SAN ANGELO – A 32-yard field goal just missed to the right as time expired as the Angelo State football team lost 41-40 to Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday night in a Lone Star Conference thriller at LeGrand Stadium at 1^st Community Credit Union Field.

Texas A&M-Commerce (4-1, 4-0 LSC) scored on a 10-yard run Richard Cooper to take its second lead of the game with 2:04 to go in the fourth quarter. The Rams drove down to the Lions 30-yard line and faced a fourth and four. ASU decided on a 47-yard field goal from Peter Marquez. The kick was wide left but TAMUC was called for defensive offsides to keep the drive alive. Marquez got another chance seconds later but the kick went wide right.

Ryan Byrd led the Rams on the ground with a career-high 120 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown. The junior also caught six balls for 80 yards and a score. Kyle Washington threw for 286 yards on 28-of-47 passing and tossed three scores. He carried the ball 22 times for 78 yards and one touchdown.

"I was proud of our kids for playing four quarters of football, but unfortunately this week we came up short of earning the win," ASU head coach Will Wagner said. "I think this is something that we can build on and I know that our leadership will step up and we'll have a strong week of practice and be ready to play against Kingsville."

Rush Seaver led a Rams defense that forced three interceptions and one fumble recovery with 15 tackles. Richard Franklin, Fred Lawerence and Jarred Ross each picked off TAMUC's Tyrik Rollison. Ryan Clapsaddle finished with nine tackles while Blair Smith and Clayton Clallicutt each were credited with a sack.

The Rams built a 30-17 lead at halftime but the Lions came out of the half and scored on their opening drive to cut the lead to 30-24. The Rams were forced to punt on their next drive but three plays later Lawrence intercepted Rollison at the Texas A&M-Commerce 31-yard line.

Six plays later, Marquez kicked a 30-yard field goal to extend ASU's lead 33-24 in the third quarter. The Lions continued their comeback cutting the lead to 33-31 after Deric Davis threw one of two touchdown passes on the night to Vernon Johnson. Johnson finished the game with nine catches for 113 yards and three touchdowns.

ASU forced a punt on Texas A&M-Commerce's next drive and took over at its own 38-yard line. Washington hit Byrd on a 52-yard screen pass to put the Rams at the TAMUC 4-lyard line. Washington took it in from there to make the score 40-31.

The Lions responded with a six play 90-yard drive as Cooper scored to again make it a two-point game at 40-38. The Rams offense was forced into a three and out and Texas A&M-Commerce took the lead on the next drive of the game.

Dakarai Pecikonis, who caught three balls for 40-yards, tied the game up in the first quarter on a 9-yard pass from Washington to tie the game. Texas A&M-Commerce scored the game's first touchdown on a 4-yard pass from Devric to Johnson.

The very next drive the Rams defense recorded a safety. Matthew Gholston tackled Cooper after a fumble to the goal line for ASU's first lead at 9-7.

The Rams were forced to punt on its next offensive drive but a muffed catch by TAMUC's Shawn Hooks was picked up by Richard Franklin. Washington hit Anthony Yancy for a 13-yard score to extend the advantage to 16-7.

Rollison hit Johnson for his second touchdown catch of the night to early in the second quarter and two drives later Saul Martinez hit a 30-yard field goal to give Texas A&M-Commerce its first lead in the second quarter.

Byrd scored his only rushing touchdown on the next Angelo State drive. The junior ran over a Lion defender for a 10-yard score to retake the lead at 23-17.

Ross intercepted Rollison two drives later with 3:411 to go in the 2^nd quarter. Washington would find Byrd for a passing touchdown to capitalize on the turnover with just 27 seconds to go in the half to make it 30-17 at the half.

The Rams were outgained 529-491 and outscored in the second half 24-10.

The Rams will face Texas A&M-Kingsville next Saturday at 7 p.m. in Kingsville.