The Game
The Angelo State football team will return home to face Western New Mexico for homecoming on Saturday, October 28 at 6 p.m. at LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union Field.
Texas A&M-Commerce
The Mustangs are 2-6 on the season and 1-4 in the LSC coming off a 20-14 win over Fort Lewis. WNMU's head coach Adam Clark is in his eighth season and has 29 career wins. ASU has a tie to WNMU as former Ram Kini Cocker is an assistant coach for the Mustangs.
Last Meeting
The Rams had a second half comeback fall short, losing 20-14. ASU scored a touchdown with nine seconds left in the third quarter to trim the Mustangs lead to 17-14 going into the fourth quarter. WNMU extended the lead to 20-14 with a 30-yard field goal from Tyler Vargas to seal the win.
The Series
This will be the foruth all-time meeting between the two programs. Western New Mexico leads the series 2-1 and has won the last two. ASU won the first matchup in San Angelo 41-3 before losing in 2004 and 2016.
School Record Twice
Donovan Thompson topped his school record for receptions in a single game against Texas A&M-Commerce and moved by Dakarai Pecikonis for career receptions. The senior caught 13 passes to break his previous record of 12 and now has 191 career receptions to break the previous record of 189. The Houston native finished with a season high 170 receiving yards. The senior also leads the league in receiving yards with 716 on the season.
Top Field Goal Kicker
Connor Flanigan has made the most of his kicking opportunites. He is currently 8-of-9 for the season after adding a 45-yard field goal and a 21-yard field goal against Texas A&M-Commerce. He is successful on 88.9 percent of his kicks, which is tops in the LSC. The eight field goals on the season are the most since Peter Marquez in 2014.
Chasing History
Donovan Thompson continues to inch closer to the ASU career recieivng record. He added a season high 170 receiving yards against Texas A&M-Commerce and now has 2.507 career receiving yards. He has nine career games of at least 100 yards receiving. He is currently No. 4 on the all-time list. He needs 324 yards to surpass Dakarai Pecikonis as ASU's all-time career leader.
Conference Leading Offense
The Rams offense leads the LSC in total offense (497.3), first downs (24.3 per game) and 3rd down conversion (44.6). The yards per game is on pace to be the second most yards per game in a single season in ASU history.
Career Rushing List
Josh Stevens moved into the top 10 of the ASU career rushing yards list. The senior has 574 rushing yards and is No. 9 on the ASU career list with 1,604 yards. He has two games of at least 100 yards this season against McKendree and Tarleton State and six for his career.
First Career Catch = TD
Wesley Lewis became the third wide receiver to record a touchdown for their first career catch as a Ram. Lewis caught a 23 yard pass from
Charlie Rotherham against Texas A&M-Commerce.
Larry Johnson and Keke Chism's were the first two. Johnson caught a 30-yard touchdown pass for his first career TD and catch. Chism's was a 14 yard completion.
All-Around Game
Tyrese Nathan had one of the top all-around games last week against Midwestern State. The freshman gained 240 yards of total offense which is the most since Kyle Washington gained 250 against Midwestern State in 2014. The Lubbock native had 138 yards on the ground, 45 yards of receiving yards and 57 in kickoff returns.
Century Mark
Tyler Ahrens had a career day against Midwestern State. The sophomore set a career high for number of catches and yards. Ahrens caught a game high 10 passes for100 yards. It is the first time he has hit the 100 yard receiving mark in his career.
300-Yard Passers
The Rams offense has thrown for over 300 yards in four games this season with a combination of
Jake Faber and
Charlie Rotherham. The duo combined to set the school record in passing yards against Northern Michigan with 491. The pair is also the first two quarterbacks to throw for over 300 yards in a game in the same season in ASU history. Faber surpassed 300 yards against NMU while Rotherham has had back-to-back games against TAMUK and MSU with over 300 passing yards.
Lawrence Hits Double-Digit INTs
Fred Lawrence picked of Rab Layton in the first quarter for his 10th career interception. The senior is the eighth player in ASU history to record at least 10 interception in a career and he is tied for seventh on the career list.
Top LSC Offense
The Rams offense has is currently leading the Lone Star Confernce with 496.0 yards per game this season. ASU is also tops in the league in first downs per game at 24.7 and third down conversion successfully getting a first down 45.5 percent of the time.
Ranked Opponents
The Rams will face a ranked opponent for the second time this season. ASU is 1-7 in its last eight attempts versus a ranked opponent. The last win versus a ranked opponent came in a 42-41 win over No. 18 Michigan Tech in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2014. The last win over a top 10 opponent was a 58-53 win over No. 7 West Texas A&M on Oct. 22, 2005.
Quick Strike Offense
The Rams have continued to score quickly once they get the ball. Of the 33 scoring drives for Angelo State 19 have been under 2 minutes or less. The fastest scoring drive was the season opener that took a swift 44 seconds while the longest has only been 3:48.
Bright Shines Against Tarleton State
Bright Ihegworo had one of the best days of his career against TSU. The sophomore set a career high with three sacks and four tackles for loss. He also tied his career high with 11 total tackles. It is the most sacks in a game by a Ram this season and the most since
Markus Jones had four against OPSU in 2016.
Career Day for Ayo
Lawson Ayo had his best day as a Ram against Northern Michigan. The sophomore caught a career-high nine passes for a career high 165 yards. He also caught two touchdowns including a 47-yard reception that he made defenders miss to score. It is the most receiving yards by a reciever since
Donovan Thompson's 187 in 2015.
Rams Draft Anthony Quintana
The Angelo State football team added a new member to its team last season by drafting TeamIMPACT's Anthony Quintana. ASU is the first LSC school to draft a player from TeamIMPACT. Anthony, a nine-year old from Water Valley, will spend the year two of three with the Ram football team interacting with the team while battling recurrent respiratory papillomatosis.
#RamFam Connection
Two current Rams have connections to Rams of the past.
Tashani Bibbs heard about ASU from former All-American uncle Henry Alsbrooks. Alsbrooks played defense for ASU and was a 1988 All-American. He recorded 271 tackles and is No. 10 all-time in career tackles. Myron Turner, Jr. plays opposite side of his dad Myron. The elder was an all-conference performer in 1989 and 1990. He is No. 8 on the career receiving yard list with 1,704 yards and led ASU in yards in 1989 with 706 yards.
Listen to the Rams
The Rams will once again be carried on KWFR 101.9 The Fire with five time Lone Star Conference Broadcaster of the Year Jeremy Bryant on the call. He will be joined by Dr. John Klingemann in the booth for color analysis. Dr. Klingemann is the chair of the history department and an associate professor at Angelo State.
LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union Field
The Rams begin their third season at LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union Field Angelo State is 11-6 at home since moving on
campus in 2014. The stadium capacity is 5,670 and is Wi-Fi friendly. A new press box is currently being constructed and new bathrooms and
concession stands are available at the south east corner of the stadium.
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.
Head Coach
Will Wagner (Hardin-Simmons, '96) will begin his sixth season as head coach of the Rams. He is 39-34 in his six 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.
422 and Counting
Angelo State has won a total of 422 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 39-35
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 played and coached at ASU, and has been inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame with Holt and former Ram tackle Rodney Cason.
Follow From Home
If you cannot attend the Angelo State football game, ASU has you covered. Live updates will be provided on Angelo State's Twitter account, @AngeloSports, Instagram, angeloathletics or on YouTube AngeloSports. Live streaming and radio broadcasts are also available via www.AngeloSports.com