he Game
The Angelo State football team will host McKendree to open the season on Thursday, Aug. 31 with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. at LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union Field. The game has been declared a Blue Out and all fans are encouraged to wear blue. 

McKendree 
The Bearcats were 8-3 last season under head coach Mike Babcock including a 33-19 win over Angelo State. McKendree was picked to finish third in the Great Lakes Valley Conference preseason poll. Babcock is 25-17 in four seasons. 

The Series
The Bearcats won the first meeting 33-19 last season in Lebanon, Ill. ASU had a 19-9 lead at halftime but McKendree scored 24 unanswered points in the second half to pull away for the victory. 

Season & Home Openers
Angelo State is 29-23-1 in season openers dating back to 1964. The Rams are 7-1 in the last eight season openers and have won 10 of the last 11 home openers.  ASU is 41-12 in home openers since 1964. 

Thursday Night Lights
The season opener will be the third Thursday night season opener under head coach Will Wagner and the the second straight season the Rams have faced McKendree to open the season.  

Home Sweet Home
The seven homes games scheduled at LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union Field are tied for the most regular season games in a single season at home. It is also the most home games since the Rams moved to campus in 2014. The only other season with seven regular season games was in 1999.

LSC Preseason Poll
The Rams were picked to finish No. 6 in the LSC Preseason Poll. ASU recieved 114 points.  Texas A&M-Commerce was picked No. 1 with 21 first place votes and 229 points. 
Live in HD
Every Ram home game will be broadcasted on RamTV Suddenlink Channel 6 and 106HD.  Fans will be able to see the games in full high definition with Angelo State students directing the broadcast and giving play-by-play and color analysis.

All-Region Returners
Defensive linemen Markus Jones and Bright Ihegworo were Don Hansen All-Super Region Four honorees last season. Jones led ASU with 16 taclkes for loss, 7.5 sacks and the national leader in blocked kicks with seven. Ihegworo recorded 5.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss as a freshman. 

All-Conference Returners 
ASU will return all-conference performers Markus Jones, Justin Jackson, Josh Stevens, Bright Ihegworo and Fred Lawrence. Jones and Jackson were first team selections while Stevens, Ihegworo and Lawrence were on teh second team. 

1,000 Rushing Yards
Josh Stevens rushed for 1,030 yards and it was the 12th time a Ram  has rushed for over 1,000 yards. He is the 10th player to surpass the plateau and will try to become the third to do it in back-to-back seasons joining Jerry Austin (1970-71) and Charlie Franklin (1937-74). 

#BlueMob Hopes to Repeat 2016
The Rams special teams broke the school record and was No. 2 nationally in blocked kicks last season with 10. Markus Jones led the nation with seven of the 10 blocked kicks last season.  

Chasing History 
Donovan Thompson will try to become the sixth receiver in ASU history to record at least 2,000 yards receiving. He is 1,040 yards awat from Dakarai Pecikonis who is tops in the Rams record book. He is currently No. 8 on the all-time receiving yard list. 

Top Third Down Defense
The Rams have had one of the top third down defenses nationally. Opponents were only allowed successful on third downs 26.5 percent of the time. ASU only allowed 50 succesful conversions out of 188 last season inlcuding holding WT to one of 12. It was the No. 5 best percentage in Division II and No. 1 in the Lone Star Conference. 

Rams Want 2017 Start to Mirror 2016 Finish
The Rams best game of 2016 was the season finale against UT-Permain Basin. ASU scored a school record 70 points and racked up 580 yards of total offense. Six of the touchdowns came on the ground with four through the air. ASU also the final two games of the season. 

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. Brennan Bibbs heard about ASU from former All-American uncle Henry Alsbrooks. Alsbrooks played defense for ASU and was a 1988 All-Americna. 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. 

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.

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 9-5 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. 

Head Coach
Will Wagner (Hardin-Simmons, '96) will begin his sixth season as head coach of the Rams. He is 34-31 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.

419 and Counting
Angelo State has won a total of 419 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	36-31

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 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.