The GameThe Angelo State football team will play Eastern New Meixco in the third place game of the Lone Star Conference Playoff Championships at Greyhound Stadium in Blackwater Draw, New Mexico at 1 p.m. CST / 12 p.m. MST on Saturday, Nov. 14. The game will be carried locally on KWFR 101.9FM The Fire with Jeremy Bryant (play-by-play) and Daniel Ramirez (color analyst) on the call.
Eastern New MexicoThe Greyhounds are 6-4 on the season and went 3-3 in the LSC. ENMU lost to Midwestern State 26-21 in the LSC semifinals last week. Josh Lynn is in his third season at the helm and has a 20-11 overall record. ENMU has the No. 4 scoring offense, No. 5 total offense and No. 3 rushing offense in the nation.
The SeriesThe Rams leads the series 23-16-1 and own a 6-4 advantage in the last 10 matchups. ASU is 7-9-1 all-time at Blackwater Draw. This will be the last game played at historic Blackwater Draw and the second time in the last four games ENMU and ASU have met.
The Last MeetingThe Rams were outgained 601-505 by the Greyhounds including 585-118 on the ground. ASU did throw for 387 yards but committed two turnovers that led to two ENMU touchdowns. ENMU won 46-28 in the last regular season game at Blackwater Draw.
Career Sacks LeaderClayton Callicutt became ASU's all-time career leader in sacks with a half sack against Texas A&M-Commerce. His 11.5 sack of the season gave him 31.5 for his career .5 ahead of Dane Krager. The Gene Upshaw candidate became just the sixth Ram in school history since 1978 to record double-digit sacks in one season along with Krager, Lawrence Rumph, Calvin Fance, Greg Collins and Kyle Freeman. Krager holds the single season record of 15 set in 1999. The senior is currently No. 5 nationally in sacks and No. 11 in tackles for loss.
No. 1 Total OffenseThe Rams maintained its No. 1 national rank in total offense averaging 553.4 yards per game. ASU recorded a season high 684 yards versus Tarleton State two weeks ago. The 684 yards is the second highest in school history. ASU was held under 500 yards (492) this past week for jsut the third time this season.
Two 100 Yard RushersKyle Washington and
Ryan Byrd tried to duplicate each other's efforts against Texas A&M-Commerce. Washington and Byrd each rushed for over 100 yards which is the first time ASU has had two 100 yard rushers in the same game this season. Byrd carried the ball 20 times for 109 yards and has 667 yards on the ground this season. Washington rushed 25 times for 154 yards against TAMUC and has totaled 780 yards.
Two Weeks, Two Interceptions Richard Franklin has missed three games this season due to injury but returned two weeks ago with a bang. The junior recorded an interception against Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Commerce. It is the ninth and 10th interceptions of the season for the Rams defense and third and fourth in his career.
Close to Receiving RecordsDonovan Thompson is close to writing his name in the ASU history books with 65 catches and 1,061 yards currently. With 31 receiving yards and 10 catches, Thompson will have the best individual season by a in terms of yards and catches. Chris Brazzel (1,091 yards) and V'Keon Lacey (74 receptions) are currently the ASU record holders. The sophomore is currently No. 7 nationally yards, No. 8 in receiving yards per game (106.1) and No. 20 in receptions per game (6.5).
Numerous Records for WashingtonWashington will end his career as the most prolific passer in ASU history. The Humble native has set every major career and single season passing record. He owns the career records for passing TD's, passing yards, completions and total offense. The quarterback reset his single season passing record . Not only is he is the first ASU player in history to throw for 3,000 yards but he has now done it in consecutive seasons.
| Current Record | | Washington's Stats |
| 1,205 | Passing Attempts | 1204 |
| 685 | Completions | 743 (NEW RECORD) |
| 61 | Passing TDs | 80 (NEW RECORD) |
| 3,743 | Rushing Yards | 2,870 |
| 8,212 | Passing Yards | 9,082 (NEW RECORD) |
| 8.084 | Total Offense | 11,952 (NEW RECORD)
|
Harlon Hill Candidate Kyle Washington has solidified himself as one of the top players in the nation. The NCAA Division II leader in total offense averages 406.8 yards per game. He is No. 4 nationally in passing with 328.8 yards per game. The quarterback set a career high with 25 carries against Texas A&M-Commerce and threwh five passing touchdowns, a 91 yard touchdown pass and added a season high of 155 rushing yards against Tarleton State the week before. He has nine games of at least 350 yards of total offense. The Humble native recorded a career high of 500 yards of total offense versus West Texas A&M and his low of the season was 228 against Bacone.
