ANGELO STATE RAMS (1-2) at ABILENE CHRISTIAN WILDCATS (1-3)
Saturday, Nov. 7, 3 p.m.  – Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium – Abilene, Texas
Radio: 101.9 KWFR
Live Video: ESPN 3
Playing on the road for the third time in as many games, the Angelo State football team will close out its unusual 2020 fall season as the Rams travel to Abilene Christian on Saturday. This will be the second time this season the Rams come up against an opponent from the Division I FCS Southland Conference, having faced Stephen F. Austin back in October.
 
The Rams will try to snap a two-game losing skid and end the season at .500 with a win. Angelo State fell to SFA 31-12 before West Texas A&M avenged an earlier loss, defeating the Rams 34-27 in their most recent game on Oct. 24.
 
REWIND AGAINST THE BUFFS:
After opening the season with a 21-10 win against WT and showcasing the defense while holding the Buffs scoreless in the second half, ASU's rematch against West Texas saw a much different result. After taking a 12-0 lead, big plays plagued the Rams as the Buffs scored three of their five touchdowns on plays of 50-yards or more. WT took the lead 14-12 after connecting on a 61-yard touchdown pass while later in the game, they scored on an 85-yard interception return before sealing the victory with a 50-yard touchdown run.
 
SERIES HISTORY: RAMS vs. WILDCATS
All-Time Series: Angelo State leads the series 28-23-1.
Last Meeting: The Rams and Wildcats last met during the 2018 campaign in a wild game played in Abilene. ACU jumped out to a 17-0 lead before the Rams scored 24 unanswered points to take the lead. The Wildcats dominated the second half, holding on to win 41-24.
 
SCOUTING ABILENE CHRISTIAN:
After starting the season 0-3, the Wildcats got their first win on Halloween, edging out Mercer 20-17 last Saturday. With the game tied at 17-17, Abilene Christian kicked a field goal to take the lead with just over five minutes to go before holding the Bears to a three and out and earning the first win of the season. The Wildcats opened the year up against UTEP, falling 17-13 before taking a big loss to Army West Point, 55-23. In their matchup against Stephen F. Austin, the Wildcats narrowly lost in overtime, taking a 32-19 lead before a Lumberjack touchdown claimed the victory for SFA.
 
ACU is averaging 22 points per game while putting up 370 yards per contest, 127 yards on the ground, and 243 through the air. Peyton Mansell leads the passing game for the Wildcats, racking up 941 yards and four touchdowns through the first four games. He holds a 65.8 completion percentage and has totaled three interceptions. Receivers Kobe Clark and Lionell McConnell have been the top targets this season, collecting over 20 catches each for 287 and 251 yards respectively. Clark leads the team with three touchdown catches.
 
Like the Rams, Abilene Christian has seen production from multiple backs as Jermiah Dobbins leads the running game for the Wildcats with 199 yards off of 29 attempts with three touchdowns. Right behind him is Tyrese White with 145 yards and two touchdowns.
 
On the defensive side, ACU has three players that have recorded 20-plus tackles this season with Jack Gibbens leading the way with 28 total. The Wildcats have tallied four sacks and have recorded 17 tackles for loss so far but turnovers have been scarce as the secondary has yet to get an interception. Abilene Christian has given up an average of 31 points to their opponents this season while allowing just over 386 yards of offense per game.
 
QUICK HITS:
OUT RUNNING BUT NOT OUT SCORING:
The Rams are averaging 400 yards of offense per game this season, outgaining their opponents in all three contests this season. They finished with 81 more yards against WT in game one, 101 more yards than SFA, and 112 more yards in their rematch with the Buffs. Despite the advantage in yards, the Rams have found themselves on the wrong end of the score in the last two games as turnovers, poor execution on special teams, and big plays by the opponents have kept them behind.
 
SECOND GEAR FOR GREAR:
Alfred Grear has stepped up in the running back role after the Rams suffered some injuries. He leads the squad with 226 yards rushing and a team-high four touchdowns, scoring at least one touchdown in each game. He finished with 138 yards and two touchdowns against the Buffs on Oct. 24, running for a long of 54-yards.
 
SUCCESS IN THE SECONDARY:
Led by senior Leddy French II, the secondary has performed well for the Rams so far, tallying four interceptions and eight passing breakups. French has tallied two interceptions while Devin Washington and Deshaun Douglas each have one pick this season.
 
OFFENSIVE NOTES:
-Quarterback Zach Bronkhorst has tossed for nearly 600 yards so far while spreading the ball out to his receiving core.
-Three players have caught for almost 100 yards as Austin Landry leads with 132 yards off of 10 catches, followed by Rasheen Green with 107 yards and Kellen Pachot with 99 yards and a team-high 11 receptions.
-Nathaniel Omayebu leads the Rams running backs in carries with 40 on the year. He has rushed for 172 yards and collected one touchdown against West Texas in the opening game of the season. He has also been productive in the passing game, catches eight passes for 64 yards.
 
DEFENSIVE NOTES:
-Daron Allman and Weston Bauer lead the defensive with 19 tackles each. Allman has recorded a team-high 2.5 sacks while Bauer's four tackles for loss leads the squad.
-Behind them, Donavyn Jackson has 15 tackles and Darrian Mcintyre has 3.5 tackles for loss.
-Darrick Dickerson Jr. and Douglas lead the secondary with 13 tackles each.