the Buffalo Bills. Thomas tallied 83 tackles, 10 pass break-ups, a forced fumble in 38 career NFL games, and notched his only regular-season career interception against Brett Favre. A knee injury ended Thomas' playing career.