The GAME
After two straight matchups against top 25 opponents, the Rams will look to bounce back from a 54-33 home loss against No. 21 Tarleton State last week. ASU will be trying to right the ship and get back to .500 on the season, while the Mustangs will be trying to secure their first win of the season. 

Western New Mexico
The Mustangs finished last season with a 4-7 record, including a pair of Lone Star Conference wins. They have yet to find the win column yet this season, however, with losses to Division I teams San Diego and Idaho, West Texas A&M and UT Permian Basin. Their last two losses, however, have come by a combined total of just 11 points, and they only lost to UT Permian Basin last week by one point. WNMU is averaging 14 points a game and giving up 35.5 points per contest. 

The Series
ASU and WNMU have played each other only four times in their histories, with the first meeting coming in 1996. The Rams won that meeting, but dropped the next two before defeating the Mustangs at home last season. Western New Mexico's two wins in the series have come by comebined 10 points, while ASU's wins have been by a total of 75 points. 

Last meeting
Angelo State dominated Western New Mexico at home 44-7 as quarterback Jake Faber passed for 335 yards and three touchdowns and Tyrese Nathan rushed for 85 yards a a touchdown. The Ram defense gave up just 241 yards of offense overall, while the offense gained 587 yards themselves. 

A look ahead
The Rams will return home to take on West Texas A&M for their homecoming game.  The Buffs are 3-2 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. Their lone LSC win came against Western New Mexico, but they are also coming off a strong road win over then-No. 14 Central Washington last week. WT is currently fourth in the LSC in scoring defense, giving up an average of just 22.2 points per game. 

Listen In
The game will be broadcasted locally on 101.9 KWFR (The Fire) with Jeremy Bryant and Dr. John Klingemann on the broadcast. Bryant is beginning his 17th season broadcasting ASU football games, while Dr. Klingemann is the chair of the history department and an associate professor at Angelo State. 

Top 25 Opponents 
ASU is coming off back-to-back matchups with teams ranked in the top 25 after taking on then-No. 6 Midwestern State and then-No. 25 Tarleton State. It is the first time the Rams have faced consecutive ranked opponents since 2014, when they faced No. 18 Michigan Tech and No. 8 CSU-Pueblo in the first two rounds of the NCAA Division II Postseason Tournament. 

Keke's Catches
Angelo State sophomore wide receiver Keke Chism has posted back-to-back career highs in receptions, hauling in 9 catches two weeks ago against MSU Texas and catching 12 balls in the most recent matchup with Tarleton State. The 12 catches against the Texans were one short of tying Donovan Thompson's single-game ASU record of 13 last season. Chism leads the team with 33 total receptions. 

In the Backfield
Senior defensive lineman Markus Jones leads the nation  in tackles for loss this season with 15 for a total of 52 yards. The senior is averaging three tackles for loss per game with a season high of five in the opener against Western Oregon. Six of the tackles are sacks, which leads the Rams, and he has 35 total tackles this year. 

Top Tacklers
ASU boasts two players in the top five in tackles in the Lone Star Conference this season with Grant Aschenbeck ranking second and Hunter Kyle close behind in a tie for third. Aschenbeck has 59 on the season for an average of 11.8 per game, while Kyle is averaging 10.4 per contest for a total of 52 this season. 

Tyrese Time
Angelo State sophomore running back Tyrese Nathan has had as good a start to the season as the Rams could ask for, ranking fourth in the Lone Star Conference with an average of exactly 100 yards per game. ASU's top returning rusher is averaging 4.5 yards per cary on 112 attempts for 500 total yards this season and one touchdown. 

Pick Party
Angelo State is second in the Lone Star Conference in interceptions this season with nine. They are one behind the league-leader, Tarleton, who has 10. One of ASU's picks has been returned for a touchdown. The ASU team interception record for a single season is 33, set in 1990. 

Great Day to be Special
The #BlueMob kickoff coverage team has ranked second best in the LSC this season, averaging 38.9 yards per kickoff this sesaon. Junior captain Connor Flanigan has handled the kicking duties, with six touchbacks on the year. 


LSC Recognition
Angelo State junior Larry Johnson was named the Lone Star Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after ripping off an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Abilene Christian. It is the first LSC honor for Johnson in his career and the second time this season a Ram has received recognition after Hunter Kyle was named LSC Defensive Player of the Week last week.

Our Program
Angelo State has won a total of 425 football games since 1939. The following lists the coaches and record breakdown in Ram football history. 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 DII playoff appearances and produced 59 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. 


426 and Counting
Angelo State has won a total of 425 football games since 1939. 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    43-36
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