SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State football team started off the season on the right foot Thursday night at LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union Field, with a dominating 42-2 win over McKendree.
The win moved the Rams to 1-0 on the season, while the Bearcats two points is lowest point total allowed since ASU shut out Bacone in 2015. Justin Jackson led the team with eight tackles as Angelo State held McKendree to -13 rushing yards on the night. The defense also forced its first turnover of the season. It is the fewest rushing yards allowed since ENMU was held to -19 in 2008.
"I was really thrilled by our defense and the unbelievable job the guys up front did," Angelo State Head Football coach Will Wagner said. "Jake Faber was just a lot more comfortable and had good guys up front protecting him. This is something we've been working on for a while and the guys put a lot of effort into it. You saw the results tonight."
ASU scored quickly on the first drive of the game with Josh Stevens breaking off a 53-yard touchdown run less than a minute after the kickoff to give the Rams an early lead. Stevens ended the night with 22 carries for 104 yards, marking the fifth time in his career he has broken the 100-yard mark in a single game.
The Rams would score again in the first quarter, this time on a 27-yard pass from quarterback Jake Faber to wide receiver Donovan Thompson. Thompson was the Rams' leading receiver, catching four passes for 62 yards.
Faber would have a hand in the next three touchdowns the Rams scored as well, passing for another in the second quarter and then rushing for two in the second half.
The recipient of the second passing touchdown was wide receiver Keke Chism. The game against the Bearcats was the first for Chism in an ASU uniform and his catch in the end zone was the first of his career with the Rams, putting ASU up 21-2 heading into halftime.
Faber rushed for the next two touchdowns in the third quarter, but the rushes came from two yards and one yard out. The Rams were 4-for-5 on scoring touchdowns once in the red zone on the night.
Overall, Faber was 15-for-25 passing with 164 yards and two touchdowns, and the senior quarterback also rushed 16 times for 58 yards.
The Rams passed for 186 yards total on the night, as Charlie Rotherham, Carsen Cook and Austin Tracy took over at quarterback in the fourth quarter, and ten different ASU players caught passes. The Rams also rushed for 255 yards against the Bearcats for 441 total yards of offense.
Angelo State did get one final touchdown in the fourth quarter from true freshman Tyrese Nathan, who carried the ball into the end zone from three yards out. Nathan, a Lubbock Estacado product, had 13 carries for 60 yards in his first collegiate football game.
The Rams special teams capped off the night with their first block of the season. Markus Jones, last season's national leader in blocked kicks, recorded his first of the season with a block of a 37-yard attempt in the second quarter.
The Rams will be back at home for their next game, taking on Northern Michigan at 6 p.m. on September 9 at LeGrand Stadium 1st Community Credit Union Field. The game is designated at Military Appreciation with active military and their dependents and retired military receiving free admission.
