CANYON, Texas – The Angelo State football team dropped a tough matchup against West Texas A&M on the road on Saturday, losing to the Buffs 31-15 at Buffalo Stadium.
With the first road loss of the season, the Rams drop to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in Lone Star Conference play. The Buffs improve to 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the LSC.
The Rams got on the board first midway through the opening quarter as Asa Fuller converted a 44-yard field goal attempt to go up 3-0.
Special team woes have been an issue for ASU this season and that continued Saturday with WT scoring the only touchdown of the first quarter after blocking a punt before returning it 38-yards for the score.
The Buffs added to their lead in the second quarter, driving 55 yards on 12 plays before capping off the drive with a seven-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-3. With 21 seconds to go in the first half, WT hit a 39-yard field goal to head into the break with a 17-3 advantage.
Angelo State had a strong start to the second half, scoring on their first possession of the third quarter. Driving 47 yards on five plays, Zach Bronkhorst completed a 26-yard catch and run to Noah Massey for ASU's first touchdown of the game. A missed PAT made it 17-9 in favor of the Buffs.
Bronkhorst finished the game with 26-of-47 passing for 244 yards with one touchdown and an interception. Rasheen Green was the top receiver for the Rams with 57 yards receiving and a team-high seven receptions.
Midway through the third, two 15-yard penalties on the Rams set up good field position for the Buffs who added to their lead with a 13-yard touchdown run to make it 24-9.
The Rams outperformed the Buffs in offensive yards, totaling 384 yards to 247 yards for WT. ASU finished with 140 rushing yards and 244 passing while the Buffs become the first team to rush for over 100 yards against the Rams this season with 143 yards on the ground.
WT scored their final touchdown with just under five minutes to play in the game, intercepting a pass and returning it 60 yards for the touchdown.
Angelo State answered back, driving the field before Kason Philips scored on a 17-yard run to come within two scores but ASU couldn't overcome the early deficit.
Hunter Kyle was the leading tackler for ASU, finishing with nine total and two tackles for loss while Donavyn Jackson collected six tackles and three others had five.
The Rams return home next week as they continue conference play against UT Permian Basin on Saturday, Oct. 16 for ASU's Homecoming.
