The Game
The Angelo State football team will play its final regular-season game with a spot in the LSC Championship Playoff on the line against Tarleton State in Stephenville on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. The game will be carried on KWFR 101.9FM The Fire with Jeremy Bryant (play-by-play) and Daniel Ramirez (color analyst) on the call.  

Tarleton State
The Texans are 4-3 on the season and 4-2 in the LSC after winning their third-straight game on Saturday against McMurry. Tarleton State's head coach, Cary Fowler, is 26-23 in his fifth season. TSU is averaging 67.6 points per game in its last three wins and have scored 44.7 during the season. 

The Series
This will be the 31st meeting in the series that started in 1965. Tarleton State leads the series 16-14 and has won the last 12 meetings. The last ASU win came in San Angelo in 2000. The Rams are 4-9 all-time in Stephenville and the last win at Memorial Stadium was in 1999. 

LSC Playoffs 
Four teams are tied for second place heading into the final regular-season game. The top four teams in the LSC will compete for the LSC Playoff Championship. Angelo State, Tarleton State, Midwestern State and West Texas A&M are the four teams tied. The Rams control their own destiny and with a win over Tarleton State will be one of the top four teams in the LSC Championship Bracket. 

Defensive Player of the Week 
Rush Seaver was named the LSC Defensive Player of the Week after making a career-high and NCAA Division II season-best 23 tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss in the Rams 41-20 win over Eastern New Mexico. Twelve of his 23 came in the second half as ASU limited the Greyhounds to just 110 total yards in the second half. It is the second time this season the Seaver has recorded at least 20 tackles in a game. The Lampasas native has moved into No. 5 on the ASU career list with 344 total tackles. He is currently No. 2 in NCAA Division II averaging 13.9 tackles per game.

Regional Poll 
The NCAA released its first Super Region Four rankings this week with the Rams coming in at No. 10. The top six from each of the four regions will qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Rams have a 5-2 in-region and overall record and are one of two Lone Star Conference teams in the top 10. Texas A&M-Commerce sits at No. 8 while Ferris State of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is the top team in Super Region Four. Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference leader Colorado-State Pueblo is No. 2 followed Ohio Dominican at No. 3. Colorado Mines sits at No. 4 while Indianapolis, Michigan Tech and Ashland make up fifth, sixth and seventh.  Chadron State is between the Rams and Lions at No. 9.

Receiving Votes 
The Rams received three votes in the AFCA Top 25 poll this week. ASU is one of three LSC schools to receive votes along with Midwestern State (22) and Texas A&M-Commerce (30). The LSC doesn't have a team ranked in the top 25. It is the second time this season the Rams have received votes in the AFCA. 

Racking Up Points 
The Rams scored at least 40 points for the sixth-straight game on Saturday. ASU is scoring 43.9 points per game which is No. 9 in NCAA Division II. The Rams have scored 307 total points which is on pace to break the ASU single season record of  398 (36.1 per game) set in 1989. 

Turnover Margin
The Rams have forced 20 turnovers on the season after picking off ENMU twice and recovering a fumble. ASU has forced a turnover in its last four games and are now No. 3 in NCAA Division II in turnover margin. The 11 interceptions is ranked No. 21 in NCAA Division II and No. 1 in the LSC.  The Rams have only surrendered seven turnovers all season.

49-Yard Rumble
Jesse Hanson IV got to live every lineman's dream on Saturday. The sophomore caught a fumble forced by Blair Smith and ran down the middle of the field untouched for a touchdown. It is the second touchdown of the season for the defense and first career touchdown for Hanson IV. Clayton Callicutt was the last to return a fumble for a touchdown last season against Eastern New Mexico.

Points Off Turnovers
ASU has turned 20 opponent's turnovers into 108 points this season. The Rams have scored 15 touchdowns and one field goal from the 20 opponent turnovers. ASU has scored at least 14 points off turnovers in the last four games. The season high of 28 points came against Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Special Teams Touchdown Part 3
Anthony Yancy electrified the crowd on Saturday with his second kickoff return for a touchdown. The 97-yard return tied the game at seven and sparked 21 unanswered points for ASU. It is the third special teams touchdown of the season. 

No. 1 Kickoff Returns
The Rams are leading NCAA Division II by averaging 29.43 yards per kick return this season. ASU has had five games of at least 100 return yards. Anthony Yancy is No. 4 in NCAA Division II and No. 1 in the LSC at 34.1 yards per return. He is one of four players in NCAA Division II with two kickoff return touchdowns.  