Young CoreThe Rams two starting linebacker have continued to provide stability to the defense.
Willie Brown leads ASU with 76 total tackles and
Grant Aschenbeck is No. 2 with 68 tackles. Brown is a junior and had not started a game prior to this season while Aschenbeck is a redshirt freshman.
Washington National Ranks| Completions per Game | No. 10 / No. 2 LSC | 24.2 |
| Passing Yards | No. 4 / No. 1 LSC | 3,288 |
| Passing Yards per Game | No. 4 / No. 1 LSC | 328.8 |
| Points Responsible | No. 4 / No. 1 LSC | 220 |
| Points Responsible per Game | No. 5 / No. 1 LSC | 22.6 |
| Rushing TD's | No. 22 / No. 2 LSC | 13 |
| Total Offense | No. 1 / No. 1 LSC | 406.8 |
With the 57-24 win over Tarleton State, ASU secured the program's 32nd winning season since 1964. It is the first time the Rams have had a winning season in back-to-back seasons since 2000-2001 under former head coach Jerry Vandergriff.
Offense Records ... AgainThe last two seasons under offensive coordinator
Theron Aych has provided new offensive standards. In 2012 ASU broke the total yardage (5,037), total yards per game (457.9) and total rushing yards (3,034) records. Last season, the Rams set the total yards record (5,636) and total passing yards (3,392 yards). The 2015 edition of the Rams could rewrite the book for the third straight season and started last week by breaking the passing yards in a season with 3,382. ASU is on pace to break the total offense (5,534), total offense per game (553.4), and passing yards per game (338.2). ASU has only had one season since 1964 that averaged more than 300 yards passing per game and that was 308.6 yards per game in 2010.
Road WarriorsASU will look to improve its road record under head coach
Will Wagner. The Rams are 14-11 under Wagner on the road and 6-4 in the last two seasons.
National Stats RankThe Rams have been visible in the top 10 of various categories. | Total Offense | 553.4 per game | 1st |
| First Downs Offense | 264 | 3rd |
| Defensive TD's | 4 | 10th |
| Passing Offense | 338.2 | 5th |
The defensive line has been a key to ASU's defense this season. The Rams are No. 41 nationally with 2.60 sacks per game and No. 23 with 8.1 tackles for loss per game. ASU has 81 tackles for loss which is tops in the LSC and the 28 sacks on the year is also No. 2 in the confernece.
School RecordTrey Green wrote his name in the ASU record book with one run against Bacone. The junior took a handoff made a move and carried the ball 96 yards to pay dirt, the longest rush in school history. The previous long was 95 yards set by Kyle Fox in 2005 against West Texas A&M.
Team CaptainsKyle Washington,
Talon Smith,
Clayton Callicutt and
Richard Franklin were selected as captains for the 2015 season by their teammates. Washington is a three-time captain while Smith, Callicutt and Franklin are serving for the first time.
Consecutive Games ScoringASU has also scored in a program record 79-straight games. The last time the Rams were shutout was in 2008 in back-to-back games versus Southwestern Oklahoma and West Texas A&M.
Head CoachWill Wagner (Hardin-Simmons, '96) will begin his fifth season as head coach of the Rams. He is 30-25 in his four seasons at the helm of the Rams. The Odessa native helped lead the Rams back to the NCAA Playoffs for the first time since 2005 and win its first playoff game since 1997.
413 and CountingAngelo State has won a total of 413 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 | 1985-2004 | 143-101-2 |
| Dale Care | 2005-2010 | 28-36 |
| Will Wagner | 2012-Present | 30-25 |
Angelo State won the NAIA National Championship in 1978 and has won three Lone Star Conference Championships (1978, 1984, 1987). The Rams have seen six NCAA D-II playoff appearances and produced 62 All-Americans. ASU has earned 31 winning seasons dating back to 1964. 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 HomeIf 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.
