Angelo State has won back-to-back games for the first time all season after defeating Adams Stat 59-20 at home last week. The Rams now host Eastern New Mexico in their last home game of the season before going on the road next week to take on top-ranked Texas A&M-Commerce in the 2018 season finale. 

Eastern New mexico
The Greyhounds run the triple option on offense, marking a stark contrast from last week's pass-heavy Adams State. This season, Eastern New Mexico is averaging just over 60 rushing attempts per game while passing the ball just nine times. They have posted a 4-5 record on the year with a 4-3 record in LSC play, which is good for fourth in the league, and they are riding  a three-game winning streak. 

The Series
The Rams and Greyhounds have faced off 43 times overall with the first meeting coming at Eastern New Mexico in 1968. Angelo State lost that first meeting 24-0, but has won more often than not in the series, beating ENMU 24 times to just 18 losses with one tie. Eastern New Mexico has taken the last two victories, however, beating Angelo State 31-21 in 2017 and 25-14 in 2016. 

Last meeting
Angelo State go into an early 21-0 hole before getting on the board with a Josh Stevens 42-yard run. ASU eventually pulled within one score in the third quarter at 21-28, but the Greyhounds shut out the Rams in the fourth quarter to stave off the comeback effort and hold on for their second straight win in the series. Jake Faber passed for 131 yards and five different Rams recorded double-digit tackles. 

A look ahead
ASU play one final home game next week, taking on Eastern New Mexico in their last game in San Angelo this season. The Rams will honor their seniors prior to kickoff against the only team in the Lone Star Conference that runs the triple-option offensive scheme. The Greyhounds are currently averaging 55 rushing attempts per game and are leading the LSC with an average of 298.2 yards on the ground per game. ENMU is currently 3-5 on the season but has the same conference record as ASU at 3-3. 

Listen In
The game will be broadcasted locally on 101.9 KWFR (The Fire) with Jeremy Bryant and Dr. John Klingemann on the broadcast. Bryant is beginning his 17th season broadcasting ASU football games, while Dr. Klingemann is the chair of the history department and an associate professor at Angelo State. 

In the backfield
Senior defensive lineman Markus Jones is the Division II national leader in tackles for loss this season with 28.5. The Fort Worth native and LSC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year is averaging 3.2 per game  and has hit a season high of five twice this  year against both Western Oregon and Western New Mexico. 

Millinieum Mark
With 840 rushing yards on the season, Angelo State running back Tyreese Nathan is closing in on a 1000-yard season. The Rams did not have a 1000-yard rusher last season, but did in 2016 as Josh Stevens ran for 1,071 yards as a junior. Needing 160 rushing yards in the final two games, Nathan is on pace to reach the mark, averaging 87.78 rushing yards a game so far this sesaon. If he were to reach the mark, it would be just the 13th time in program history a Ram runninback rushed for more than 1000 yards in a season. 

Pick Party
The Angelo State defense leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks No. 3 in the nation with 16 passes intercepted this season. Hunter Kyle leads the team with four. Both Donavyn Jackson and Leddy French have picked off multiple passes and 11 players overall have interceptions this year. The ASU team interception record for a single season is 33, set in 1990, and the indvidual record for interceptions in a season is nine, set by Billy York in 1970 and matched again by the same player in 1971. 

Great day to be special
Angelo State #BlueMob special teams players have claimed the LSC Special Teams Player of the Week award three times this season. Larry Johnson has been the winner twice this year after each of his kickoff returns for touchdowns, and kicker Connor Flanigan earned recognition after hitting three field goals and five extra points in the win over UTPB.

Top Tacklers
Angelo State senior lineback Grant Aschenbeck is currently 21st in the nation in total tackles, averaging 10.2 per game for a total of 91 on the season. The captain is on pace to shatter his career high of 99 tackles set last season. On pace for more than 100 trackles, Aschenbeck would become the 20th Ram in school history  to record more than 100 tackles. Fellow Ram linebacker Hunter Kyle is close behind Aschenbeck with 81 tackles of his own this season, which ranks 50th in the country. Kyle has already surpassed his tackle number from his freshman season, when he made 66 tackles.

Untouched
Junior wide receiver Larry Johnson returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown two weeks ago without ever being touched by a West Texas A&M defender. The return was the second of the season for Johnson and earned the Fort Worth native his second LSC Player of the Week award. It also marked the first time since 2014 that a Ram player returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same season. Anthony Yancy also returned two in the 2014 season. 

Shutout
Earlier this season the Angelo State defense did not allow Western New Mexico to get on the scoreboard at all, shutting the Mustangs out for the full 60 minutes. The game marked the first time ASU had shut out a team since they beat Bacone College 56-0 in 2013 and the first time they shut out an LSC opponent since 2013 when they beat Incarnate Word 7-0. 

Tyrese Time
Angelo State sophomore running back Tyrese Nathan has had a strong first half of the season, ranking fourth in the Lone Star Conference with an average of  94.5 yards per game. ASU's top returning rusher is averaging 4.4 yards per cary on 128 attempts for 567 total yards this season and one touchdown. 

Kickoff koverage
The #BlueMob kickoff coverage team has ranked first in the LSC this season, averaging 41 yards per kickoff this sesaon. Junior captain Connor Flanigan has handled the kicking duties, with six touchbacks on the year. Flanigan also leads the conference with nine field goals mad on the sesaon. 

LSC Recognition
Angelo State junior Larry Johnson was named the Lone Star Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after ripping off an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Abilene Christian. It is the first LSC honor for Johnson in his career and the second time this season a Ram has received recognition after Hunter Kyle was named LSC Defensive Player of the Week last week.

Our Program
Angelo State has won a total of 425 football games since 1939. The following lists the coaches and record breakdown in Ram football history. 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 DII playoff appearances and produced 59 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. 

429and 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    44-36
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