Angelo State is on a three-game winning streak after back-to-back dominant wins against Adams State and Eastern New Mexico to close out the 2018 home schedule. The Rams will now hit the road to face No. 14 Texas A&M-Commerce and their Angelo State alumnus head coach Colby Carthel, who are currently slated to head to the NCAA Playoffs. 

Texas A&M Commerce
Defending their national championship has been no cake walk, but the No. 14 Lions notched their 50th straight week in the AFCA top 25 and currently boast the second best record in the LSC at 8-2, 6-1. Their one loss came at the hands of Tarleton State, who currently leads the LSC. The Lions are second in the conference in scoring defense, giving up just 19.9 points per game, while scoring an average of 32.3. 

The Series
The Rams and Lions have faced off 49 times overall since the first meeting in 1970, with ASU leading the series 28-18 with a pair of ties. Angelo State's longest win streak in the series came from 1984-1989, when they won six straight contests over the Lions. Texas A&M-Commerce has taken over the series in recent years, however, winning the last four straight games in the series. 

Last meeting
The then-No. 10 Lions built an early 17-3 lead in the second quarter and held off a comeback effort by the Rams to win 34-20 at Memorial Stadium in Commerce, Texas. Wide receiver Donovan Thompson set a new ASU single-game record with 13 receptions for 170 yards. Former Lion and 2018 Harlon Hill winner Luis Perez passed for 373 yards and five touchdowns in the TAMUC win. 

Under new leadership
Head football coach Will Wagner was dismissed by Angelo State effective Nov. 3, with Jeff Girsch being named his successor. Girsch was previously the Rams' defensive coordinator, leading a defensive unit in 2017 that received four Lone Star Conference first-team selections and was ranked second in the conference. Angelo State's defense allowed only 22.5 points per game in 2017.

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. 

LSC Recognition
Two Angelo State players were recognized by the Lone Star Conference this past week for their performance against Eastern New Mexico. Junior quarterback Payne Sullins was named the LSC Offensive Player of the Week after recording almost 400 total yards of offense, including a career-high 92 rushing yards. Defensive end Markus Jones earned the conference Defensive Player of the Week award with 10 total tackles, including five for loss. 

In the backfield
Senior defensive lineman Markus Jones is the Division II national leader in both sacks (15) and tackles for loss (34) this season. He is averaging 3.4 tackles for loss per game and is a full 14 tackles for loss ahead of the next closest Division II player. This season, he has set a new Angelo State career sack record and has matched the single-season sack record with 15. With at least half a sack more in the final game of the season, he will have sole posession of both records. 

Millennium Mark
With 909 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 91 rushing yards in the final game, Nathan still has a good chance to reach the mark, as he has recorded four games this season with at least 91 rushing yards. Nathan has already more than doubled his rushing total from a season ago when he rushed for 438 yards as a freshman. 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 17 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 26th in the nation in total tackles, averaging 10.1 per game for a total of 101 on the season. The captain surpassed his previous career high of 99 tackles set last season. Aschenbeck has now become the 20th Ram in school history  to record more than 100 tackles. Fellow Ram linebacker Hunter Kyle is close behind Aschenbeck with 96 tackles of his own this season, which ranks 37th 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 earlier this season 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. 

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. 

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. 

429 and Counting
Angelo State has won a total of 429 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    2012-2018    48-40
Jeff Girsch          2018-Present    0-0

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.