SAN ANGELO, Texas – The West Texas A&M Buffaloes took a one-point lead into the locker room on Saturday night but 28 second half points by the #4 Angelo State Rams proved to be the difference in a 34-14 Lone Star Conference contest at LeGrand Stadium in San Angelo, Texas.
 
The two teams traded punts on their first few drives before the Rams got on the scoreboard with 5:15 in the first quarter as Asa Fuller connected on a 21-yard field goal for the 3-0 lead. Fuller added to the ASU lead in the second quarter as the graduate student from Fountain Valley, California connected from 29-yards out to extend the lead to 6-0.
 
WT responded as Ty Dillon picked off his third pass of the season to setup a nine-play drive by the Buffs that was capped off by a 25-yard touchdown on the ground by Nick Gerber to take the 7-6 lead heading into halftime. The Buffalo defense came up big before the half as Sosa Sokimi fell on an Angelo State fumble in the redzone to send the teams into the locker room with WT leading 7-6.
 
The Rams scored their first touchdown of the night on their first possession of the second half as Zach Bronkhorst found Kyle Bradford from seven yards out for the 13-7 lead. The teams traded punts again before Nate Omayebu III, one of the nation's top backs, broke loose for two yards to extend the ASU lead to 20-7. WT headed to the fourth trailing by 13 before Shakell Brown found the endzone from two yard out with 12:02 left to make it 20-14.
 
ASU put the game away on their next drive with a Kason Philips 24-yard rush up the middle to give the Rams a lead of 27-14. The Rams would add to their lead later in the fourth as Andrew Pitts picked off a Caleb Arreola pass and took it 89 yards to the house for the 34-14 victory.
 
Gerber finished the night going 14-of-24 for 189 yards while Arreola completed 4-of-11 passes for 50 yards and a pick. Jarrod Compton led the Buffs with 61 yards on 15 carries while Hunter Kaufman grabbed a team-high four passes for 44 yards.
 
Defensively, senior Christopher Thomas led the way with seven total tackles (six solo) followed by Dillon, Carson Otworth and JT Cavender with six each. The Buffs registered 62 tackles on the night with two of them coming for a loss with one sack, one interception and four pass breakups.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
28 – Second half points by the Rams following a one-point halftime deficit
80 – Total plays by the Buffs compared to 66 by the Rams
4,283 – Fans at LeGrand Stadium on Saturday night
 
COMING UP NEXT
The Buffs return home next weekend as they welcome the UT Permian Basin Falcons for Homecoming as kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. a Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium in Canyon.