SAN ANGELO – Spencer Gilbert ran for two touchdowns, Lawson Ayo caught one for the third straight game and Connor Flanigan made three field goals to lead Angelo State to a 30-14 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday at LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union Field.
The Rams (2-1, 1-0 LSC) opened Lone Star Conference play with the win over the Javelinas (1-2, 0-2 LSC) with Tyrese Nathan running for 116 yards on 25 carries and Payne Sullins throwing for 117 yards on seven completions. Hunter Kyle led the Rams with 16 tackles and Grant Aschenbeck added 15 more for the defense recorded two turnovers. ASU, which was playing its home opener, finished the game with 322 yards of offense and limited TAMUK to 206 throughout a night where rain fell from kickoff to the final celebration by the Rams after the win.
Texas A&M-Kingsville took the early lead in the game, blocking a punt after a quick three-and-out on the first ASU drive of the game and recovering the ball in the end zone for the quick lead. The Rams, down 7-0, would respond with Flanigan making a 25-yard field on the next drive and then took the lead when Gilbert broke off a 36-yard touchdown run to put an emphatic cap to a six-play, 80-yard drive for the Rams. Flanigan made the PAT to give ASU a 10-7 lead after the first quarter.
The Javelinas took a 14-10 lead on the Rams with Koy Detmer, Jr. finding Tyler Wilson for a 22-yard touchdown pass with 8:03 remaining in the first half. ASU would respond two possessions later, with a seven-play drive that was once again ended with a Gilbert touchdown. A sophomore from Lancaster, Gilbert had not scored this season but would race into the end zone for the second time in the first half with a 5-yard run. The Rams would be in position to tack on more points in the final moments of the first half when Donavyn Jackson picked off Detmer at the 32-yard line with seven seconds remaining in the half. It was Jackson's second interception of the season after he also picked one last week at Abilene Christian and would set up Flanigan who drilled a 35-yard field goal.
Ayo would catch his third touchdown of the season on a 27-yard pass from Payne Sullins with 1:45 remaining in the third quarter to extend the lead and a 27-yard field goal by Flanigan with 6:12 remaining in the game would take the score to the final 16-point margin of victory. Ayo has now scored in the first three games of the season, while Sullins threw his first career touchdown for the Rams. Ayo finished with two catches for 39 yards, while Keke Chism led the team with 49 yards receiving on two catches. Tate Kennedy also had two receptions, while Nathan had one out of the back field.
Nathan would surpass 100 yards for the second time this season after opening the year with 134 yards at Western Oregon. A sophomore, Nathan now has 357 yards rushing this season on 68 attempts for 5.0 yards per carry. Tony Jones would add 51 yards on four carries, while Gilbert finished with 41 yards and Ronald Winston carried the ball six times for 20 yards. ASU finished the game with 205 yards rushing through the deluge of rain that soaked the LeGrand Stadium turf throughout the night.
Jac Yurow recorded a fourth-quarter interception for the second ASU pick, while Leddy French had nine tackles and Darrick Dickerson six in the dominant performance by the defense.
Angelo State will return to action next Saturday at No. 7 Midwestern State in Wichita Falls before hosting Tarleton State on Saturday, Sept. 29 back at LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union Field.
