The 74th season of Ram football will startThursday at 7 p.m. at San Angelo Stadium.  Tickets can be purchased at the ASU Ticket Office or by calling 325-942-BLUE (2583) or online at AngeloStateTickets.com. The game will be carried on FWFR 

101.9FM The Fire with Jeremy Bryant (play-by-play) and Randy Ward (color) and Daniel Ramirez (sideline) on the call. It is the first time ASU has played on Thursday since August 30, 2007 in a 17-13 loss at Sam Houston State. 

Black Hills State

This will be the season opener for the Yellow Jackets. BHSU went 4-7 last season but ended the year on a three-game winning streak. Head coach John Reiners enters his second season as head coach and fifth overall. 

Season & Home Openers

Angelo State is 28-20-1 in season openers dating back to 1964. The Rams are currently on a four game winning streak in season openers and have won the last seven home openers.  ASU is 37-11-1 in home openers since 1964. 

LSC Football Festival

The Angelo State Rams will play in the Lone Star Football Festival AT&T Stadium on Sat., Sept.14. The Rams will face the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's Colorado State-Pueblo at 8 p.m. 

Strength of Schedule 

The Rams will face some quality teams and six of those being away from San Angelo Stadium. Four opponents made the NCAA Division II playoffs and are currently ranked with No. 1 Valdosta State winning the national championship and No. 3 West Texas A&M advancing to the semifinals. No. 8 Colorado State-Pueblo was ranked No. 1 for a majority of the season and No. 15 Midwestern State was ranked in the top 20 throughout the season. 

Miles and Miles

The Rams will spend a total of 4,766 miles on the road traveling this season. The six games away from San Angelo Stadium will be the most traveled season since 2011. The longest trip will be 2,374 round trip to Valdosta, Georgia. The shortest will be a quick 180 miles trip to Abilene to face the Warhawks of McMurry. 

Preseason Accolades

Joey Searcy II is one of the top 100 players in Division II according to d2football.com. The senior recorded 38 tackles and 2.5 sacks last season and was ranked No. 60 overall. He is one of eight LSC players ranked and the fifth highest of the group. 

393 and Counting

Angelo State has won a total of 393 football games since 1939. The following lists the coaches and record breakdown in Ram football history. 

Pete Sikes 1939-1949 41-23-5

Max Bumgardner 1950-1968 74-74-2

Grant Teaff 1969-1971 19-11

James Cameron 1972-1973 13-7

Jim Hess 1974-1981 65-23-3

Jerry Vandergriff 1982-2004 143-101-2

Dale Carr 2005-2010 28-36

Will Wagner 2012-Present 10-12

Returning Rams

35 Years

This season marks the 35-year anniversary that ASU won the 1978 NAIA Championship. Angelo State concluded an undefeated season by knocking off the Elon College (N.C.) Christians in the NAIA Championship Game, 34-14. The victory marked the ninth consecutive year that a Lone Star Conference team had won the title. Mark Embry was named the game's Offensive MVP after throwing for 197 yards and two scores. Alvin Garrett and Eldridge Beverly caught scoring passes, and Jerry Aldridge capped his brilliant career with 119 rushing yards and two scores. It was the 17th consecutive game that Aldridge had rushed for at least 100 yards.

Tops in Defense

The Rams ranked No. 1 in total defense in the Lone Star Conference and No. 31 nationally.  Opponents were held to just 336.9 yards per game last season.  Eight starters return from last season including All-LSC first team selection Joey Searcy II and second team selections Rush Seaver and Clayton Callicutt

Team Captains

Isi Cocker, Kyle Patterson, Rush Seaver, Warren Truesdale and Kyle Washington were selected as captains for the 2013 season by their teammates. 

Rams Represented by Four State and Two Countries

Four states throughout the United States makeup the Rams football roster. Arizona, Illinois and California have representatives while Texas student-athletes dominate the roster. Blair Smith, a transfer from New Mexico Military Institute, is the one player not from the United States. Smith grew up and played high school football in Canada. 

Ram Jam

The ASU Alumni Association hosts a pre-game tailgate at the LeGrand Alumni and Visitors Center two and a half hours prior to kickoff. Food and refreshment will be available as will live music throughout the season. Bring your family out to support the Rams at Ram Jam. 

Head Coach

Will Wagner (Hardin-Simmons, '96) will begin his third season as head coach of the Rams. He is 10-12 in his two seasons at the helm of the Rams. The Odessa native helped Northwest Missouri State win three national championships as an assistant head coach and defensive backs coach.

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. He 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.

Follow From Home

If you cannot attend the Angelo State football game, ASU has you covered. Jeremy Bryant will call the game with help from analyst Randy Ward on 101.9 KWFR-FM, which will also be streamed on AngeloSports.com. Live updates will be provided on Angelo State's Facebook page along with its Twitter account, @AngeloSports.