WICHITA FALLS – The Angelo State football team suffered its first conference loss of the season Saturday night, falling 57-36 to Midwestern State at Memorial Stadium.
The Rams (2-2) had their highest scoring game of the 2018 season with 36 points and over 500 yards of total offense, but were unable to stop the Mustangs (4-0, 2-0 LSC) high-powered offense in the loss.
It was the passing game that led the Ram offense to its best game of the season, as quarterbacks Charlie Rotherham and Payne Sullins went a combined 40-51 with 341 passing yards with two touchdowns in the game.
One of those passing touchdowns opened the scoring in the first quarter, as ASU drove right down the field and struck first on a three-yard touchdown pass from Rotherham to running back Spencer Gilbert.
The drive was helped by a 32-yard rush from running back Tyrese Nathan, who had his second straight and third game of the season with more than 100 rushing yards. Nathan carried the ball 27 times for 139 yards and also caught three passes for 23 yards on the night.
MSU Texas responded with a touchdown of their own and scored once more in the first quarter to take a 14-7 lead after the first 15 minutes of play.
The Rams got the first score of the second quarter, this time thanks to the leg of Connor Flanigan, who hit a season-long 43-yard field goal to pull ASU within four points.
The Mustangs responded with another touchdown on their next drive, but the Rams kept pace with another scoring drive.
Rotherham led the Rams 86 yards down the field in 18 plays, while completing passes to six different wide receivers, capped off by Steven Staten II's first career touchdown catch.
Three of the catches on the drive went to wide receiver Keke Chism, who had a career-high nine catches and 61 yards receiving. Chism was one of four Ram receivers with at least five catches, led by junior Lawson Ayo.
Ayo had a career-high 11 catches and 118 yards on the night. The junior's 11 catches were just two away from matching Donovan Thompson's single-game reception record of 13 set last season. Alize Thomas also had a career-high five catches and was second on the team with 79 receiving yards.
Midwestern State scored once more before halftime and opened the second half with another touchdown to build a comfortable 35-17 lead.
ASU made it a two-score game again after a touchdown run from Carsen Cook, but would not pull any closer than that the rest of the game.
Leading the defense for the Rams was Grant Aschenbeck and Donavyn Jackson with nine tackles apiece. Markus Jones also made his presence known, making 1.5 tackles for loss with one quarterback hurry.
The Rams will return home next, taking on Tarleton State at 6 p.m. at LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union Field for Family Day.
