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CANYON, Texas  – The West Texas A&M football team dropped a 35-17 decision to No. 6 Angelo State on Homecoming Saturday evening.  With the loss, the Buffs fell to 2-2 on the year and 1-1 in Lone Star Conference play, while Angelo State improved to 4-0 and 1-0 in league play.
 
"Well, we didn't play good enough in the first two quarters for sure on either side of the football," head coach Mike Nesbitt said.  "We didn't play well on third down and I was surprised we didn't have more energy than we did.  We weren't at the same fever pitch as we were the week before.  Or we were at the exact same as we were the week before, but we weren't able to get the advantage back and dig ourselves out of the hole."
 
"We never were able to put our foot on the gas and get going and against a good team like that, we never were able to push them and they were able to hold the lead," Nesbitt added.  "I thought our defense did a good job in the third quarter and our D-Line played.  Credit to them, Will had his guys ready to play.  They got after us up front, controlled the tempo of the game, they were able to throw the play action pass and the big ball on us."
 
The high-powered Angelo State offense put up 607 yards in the game with 376 passing yards from Lone Star Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Kyle Washington on 34 of 49 passing.  He also used his feet for 12 carries for 124 yards and two rushing touchdowns.  The Rams had 231 yards rushing for the game. 
 
WT had 302 yards of offense with 211 passing yards from sophomore quarterback Ethan Brinkley on 25 of 36 with one interception and one touchdown.  ASU's defense held WT to just 91 yards rushing as two-time reigning LSC Offensive Player of the Week Geremy Alridge-Mitchell was held to 99 yards and no touchdowns as he entered the game leading the nation in scoring at 18.0 points per game and rushing touchdowns with eight.  It also snapped his string of 12 consecutive games of rushing over 100 yards dating back to Sept. 20, 2014.  WT senior wide receiver Xavier Amey had five catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. 
 
The loss snapped a streak of 10-straight wins for the Buffs on Homecoming as the last loss on Homecoming came to Midwestern State in 2004.  It also snapped a string of nine-straight wins by the Buffs over Angelo State dating back to a 58-53 setback in Canyon on Oct. 22, 2005.  Angelo State improved to 15-13 all-time in the series with the Buffs.
 
Junior Davontae Merriweather had a career-high 18 tackles in his first career start for the Buffs.  He had 11 solo stops with a half a tackle for loss.  Sophomore Trevor Myklebust had 16 tackles with two tackles for loss and junior Tevin Creeks had 12 tackles. 
 
ASU was led by Willie Brown with 12 tackles and eight solos tops.  ASU tallied five sacks in the game for 23 yards and 14 tackles for loss for 45 yards as it turned the Buffs over twice.  WT had one sack with 10 tackles for loss for 28 yards.
 
The Rams took the opening kickoff and, on the first play from scrimmage, a long pass to Mark Munson ended in a fumble forced by junior RaShawn DuPree and recovered by junior Alex Olson.  WT went three-and-out punting back to ASU. 
 
The Buff "D" held ASU to a three-and-out setting up a punt as senior returner Jarrian Rhone took the punt to the house for 65 yards and a score for 7-0 WT lead.  It was the first punt return for a touchdown for the Buffs since Jason Jones returned a punt 66 yards for a score on Sept. 11, 2004, against Central Oklahoma.
 
The Rams marched down the field on their ensuing possession, going 12 plays for 65 yards and 3:48 off the clock as Washington scored from one yard out for a 7-7 score with 8:30 left in the first quarter.
 
With a quick strike on the next WT possession, Brinkley threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to Amey for a 14-7 lead with 7:48 left in the first quarter.  It matched Brinkley's career-long pass which was set last week versus Tarleton State at AT&T Stadium.
 
Washington connected with Donovan Thompson for 63 yards setting up a five yard touchdown run by Ryan Byrd to tie the game at 14 with 6:29 left in the quarter as both offenses were clicking in the early going.
 
In the early moments of the fourth quarter, the Rams got bailed out on a pass interference penalty on a fourth and 11 from the WT 21 for a first and 10 at the 11.  From there, Byrd scored from 11 yards out for his second rushing touchdown of the game for a 21-14 ASU lead.  The Rams went nine plays for 88 yards, using 3:43 off the clock.
 
The Buffs, who had found it challenging running the ball early against the big defensive front line of the Rams, got big run for 73 yards from Alridge-Mitchell.  WT was unable to convert in to a touchdown, but senior Conner Hollabaugh kicked a 32-yard field goal pulling WT within 21-17 with 11:39 left in the half.
 
Angelo State again moved down the field converting its sixth long third down in eight tries, but a big breakup by junior Tevin Creeks on a 4^th and 10 on the WT gave the ball back to WT with a big stop for the Buffs.
 
Washington scored his second rushing touchdown of the half as he broke a couple of tackles for an 80-yard run for a 28-17 lead with 4:24 left in the half.  WT had to punt back to Angelo with over two minutes left in the half as the Rams moved down to the 23. ASU went for it again on fourth down and came up empty with 43 seconds left in the half as the Buffs held trailing 28-17 at intermission.
 
For the half, ASU held a 445-189 lead in yards as the Rams had 238 yards passing as Washington went 18 of 27.  ASU also rushed for 207 yards on 24 carries.  WT has 14 rushes for 76 yards and Brinkley went 10 of 12 passing for 113 yards. 
 
ASU held a 20-6 lead in first downs and WT was 0 of 5 on third down, while ASU was 6 of 10 on third down.  WT finished the game 4 of 14 on third down, while ASU was 9 of 19.
 
Alridge-Mitchell had six carries for 78 yards for the Buffs, while Washington and Byrd each had two rushing touchdowns for the Rams as Washington had 124 yards rushing on eight carries and Byrd had 78 yards on the ground on 12 touches. 
 
After a three-and-out by the Buffs to open the third quarter, ASU moved the ball a bit, but Washington was sacked by senior Iosia Iosia as the Buffs had been inching closer and closer to getting to Washington as the game went along.  It was the first sacked allowed by ASU of the season.  WT also had the first sack against the Rams last season in the Buffs' 58-41 victory in San Angelo.
 
A fumble and an interception by the Buffs stymied scoring chances late in the third quarter as the Buff "D" had risen to the occasion in the third quarter stopping the high-powered Ram attack.  ASU had a 3^rd and three at its own 47 heading into the fourth quarter as the Buffs held, but WT had to punt on their next possession early in the final quarter.  Following a combined 45 points in the first half, neither team scored in the third quarter.
 
ASU moved down the field with a long drive and scored from three yards out on a rushing touchdown from Trey Green for a 35-17 lead with 6:57 left in the game.
 
The Rams ran out most of the clock before punting as WT got the ball back with less than one minute remaining. 
 
The Buffs head into a bye week and will play their first true road game Oct. 10 at Midwestern State at 7 p.m. in Wichita Falls.