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The Game
Angelo State football welcomes McMurry for its Lone Star Conference opener on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. It will be Hispanic Heritage night at LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union Field. The game will be carried on KWFR 101.9FM The Fire with Jeremy Bryant (play-by-play) and Daniel Ramirez (color analyst) on the call.  

McMurry
The War Hawks are 1-0 on the season after defeating Houston Baptist 26-17.  Head coach Lance Hinson is in his first season at McMurry after spending nine years at The University of St. Mary in Leavenworth, Kan. 

The Series
The Rams lead the all-time series 5-4 over the War Hawks. The first meeting in 1964 was an 18-13 win for ASU in San Angelo. McMurry won the next four match-ups from 1965-1968 with the Rams winning in 1970, 1971 and 2013. Overall, ASU is 3-2 at home against McM. 

Career Nights
Kyle Washington, Dakarai Pecikonis and Clayton Callicutt had career nights against Western State. Washington threw for a career high 362 yards and two touchdowns. It is the ninth most passing yards in a single game in ASU history. Pecikonis caught nine passes from Washington for a career-high 163 yards. He is now 527 yards away from becoming ASU's career leader in receiving yards. Callicutt recorded three and a half sacks and five tackles for loss. Callicutt and the Ram defense held WSCU to just 288 yards of total offense. 

ESPN Top 10 Plays
Dakarai Pecikonis made an acrobatic catch in the third quarter. The 29-yard reception made it all the way to No. 5 on ESPN Sportscenter Top 10 Plays. It is the second time in two years the Rams have been showcased on Sportscenter. Last season, Jermie Calhoun scored a touchdown after leaping over a Black Hills State defender that went all the way to No. 1 before Peyton Manning threw seven touchdowns in a single game. 

LSC Defensive POW
Clayton Callicutt was named the LSC Defensive Player of the Week after he set a career high with three and a half sacks and five tackles for loss against Western State. The junior was third on the team with eight total tackles. One of his sacks came on third down in the first half while his other two and half sacks forced a third down. The Rams defense totaled six sacks and 11 tackles for loss during the game while limiting WSCU to just 288 yards of offense.

607 Yards of Offense
The Rams offense was clicking on all cylinders on Saturday night. ASU recorded 245 rushing yards and 362 passing yards for a total of 607. The amount of yards is rare when looking at the ASU football program. Only three other teams in ASU's 69-year history  of football have gained more yards. The Rams hung 748 yards on West Texas A&M in 2005 and 650 yards on Incarnate Word in 2010. The record prior to 2005 was 613 yards against Lamar in 1989.  

Conference Openers
ASU is 26-18 in conference openers dating back to 1970. The Rams are 1-2 under head coach Will Wagner. It is the first time in school history ASU will open conference play against McMurry.  

Four-Game Win Streak
The Rams won their fourth consecutive game on Saturday night dating back to last season. The last time Angelo State won four in a row was in 2009 with wins over Southwestern Oklahoma, East Central, Midwestern State and Eastern New Mexico. The last five-game win streak was in 2005    

Receiving Milestone
After spending last season rehabbing an injury, Dakarai Pecikonis returns to the Rams with a career record in reach. The senior wide receiver is third on the ASU all-time career receiving yards with 2,271. He is 440 yards from moving into No. 2 all-time and just 527 yards from passing Don Burrell for the top spot.  

Defense Stands Out
The Rams defense had a stellar start to the season. ASU held the Mountaineers to just 288 yards of total offense and only 88 on the ground. The defense forced WSCU into seven punts on 11 drives. WSCU had averaged 337.0 rushing yards to open the season.  

LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union Field
The Rams will not only play the inaugural game of LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union Field but also the first game on the Angelo State campus. The Rams first game in 1939 was played at Old Bobcat Stadium and the team moved to San Angelo Stadium in 1956. The stadium capacity is 5,670 and is Wi-Fi friendly. 

399 and Counting
Angelo State has won a total of 399 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	16-18

Rams in the National Stats
The Rams were well represented in the national stats. ASU is ranked in the top three in nine different categories including
 

4th Down Conversion	1st
Completion Percentage	2nd
Fumbles Lost	1st
Net Punting	3rd
Punt Return Defense	2nd
Red Zone Defense	1st
Sacks Allowed	1st
Team Sacks	2nd
Total Offense	2nd

 
Individually, the Rams have four ranked in the top five of the nation in different categories. 

Kyle Washington

Completion Percentage	3rd
Total Offense	2nd

Clayton Callicutt

Sacks	1st
Tackles for Loss	1st

Dakarai Pecikonis

Receiving Yards Per Game

5th

 Doug Elliot

Interceptions

5th

 Sold Out
The Rams first game at LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union Field was sold out with 5,860 fans in attendance. 

Team Captains
Dominique McCoy, Rush Seaver, Blake Smith, Warren Truesdale and Kyle Washington were selected as captains for the 2014 season by their teammates. Seaver, Truesdale and Washington were captains last season as well. 

Close Calls
The Rams had six games last season decided by a touchdown less including five of their last six. ASU went 2-3 in games decided by a touchdown or less. 

New Defensive Coordinator
Girsch spent the last 17 years coaching at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, before being hired by Wagner. He has spent the last six years as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach of the Fighting Bees. He was named a MSFA Midwest League Assistant Coach of the Year in 2008. He has coached five All-Americans and been a part of seven Mid-State Football Association Conference Championships. His defense has finished in the top 25 in scoring for the last five years highlights by a No. 2 finish in 2009 and a No. 5 finish in 2011.

Head Coach
Will Wagner (Hardin-Simmons, '96) will begin his fourth season as head coach of the Rams. He is 16-18 in his fourth season 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.

WIFI Friendly
LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Field will be one of the few if the only stadium in Division II to offer free wifi for fans. Fans will be able to connect to stadium.angelo.edu and receive wireless internet free of charge during all ASU home football games.  

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. For a tailgate spot call the Alumni Association at (325) 942-2122

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 Daniel Ramirez 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, Instagram, angelosports_com or on YouTube AngeloSports.