SAN ANGELO – Scoring 30 points in the middle two quarters, the Angelo State Rams dropped the Texas A&M University-Commerce football team, 30-3, at LeGrand Stadium on Saturday night. The Rams were held scoreless in the first and fourth quarter, but capitalized on two turnovers by the Lions to win their eighth game of the season.
 
The loss drops the Lions to a record of 6-4 with one game left in the season.
 
Coming into the game, the Lions had not been shutout for 109 straight games, dating back to the last game of the 2011 season. Jake Viquez (Rockwall) kicked in a 29-yard field goal with three minutes left in the game to keep the streak alive. The three points scored in Saturday's game are lowest since 2012.
 
Both defenses made their mark in the first quarter, combinining to allow less than 100 yards of offense. In the final drive of the quarter, the Rams made their way into Lion territory for the first time and drilled a 23-yard field goal off the foot of Asa Fuller at the 13:39 mark of the second quarter.
 
Mitchell McGarry (Tannum Sands, Queensland, Australia) helped the Lions flip the field with an average of 42.4 yards per punt. He punted five times in the game. McGarry's longest punt was for 61 yards, which landed inside the 20-yard line.
 
Viquez had a 40-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter that sailed wide left. His second attempt of the day came as time expired in the first half, it was from 46 yards out and was blocked.
 
Angelo State had 165 yards of offense in the second quarter and took a commanding 17-0 lead at halftime. Zach Bronkhorst rushed in a 5-yard touchdown for the first touchdown of the day and Nathaniel Omayebu III scored the second touchdown to make it 17-0 on a 10-yard run.
 
The Lion defense had allowed 230 yards or less in each of its past four games. The Rams had 219 yards in the first half.
 
Two drives by the A&M-Commerce offense went into Ram territory in the first half; both were stalled by missed field goals.
 
Coming out of halftime, the Lions' first drive was halted by a fumble. The Rams capitalized on the miscue and hit a 42-yard field goal to make it 20-0.
 
The Lions gave seven more points to the Rams off a turnover in the third quarter. Andrew Pitts intercepted a pass from Miklo Smalls (Plano East) and returned it back for a 46-yard touchdown. Smalls threw for 76 yards on 9 for 16 passing, but was sacked three times and was responsible for two turnovers.
 
Eric Rodriguez (Missouri City – Fort Bend Travis) threw for 68 yards on 5 for 10 passing and Jaiave Magalei (Tacoma, Wash.) also had a completion in the game for six yards.
 
The Rams took a 30-0 lead after the third quarter as Fuller converted a 28-yard field goal.
 
Carandal Hale (Greenville) led the team in rushing with 48 yards on nine carries. Andrew Armstrong (Dallas – Bishop Dunne) caught four receptions for 57 yards.
 
Defensively, Cedrick Wilcox III (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) had 10 tackles in the game, including one for loss. Alex Shillow (Pflugerville) had seven tackles.
 


POSTGAME INTERVIEW

UP NEXT
The Lions close out their final season in NCAA Division II on Senior Day against Eastern New Mexico, next Saturday, November 13, at 4 p.m.