Streaking
Kyle Washington found Talon Smith for a 4-yard touchdown with 2:20 to go in the game against Eastern New Mexico. It was Washington's 17th passing TD of the season 40th career passing touchdown and extended a streak of throwing a touchdown pass in 14-straight games. He has thrown a TD pass in 19 of the 26 games he has played in during his career. 

Defense, Defense, Defense
The Rams defense came out in the second half and put on one of the best performances of the season. ASU limited ENMU to just 110 total yards and after the first drive of the second half the Greyhounds only could muster 57 yards on six drives. The Rams forced  three turnovers on downs, two punts and an interception on ENMU's final six drives.
     
Road Games
The Rams are 2-0 this season in road games defeating Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Kingsville. ASU has won its last four games on the road dating back to 2013. The Rams are 10-7 under head coach Will Wagner on the road. 

Night Train
The Rams will be accustomed to playing under the lights this season. ASU has played seven games under the lights with one more scheduled to be played at 7 p.m. The only two games not scheduled are the LSC Playoffs on November 8th and 15th. 

Receiving Milestone
After spending last season rehabbing an injury, Dakarai Pecikonis returns to the Rams with a career record in reach. The senior wide receiver is third on the ASU all-time career receiving yards with 2,474. He is 218 yards from moving into No. 2 all-time and just 305 yards from passing Don Burrell for the top spot.  

Coach To Cure MD
The Angelo State football staff along with the American Football Coaches Association raised awareness for and helped funding for Duchenne muscular dystrophy versus West Texas A&M as part of the Coach To Cure MD. The Rams had Sam Killian, who was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2005, be a honorary captain for the game.  Killian's grandfather, Guy Hargrave, is an ASU alumnus. For more information on Sam follow the link to samsdaytexas.org. For information on Coach to Cure MD go to CoachToCureMD.org.  

Team Captains
Dominique McCoy, Rush Seaver, Blake Smith, Warren Truesdale and Kyle Washington were selected as captains for the 2014 season by their teammates. Seaver, Truesdale and Washington were captains last season as well. 

Career Nights
Kyle Washington, Dakarai Pecikonis and Clayton Callicutt had career nights against Western State. Washington threw for a career high 362 yards and two touchdowns. It is the ninth most passing yards in a single game in ASU history. Pecikonis caught nine passes from Washington for a career-high 163 yards. He is now 527 yards away from becoming ASU's career leader in receiving yards. Callicutt recorded three and a half sacks and five tackles for loss. Callicutt and the Ram defense held WSCU to just 288 yards of total offense. 

Program Milestone
Angelo State won the program's 403rd football game dating back to 1939 against Texas A&M-Kingsville. 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-Present    20-20

ESPN Top 10 Plays
Dakarai Pecikonis made an acrobatic catch in the third quarter. The 29-yard reception made it all the way to No. 5 on ESPN Sportscenter Top 10 Plays. It is the second time in two years the Rams have been showcased on Sportscenter. Last season, Jermie Calhoun scored a touchdown after leaping over a Black Hills State defender that went all the way to No. 1 before Peyton Manning threw seven touchdowns in a single game. 

New Defensive Coordinator
Girsch spent the last 17 years coaching at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, before being hired by Wagner. He has spent the last six years as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach of the Fighting Bees. He was named a MSFA Midwest League Assistant Coach of the Year in 2008. He has coached five All-Americans and been a part of seven Mid-State Football Association Conference Championships. His defense has finished in the top 25 in scoring for the last five years highlights by a No. 2 finish in 2009 and a No. 5 finish in 2011.

Head Coach
Will Wagner (Hardin-Simmons, '96) will begin his fourth season as head coach of the Rams. He is 19-20 in his fourth season at the helm of the Rams. The Odessa native helped Northwest Missouri State win three national championships as an assistant head coach and defensive backs coach.

The Program
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 D-II playoff appearances and produced 57 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. Legendary Baylor head coach Grant Teaff coached at ASU, and has been inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame with Holt and former Rams' offensive lineman Rodney Cason.

Follow From Home
If you cannot attend the Angelo State football game, ASU has you covered. Jeremy Bryant will call the game with help from analyst Daniel Ramirez on 101.9 KWFR-FM, which will also be streamed on AngeloSports.com. Live updates will be provided on Angelo State's Facebook page along with its Twitter account, @AngeloSports, Instagram, angelosports_com or on YouTube AngeloSports.