CANYON – Angelo State's Jake Strickler threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Akins with eight seconds remaining, but the result of the game was already decided as the No. 20-ranked West Texas A&M Buffaloes claimed a 19-7 Lone Star Conference win on Saturday at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium.

“I thought our guys played well in the first couple of quarters,” ASU head coach Will Wagner said. “We have to play for four quarters and that's what I told our guys at the end of the game. We played three solid quarters, but that fourth one just got us. You can't be a top team in this league if you don't play for four quarters.”

Final Stats

The loss is the Rams' (3-3, 0-3 LSC) third in a row after starting the season with a 3-0 record and decreases ASU's lead in the all-time series to 14-10 between the two universities.

“I was proud of how our guys came back from last week's performance,” Wagner said. “We didn't give up the big play tonight, we just ran out of juice at the end. We have to continue getting better and correcting some mistakes.”

Strickler's touchdown pass was the first of his career and the second of the year for Akins. Strickler, a senior transfer from Norfolk State, came into the game after starting quarterback Blake Hamblin was injured on a sack. He finished the game with 192 yards passing on 22 completions and also led the Rams with 57 yards rushing. Akins led Angelo State with seven receptions for 125 yards, while Mackenzie Hirt and Tristan Carter each had four catches. Carter added 53 yards rushing.

“I think Jake did a great job, especially being thrust into it in the middle of the game,” Wagner said. “Jake has to get more consistent with some of his throws. He missed some open receivers that he needs to complete to be successful.”

Rush Seaver and Dekkar Williams led ASU with six tackles each, while Shiloh Hickman recorded two sacks and Lawrence Rumph had 1.5 sacks and three solo tackles.

West Texas A&M (4-1, 4-0 LSC) struggled early in the game against the Rams' defense and didn't score until Dustin Vaughan found running back Tommy Hampton for a 36-yard touchdown pass with 2:21 seconds remaining in the first half. West Texas A&M field goal kicker Sergio Castillo Jr., added the next three Buffalo points with a 32-yard field goal early in the third quarter, while Khiry Robinson ran for a 23-yard touchdown in the fourth. The Buffaloes, whose 19 points was its lowest of the season, tacked on its final points of the game with a block of Angelo State's George Shamblen's seventh punt of the night that went through the back of the end zone.

The Rams are back in action at 6 p.m. next Saturday against Midwestern State at San Angelo Stadium for Homecoming.

“They have a great offense and good defense,” Wagner said of Midwestern State. “We have a job cut out for us. I told our guys if we play for four quarters we have a chance.”