The Game
Angelo State football hosts rival West Texas A&M in a Lone Star Conference matchup on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. It will be Family Day 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.  

West Texas A&M
The Buffs are 1-2 on the season and are coming off a 27-19 win over Shorter at the Lone Star Conference Football Festival.  Head coach Mike Nesbitt is in his second season at West Texas A&M and is 12-5 at the helm. 

The Series
The Rams lead the all-time series 14-12 with the Buffs West Texas A&M has dominated the series as of late with wins in the last eight games. The last ASU win came in 2005 at Canyon. The Rams are 7-5 overall at home against WTAMU with the last win coming in 2003. 

National Leader
Kyle Washington continued his impressive start to the season against McMurry. The junior completed 14-of-16 passing  for 137 and two touchdowns. The Humble native has completed 41-of-50 passes for a completion percentage of 82.0 which leads NCAA Division II. He has thrown for 499 yards in the air and rushed for 96 yards. 

School Record
Paul Mason intercepted a tipped McM pass 3-yards deep in the end zone and made his way out of the end zone. The senior  returned it 103-yards for a touchdown breaking a 40-year old record and tying the LSC record. James Cross set the previous recorded of a 102-yard interception return in 1974.  

Night Train
The Rams will be accustomed to playing under the lights this season. ASU has played two games under the lights with five more scheduled to be played at 7 p.m. The only two games not scheduled are the LSC Playoffs on November 8th and 15th. 

Coach To Cure MD
The Angelo State football staff along with the American Football Coaches Association will be raising awareness for and research funding for Duchenne muscular dystrophy this weekend as part of the Coach To Cure MD. The Rams will have Sam Killian, who was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2005, be a honorary captain for the game.  Killian's grandfather, Guy Hargrave, is an ASU alumnus. For more information on Sam follow the link to samsdaytexas.org. For information on Coach to Cure MD go to CoachToCureMD.org.  

Live from San Angelo
The Angelo State football team's LSC matchup with West Texas A&M will be showcased in the Concho Valley on KSAN-TV this Saturday. Clint Brakebill, Charly Martin, and Jeff Corean will bring the action of the game. It marks the second time this season the Rams have been televised.

The Last Time the Rams Beat WT
The last time Angelo State defeated West Texas A&M was in a high-scoring game on  October 22, 2005 in Canyon. The Rams had to travel 80 yards in 2:45 for a go ahead score to win the game. On the ninth play of the drive Trey Weishuhn hit Justin Carter on a 23-yard pass to put the Rams on top 58-53. The game featured nine lead changes and over 1,300 yards of offense. It is the same game ASU set the single-game record for total offense of 748 yards. 

Five-Game Win Streak
The Rams won their fifth consecutive game on Saturday night dating back to last season. The last time Angelo State won five in a row was at the last two game of 2010 and the first three of 2011. It was 2005 the last time the Rams won five-straight games in one season.     

Three Interceptions
The Rams defense forced three turnovers on Saturday against McMurry. Doug Elliot picked off his second pass of the season while Paul Mason and Jonathan Shannon each recorded a pick. ASU has four takeaways this season after forcing 14 turnovers last season. The Rams last intercepted three passes in a game against Texas A&M-Kingsville last season. 

Program Milestone
Angelo State hit a milestone on Saturday night. ASU won the program's 400 football game dating back to 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	1985-2004	143-101-2
Dale Care	2005-2010	28-36
Will Wagner	2012-Present	17-18

Career Firsts
Donvan Thompson and Ryan Byrd both scored their first touchdowns as Rams. Thompson caught a 34-yard pass from Warren Truesdale for his first collegiate touchdown against McMurry. Thompson, a freshman, has made five catches this season for 51 yards and is averaging 10.2 yards per catch. Bryd caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Truesdale in the fourth quarter. The junior has 17 carries for eight yards and two catches for 12 yards. 

Strong Defensive Start
The Rams defense has held its last two opponents to under 100 yards rushing. Western State only gained 82 yards on the ground while McMurry was limited to 91 rushing yards.  The Rams have only given up a total of 173 rushing yards this season and are ranked No. 16 in NCAA Division II in rushing defense. 

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 2,286. He is 425 yards from moving into No. 2 all-time and just 512 yards from passing Don Burrell for the top spot.  

Rams in the National Stats
The Rams were well represented in the national stats. ASU is ranked in the top 10 in 12 different categories including
 

Completion Percentage	2nd	75.4%
First Downs Defense	4th	32
Fumbles Lost	1st	0
Net Punting	5th	41.5 yard per punt
Passes Had Intercepted	9th	1
Punt Return Defense	6th	0
Red Zone Defense	5th	40%
Sacks Allowed	1st	0
Scoring Defense	8th	10.0
Team Passing Efficiency	5th	187.28
Teams Tackles for Loss	2nd	11.5
Turnovers Lost	T-1st	1

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

Kyle Washington

Completion Percentage	1st	82%
Passing Efficiency	2nd	188.2

Clayton Callicutt

Sacks	2nd	1.75 per game
Tackles for Loss	2nd	3.33 per game

Doug Elliott

Interceptions

5th

1.0 per game

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. 

Defense Stands Out
The Rams defense had a stellar start to the season against Western State. 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.  

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. 

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.