The GAME
Angelo State is playing in a bowl game for a second straight season, taking on Central Oklahoma in their eighth bowl appearance all-time. The game will kick off at 4:05 p.m. on Saturday, December 1. It is the second NCAA Division II bowl game in program history. ASU made four bowl apperances as San Angelo College in 1950, 1951, 1955 and 1960 and two as Angelo State. ASU was selected for the 1972 Ardmore Shrine Bowl and earned the right to play in the 1978 NAIA National Championship game that was called the City of Palms Bowl. They also played in the Heart of Texas Bowl last season against Washburn. ASU is 10-12 all-time in the postseason.

Central Oklahoma
Playing in the MIAA, the Bronchos posted a 7-4 record overall, averaging 29.27 points per game and playing strong defense to hold opponents to just 18.82 points per game. 

The Series
The Rams and Bronchos have faced off 25 times overall, but not since 2011, and Angelo State is 18-6-1 all-time against them. The two teams first met in 1973 in a game that ended in a 7-7 tie. Angelo State has the longest win streak of the series at six games from 1976-1987, and the two teams matched up every year from 1985-1996. ASU has won the last three matchups, and the Bronchos last win was a 30-24 triple overtime win in 2006. 

Last meeting
Angelo State shut out the Bronchos to remain undefeated early in 2011 in San Angelo. Neither team was able to find the end zone in the first quarter, but the Rams broke the scoreless tie with a field goal as the first half ended. They then added 17 point in the second half, including a 46-yard TD pass and a 3-yard touchdown run to secure the win. 

Under new leadership
Former head football coach Will Wagner was dismissed by Angelo State effective Nov. 3, with Jeff Girsch being named his successor. Girsch was previously the Rams' defensive coordinator, leading a defensive unit in 2017 that received four Lone Star Conference first-team selections and was ranked second in the conference.

Television coverage
If #RamFam members can't make it to Waco for the game, there are some options for watching it on TV. The game will be broadcast nationally on the Eleven Sports Network, which is channel 623 on DirecTV. It will also be on the following local channels throughout Texas Austin, KBVO, San Antonio, KSAT, El Paso,  KVIA, Lubbock, WLCW
Tyler, KFXK, WACO/Bryan-College Station, KWKT, Houston, KUBE Harlingen, KRGV
Albuquerque, KOB.

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. 

Markus Mania
Angelo State defensive lineman Markus Jones has had a dominant 2018 season and is now being recognized off the field for his achievements on it. Jones was named the LSC Defenisve Player and Lineman of the Year for the second consecutive season. He then made history as the first Angelo State player to win the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year award. Finally, he was named a finalist for the Harlon Hill Award, which is given annually to the best player in all of Division II football, marking just the third time in ASU history a Ram has been named a finalist for the award. 

In the backfield
Senior defensive lineman Markus Jones is the Division II national leader in tackles for loss (34) this season and ranks second nationally in sacks (15). He is averaging 3.4 tackles for loss per game and is a full 14 tackles for loss ahead of the next closest Division II player. This season, he has set a new Angelo State career sack record and has matched the single-season sack record with 15. 

Pick Party
The Angelo State defense leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks No. 3 in the nation with 19 passes intercepted this season. Hunter Kyle leads the team with four. The ASU team interception record for a single season is 33, set in 1990, and the indvidual record for interceptions in a season is nine, set by Billy York in 1970 and matched again by the same player in 1971. 

Great day to be special
Angelo State's #BlueMob kickoff coverage team leads the Lone Star conference with an average of 40.8 yards per kickoff. Kicker Connor Flanigan has recorded 21 touchbacks on 72 attempts and is averaging 59.9 yards a kick. 

Top Tacklers
Angelo State senior lineback Grant Aschenbeck ended the season 26th in the nation in total tackles, averaging 10.1 per game for a total of 110 on the season. The captain surpassed his previous career high of 99 tackles set last season. Aschenbeck has now become the 20th Ram in school history  to record more than 100 tackles. Fellow Ram linebacker Hunter Kyle is close behind Aschenbeck with 108 tackles of his own this season, which ranks 37th in the country. Kyle has already surpassed his tackle number from his freshman season, when he made 66 tackles.

Untouched
Junior wide receiver Larry Johnson returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown earlier this season without ever being touched by a West Texas A&M defender. The return was the second of the season for Johnson and earned the Fort Worth native his second LSC Player of the Week award. It also marked the first time since 2014 that a Ram player returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same season. Anthony Yancy also returned two in the 2014 season. 

Shutout
Earlier this season the Angelo State defense did not allow Western New Mexico to get on the scoreboard at all, shutting the Mustangs out for the full 60 minutes. The game marked the first time ASU had shut out a team since they beat Bacone College 56-0 in 2013 and the first time they shut out an LSC opponent since 2013 when they beat Incarnate Word 7-0. 

Our Program
Angelo State has won a total of 429 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. 

429 and Counting
Angelo State has won a total of 429 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    2012-2018    48-40
Jeff Girsch          2018-Present    0-1

Follow from home
If you cannot attend the Angelo State football game, ASU has you covered. Live updates will be provided on Angelo State's Twitter account, @AngeloSports, Instagram, angeloathletics or on YouTube AngeloSports. Live streaming and radio broadcasts are also available via www.AngeloSports.com.