The Game
The Angelo State football team will play in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl in Copperas Cove, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. versus the Washburn Ichabods. 

Washburn
The Ichabods are 6-5 on the season under head coach Craig Schurig. Schurig is in his 16th season at Washburn and has a 109-74 record. 

The Series
This will be the first meeting between the two programs. 

Bowl History
The Rams will be making their 15th postseason apperance and the first since the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2014. It is the first NCAA Division II bowl game in program history. ASU made four bowl apperances as San Angelo College in 1950, 1951, 1955 and 1960 and two as Angelo State. ASU was selected for the 1972 Ardmore Shrine Bowl and earned the right to play in the 1978 NAIA National Championship game that was called the City of Palms Bowl. ASU is 10-11 all-time in the postseason. 

Heart of Texas Bowl
The Rams will be playing in the 17th Heart of Texas Bowl. The game is held at Bulldawg Stadium in Copperas Cove. The game will be televised on Fox College Sports Pacific and will be streamed on FoxSportsGo. The channel can be found on Dish 412-33, DirecTV 608 and Suddenlink 420. 

LSC Accolades 
Angelo State had five first team honorees, two second team selections and 12 honorable mentions and four special awards including Defensive Player of the Year, Defensive Lineman of the Year, Linebacker of the Year and Defensive Back of the Year recognized by the LSC. Markus Jones was the Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive LIneman of the Year while Justin Jackson (Linebacker of the Year) and Fred Lawrence (Defensive Back of the Year) received special honors. Donovan Thompson and Bright Ihegworo joined the three on the All-LSC first team. 

Points Galore
The Rams scored a school record 74 points in the regular season finale. A total of 10 touchdowns were scored with three coming from the defense. Connor Flanigan added two field goals as well. 

School Record Tied
Connor Flanigan has put his name in the ASU record book and will look to make the school record for field goals in a single season his own. The sophomore made two field goals against UTPB to tie the mark of 16 set by Mike Thomas in 1983. He hit a long of 52 with 14 of the 16 coming between 20-39 yards. 

Offensive Output
The Rams have seven games of at least 500 yard of total offense including a season high 660 against Northern Michigan. ASU has surpassed 500 yards of total offense in the last three games and five of the last six. The 502.6 yards per game is the second most in a single season in school history.  

Interception Returns
The Ram defense set a school record with three interceptions returned for a touchdown in the same game. The LSC Linebacker of the Year, Justin Jackson, started off the scoring returing an INT 81 yards for the game's first score. Hunter Kyle returned a 22 yard pick in the second quarter and Donavyn Jackson capped off the defensive scoring with a 38 yard return. ASU is the only school in NCAA Division II to return three INTs for a touchdown in the same game this season.  

Potential Offensive Records
The Ram offense has a chance to set some new records against Washburn. ASU is on pace to surpass the school record for attempts in a season (463) and completions (274). The offense currently has 268 competions and 452 attempts on the year. 

Outstanding Defense
The Ram defense had their best performance of the last 18 years. ASU held West Texas A&M to only 103 yards of total offense which is the fewest yards in a single game since giving up 77 to West Texas A&M in 1999. The 29 yards passing are the lowest of the season and the second time the Rams have held a team under 100 yards passing. 

Back to Back 1,000 Yard Season in Sight
With 143 yards on Saturday, Josh Stevens can become just the third running back in ASU history to rush for at least 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons. He carried the ball for 1,030 yards last season and currently has 857 this season. He would join Jerry Austin (1970-71) and Charlie Franklin (1973-74) as one of the three to accomplish the feat. He is currently No. 7 on the ASU career rushing list and would the sixth to surpass 2,000 career rushing yards. 

Career High TDs for Faber
Jake Faber shined in his final game at LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union Field. The senior quarterback threw for 270 yards on 23-of-31 passing and a career high four touchdowns. He completed TDs to Keke Chism, Wesley Lewis, Josh Stevens and Tashani Bibbs. 

Sack Leader
Jones became the sixth player in ASU history to record double-digit sacks in a single season. He led the Lone Star Conference with 10.5 sacks and 18.0 tackles for loss on his way to the LSC Defensive Player and Defensive Lineman of the Year.  

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. 

Chasing History 
Donovan Thompson continues to inch closer to the ASU career receiving 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. 

First Career TD
Quite a few Rams scored their first career touchdowns this season for ASU. Tashani Bibbs was the latest to join the mix scoring on a 22 yard reception against West Texas A&M. Bibbs joins Wesley Lewis, Larry Johnson, Tyrese Nathan, Sterling Gilbert II, Keke Chism, Charlie Rotherham, Tate Kennedy and Jalyn Judkins as Rams to score their first career touchdowns. 

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. 

300-Yard Passers
The Rams offense has thrown for over 300 yards in seven 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. 

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 receiver 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. 

Head Coach
Will Wagner (Hardin-Simmons, '96) will begin his sixth season as head coach of the Rams. He is 42-35 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.

425 and Counting
Angelo State has won a total of 425 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	42-35

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