Angelo State (3-2, 0-2 LSC) at (20) West Texas A&M  (3-1, 3-0 LSC)
Date	Saturday, Oct. 8
Location	Kimbrough Memorial Stadium Canyon, Texas
Kickoff	6 p.m.
Game Notes	Game Notes
Radio	KIXY 94.7 FM Jeremy Bryant // Play-by-Play   Randy Ward // Analyst
Live Stats	Click Here

The Game
Angelo State is back on the road Saturday to face off against No. 20 West Texas A&M in Canyon. The Buffaloes lead the country in passing yards per game (399.0), while boasting 495.2 yards of total offense. A tall task for the Rams' defense, but one they certainly look forward to. Angelo State held Eastern New Mexico to just a field-goal in the second half of last week's contest as the Rams were able to slow down the Greyhound's fast-paced offense. The Rams' defense is allowing 21.6 points per game - a 10 point improvement from a year ago.

The Series
Angelo State holds a 14-9 lead in the all-time series that began in 1983, but West Texas A&M has taken five in a row and six of the last seven. The Buffs' five consecutive wins is tied for the second-longest streak in the series with the Rams' run of five between 1999 and 2003. Angelo State once rattled off seven straight wins between 1987 and 1997. The Buffs scored 37 points - all in the first half - in last year's meeting versus the Rams in San Angelo and held on to win 37-27. Angelo State's last win was a 58-53 shootout in 2005.

The Coaches
Angelo State: Will Wagner (Hardin-Simmons, '96) continues his first year as head coach of the Rams after serving at Northwest Missouri State for 12 years. The Odessa native helped the Bearcats win three national championships as an assistant head coach and defensive backs coach.

West Texas A&M: Don Carthel (Eastern New Mexico, '74), the winningest coach in WT football history, brings a record of 62-17 into his seventh season at the helm of the Buff program. In his 14-year collegiate career, he has an overall record of 108-63-1. Carthel earned his 100th collegiate victory with a win agaisnt the Rams last season.

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 D-II playoff appearances and produced 57 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 and 1989, 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 Rams' tackle Rodney Cason.

This Week's Opponent
West Texas A&M is located in Canyon, Texas, and has an enrollment of 7,550. Founded in 1910, the Buffs are members of the Lone Star Conference and captured a share of the division title in three of the last five years. Last year, the Buffs finished 8-4 overall and 4-2 in LSC play. West Texas A&M has 11 returners who earned All-LSC recognition, including LSC first team selections Sergio Castillo, Caleb Randolph and Curtis Jefferson. The Buffs enter Saturday's contest 3-1, winning their last three games after a season-opening loss to CSU-Pueblo, 24-26. West Texas took down LSC foe Tarleton State last Saturday, 44-13.

Mr. 3,000?
At 286.2 yards per game, quarterback Blake Hamblin currently ranks 12th among NCAA Division II leaders. If he keeps his current pace, the Rowlett native will be the only ASU quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in a single season. The closest a Ram quarterback came to the  milestone was last season. Josh Neiswander was just 17 yards shy of reaching the mark, but still holds the all-time record for passing yardage in a season with those 2,983 yards.

Family Ties
The name “Carthel” is not only familiar with the folks at West Texas A&M, but to Angelo State as well. The Buffs' defensive coordinator, Colby Carthel, was a standout middle linebacker for the Rams from 1996 to 1999. As a senior in 1999, Carthel helped lead the Rams to the LSC South Championship by recording 59 tackles, four sacks and one fumble recovery.

At ASU, Carthel earned Lone Star Conference Player of the Week honors once in addition to being selected Academic All-LSC on three occasions. He also competed in track and field as a four-year letterwinner in the discus at Angelo State, finishing fourth at the LSC Championships as a senior. In 2000, Carthel joined his father - current WT head coach Don Carthel - on the coaching staff at Abilene Christian from 2000 to 2004. He later reunited with his father at WT where he has coached the last six seasons.

Tip of the Cap, Friend
ASU head coach Will Wagner and assistant head coach Theron Aych will wear red visors to honor Scott Bostwick this season after their friend and colleague suffered a heart attack and passed away in June. Wagner coached with Bostwick who was the defensive coordinator at Northwest Missouri State for 17 years before being named the Bearcats' head coach in January.

“Coach Bostwick was like a brother to me,” Wagner said. “We coached together for 13 years and I learned a lot about defensive football from him. He had the biggest heart; he would drop everything he was doing to help you out. He was a great coach, mentor and friend who never lived out his dream of leading the Bearcats out onto the field as their head coach, and that's a shame. Bostwick was famous in the MIAA and around D-II football for wearing a red hat on the sidelines so the defensive players could spot him easily. I am grateful for all he did for me and I wear this red hat to honor him.”

On This Day
•    Oct. 8, 2005 - Angelo State vs. Abilene Christian
After a disappointing loss to Eastern New Mexico a week prior, the Rams rebounded with a comeback win against rival Abilene Christian, 27-24 thanks to a game-winning 28-yard field goal by kicker J.D. Williams. Angelo State, down 17-3 in the third quarter, scored 14 points to tie the game at 17-17 on a couple of touchdown runs by Daniel Thomas and Kyle Fox.  After an ACU touchdown pass, the Wildcats went up 24-17, but the Rams scored the tying touchdown on a pass from Trey Weishuhn to Drew Peterson with 3:27 left. After the Rams' defense forced a three and out, Angelo State reached ACU territory with a Louis Hayes' punt return and was able to get down to the ACU 11-yard line to set up Williams' game-winner.
    
•    Oct. 8, 1994 - Angelo State vs. Eastern New Mexico
The Rams controlled the first game of the their LSC campaign by shutting out 20th-ranked Eastern New Mexico, 38-0. The Rams dominated from the start, scoring on the first drive on a Louis Mitchner 7-yard run. ASU scored three times in the second quarter. Peris'he Moore recorded his seventh touchdown of '94 on a on a 1-yard run, helping  ASU take a 28-0 lead into the break. Defense was the key with ASU, allowing only six first downs and 106 yards of total offense. The Greyhounds had been averaging 314 yards per game prior to playing ASU.  ENMU star back Darell Whitaker (BOLD HIM) was held to just 38 yards running and 41 yards in return despite averaging 201 all-purpose yards on the season.

Player to Watch // Alvin Johnson
As one of the Ram safeties, Johnson is among the last line of defense, but he's been the backbone of the Rams' defense this season. The junior - simply known as “Stick” -  leads the defense in total tackles (34) with 20 solo to compliment his three pass breakups. The Houston native helped Angelo State post its first shutout in nine years with a 20-0 victory over Central Oklahoma on Sept. 17.