Game Notes in PDF Format

CANYON, Texas – The West Texas A&M football team makes its final road trip of the season Saturday night at Angelo State in San Angelo, Texas.  First kick is set for 6 p.m. from LeGrand Stadium at 1^st Community Credit Union Field.
 
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at www.gobuffsgo.com.  The game also will be broadcast on Lonestar FM 98.7 throughout the Texas Panhandle with Lucas Kinsey and Brice Sheets having the call, while Kent Johnson will insight from the sideline.
 
 
OPENING DRIVE NOTES

• WT is 3-6 overall and 1-5 in Lone Star Conference play and has dropped its past two games to ranked foes, while Angelo State is 4-4 and 2-4 in conference play, coming off a 44-7 thrashing of Western New Mexico last week.
• The Buffs hung tough last week at home to then-No. 9 Texas A&M-Commerce, falling 35-16 as TAMUC posted 21 points in the first quarter, including a 100-yard kickoff return for a score for a 21-10 lead at half.  WT freshman kicker Alex Schrag had three field goals in the game, while punter John Cummings averaged 48 yards on six punts.  Cummings ranks 11th nationally and first in the LSC in punting at 42.4 yards per punt.
• The Rams tallied 32 first downs and posted 235 yards on the ground and 352 through the air for 587 for the game in the win over Western New Mexico.  ASU gave up just 241 yards total, with 173 through the air and 68 on the ground.
• WT is looking for its first win on the road this season as the Buffs are averaging just 10.7 points per game on the road this season and allowing 37.3.  The Buffs are averaging 2.4 yards per carry on the ground on the road and 73.7 for a game and 200.3 yards passing per contest for a 274.0 average for offense per game.  WT has not gone winless on the road since 2002.
• Despite that, the Buffs lead the LSC in fewest penalties with 36, ranking sixth nationally, while ranking sixth nationally in fewest penalties per game (4.00), fifth in fewest penalty yards (291) and fourth in fewest penalty yards per game (32.33).  Angelo State is right behind the Buffs in fewest penalties in the LSC at 6.25 per game and 50.63 yards per game.
• WT is eighth nationally in net punting at 38.64 yards per punt with a 42.5 average per punt overall.  The Buffs are 13th nationally in punt return defense, allowing teams just 3.4 yards per punt return.
• Senior linebacker Daelin Young ranks second in the LSC and 32nd nationally in sacks per game at 0.78 as he has seven sacks on the year for 53 yards. HE also is fourth in the LSC in solo tackles per game at 5.0 as he has 47 solo tackles of 60 total stops.
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Justin Houghtaling is 28th nationally in passing yards per completion at 13.91 yards per completion.

 
 
INSIDE THE SERIES

• Angelo State leads the all-time series 16-12 and had won the las two meetings - both in Canyon.  The Rams won 35-17 in 2015 and 28-6 in the rain last year.
• WT won in 2014, but the was vacated due to NCAA infractions as WT had won eight-straight (not counting 2014) prior to the 2015 win by the Rams.
• WT is 5-7 all-time in San Angelo as the 2014 year marked the last time WT has played there.  WT won 35-9 in 2012 there.  ASU leads the all-time series 9-7 in Canyon.
• ASU head coach Will Wagner is 2-4 against WT in his career as head coach of the Rams.

 
 
MEET THE COACHES

• WT head coach Hunter Hughes is in his first season at the helm of the Buffs as he was hired from Colorado State-Pueblo on Dec. 13, 2016 as the 28th head coach in WT history.
• Hughes spent 10 years as Defensive Coordinator at CSUP where he guided the ThunderWolves to the program's first national championship in 2014 with a 13-0 shutout of Minnesota State.  Hughes had a tremendous track record at CSUP as one of the top defensive units in the nation. He was named Footballscoop.com Division II Coordinator of the Year finalist in 2014 and his "D" led all of Division II in scoring defense (12.8 ppg) INT's (29), defensive touchdowns (7) and turnovers gained (43).
• Angelo State head coach Will Wagner is 40-35 at the helm of the Rams in five seasons and is 2-4 against WT.  In 2014, the team went 9-3 and earned a berth in the NCAA playoffs after winning the inaugural LSC Playoff with the program's first NCAA post season win since 1997.

 
 
A WIN OVER ANGELO STATE WOULD . . .

• Give WT a 4-6 record on the year and a 2-5 mark in Lone Star Conference play
• Give Coach Hughes his fourth win at WT
• Be the 508th win in program history (507-506-22)
• Be the 111th win on Lone Star Conference play for the Buffs (110-106)
• Be the first road win of the season for the Buffs (0-3)
• Give WT its ninth win in the last 11 meetings with Angelo State
• Be the sixth win all-time in San Angelo and spoil the Rams' Senior Day
• Improve to 4-6 since 1946 on Nov. 4 and snap a four-game road losing skid on this date (1-5 on road on Nov. 4)
• Snap a two game skid for the Buffs dating back to the Homecoming win on Oct. 14 versus Adams State

 
 
LOOKING AT ANGELO STATE

• The Rams are 4-4 on the year and 2-4 in conference play and snapped a two game skid with the 44-7 throttling of Western New Mexico last weekend.
• ASU leads the LSC and ranks 27th nationally in third down conversions at .448, while leading the league and ranking 20th nationally in first downs with 202.  WT is last in the LSC in third down conversion defense (.462) and seventh in the league in first down defense allowing 190. 
• The Rams also rank highly in fourth down conversions and have two blocked kicks on the year with one blocked punt.  ASU is right behind the Buffs in fewest penalties this season, while holding teams to just 146 first downs, ranking 33rd nationally and third in the league.
• ASU is seventh nationally in passing offense, ranking second in the LSC at 321.6 yards per game, while holding teams to just 227.3 yards passing ranking second in the league. ASU is third in the league in rushing offense at 171.1 yards per game, while holding teams to 130.8 yards on the ground, ranking fourth in the league.
• ASU is third in the LSC in scoring defense (22.4) and third in scoring offense at 33.3 points per game, while ranking third in sacks at 2.75 per game, ranking 35th nationally.  ASU is seventh nationally in tackles for loss at 9.4 per game.
• Donovan Thompson ranks second in the LSC in all-purpose yards at 113 per game, while Markus Jones is second in the nation in blocked kicks with three. Field goal kicker Connor Flanigan is second in the LSC in field goals percentage (.786) and leads the league in field goals per game at 1.38. 
• Thompson is second in the LSC in receiving yards with 716, while ranking second in receiving yards per game at 102.3 for 16th nationally.  He is 14th nationally in receptions per game to lead the league at 7.1.
• Josh Stevens is second in the conference in rushing yards with 630, while ranking fourth in rushing yards per game at 78.8. 
• Jones leads the league and is 13th nationally in sacks at 1.0 per game, while Justin Jackson is third in the LSC in solo tackles at 5.5.  Jones is second in the conference and 14th nationally in tackles for loss at 1.7 per game.
• Quarterback Charlie Rotherham is fifth in the LSC in total offense at 189.1, while Jackson is ninth nationally in total tackles at 11.0 per game.