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SAN ANGELO – Angelo State quarterback Josh Neiswander manufactured a fitting end to his career with 391 yards through the air and five touchdown passes to lead the Rams to a 49-35 Lone Star Conference crossover win against Central Oklahoma at San Angelo Stadium Saturday.

Neiswander's yardage, the second-highest total of his career, helped the senior from Winnsboro surpass Ned Cox for ASU's career passing mark and his five touchdowns broke his own single-season record for touchdown passes (27). More importantly, the effort helped Rams (5-5, 5-5 LSC) out-gun the Bronchos (2-9, 2-8 LSC) and avoid a losing record for the year.

Neiswander connected with CJ Akins three times in the game, including two touchdowns in the first half, as the teams sprinted to a 28-28 tie at the break. Angelo State scored first in the contest on a six-yard scamper around the end by Dakarai Pecikonis – one of two rushing touchdowns for the wide out in the game – but neither team would lead by more than a touchdown until Pecikonis' second tally with a little more than two minutes in the contest.

Central Oklahoma's Daniel Morrell led all receivers with five catches for 84 yards in the opening half and snagged one of three touchdown passes thrown by Ethan Sharp in the game's first 30 minutes. His 21-yard catch from Sharp at 6:59 left in the first half gave UCO its second lead of the contest, 21-14. The two teams combined to score 42 points in the second quarter alone.

Angelo State notched a quick score out of the break with Neiswander finding V'Keon Lacey from 20 yards out, but the game slowed with a 15-play, 72-yard answering drive from UCO that took 6:21. That drive was capped with a eight-yard pass from Sharp to Carter Whitson, and would prove to be the Bronchos' final tally.

Akins scored his career-best third touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter to give the Rams a 42-35 advantage and two fourth quarter interceptions – one by Dekkar Williams and one by Brandon Mayse – helped ASU seal the win.

Akins caught six passes for 94 yards and finished tied for the game-high with Lacey, who also had six catches. Tristan Carter paced ASU's rushing attack with 73 yards as the Rams rumbled to a 119-to-105 advantage on the ground. In all, Angelo State out-gained Central Oklahoma 510-to-364.

Sharp completed 27-of-47 passes for 240 yards and four scores. Morrell didn't catch a pass in the second half, but still tied Whitson and tailback Josh Birmingham for the team lead with five catches. Birmingham rushed 20 times for 92 yards, but the nation's leader in points per game was held out of the end zone.

Neiswander concluded his career as the most prolific passer in ASU history. In addition to the career yardage mark (8,212), he set 14 Angelo State passing records. The 391-yard effort helped him finish with a new season-best 2,983 yards, and the five scores moved him to an ASU record 61 career touchdowns.