ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University Football Team (6-2, 5-1 LSC) will head to San Angelo, Texas to clash with the Angelo State Rams (6-2, 6-0 LSC) in a match that will have huge implications in the Lone Star Conference title race. The 'Cats and Rams will battle this Saturday, Nov. 2 at 4:00 p.m. PST from 1st Community Credit Union Field at LeGrand Stadium.
 
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LAST WEEK
 
The Central Washington University Football Team earned their second-straight victory defeating the Midwestern State Mustangs in front of a pumped-up Homecoming crowd Saturday evening by a 42-21 score.
 
Kennedy McGill found Darius Morrison at the end of the first quarter on a 37-yard connection that paired with a Cooper Britton point after touchdown gave CWU the 7-0 lead. MSU opened the second quarter driving down the field as Jailyn Robertson caught a 12-yard pass from Matthew Duncan to tie the game at seven. The Wildcats retook the lead quickly as McGill found Jalen Grable for a 51-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-7. Later in the second quarter, Tyler Flanagan escaped the Mustang defense to punch in a 41-yard touchdown run to send CWU into halftime up 21-7.
 
Midwestern State punched back right out of the gate to open the third connecting on a 77-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-14 'Cats. A pair of penalties on the Mustangs helped set up McGill to run the ball the final eight yards into the endzone to add insurance to the lead, 28-14. McGill tacked on one more before the end of the third, this time an 11-yard touchdown run to make it 35-14 heading into the final 15 minutes. Flanagan added the exclamation partway through the fourth quarter with a five-yard touchdown run to make it 42-14 crimson and black. MSU nabbed the final score as Duncan found Demonte Greene for a 20-yard touchdown to make it a 42-21 Wildcat victory.
 
McGill finished the game completing 14/18 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns, adding 96 rushing yards and two more touchdowns. Flanagan led the ground attack with 111 yards and two touchdowns adding 22 receiving yards. Grable and Morrison each had a receiving touchdown with Grable finishing with 80 receiving yards while Morrison added on 48. Darrien Gaines finished not far behind with 46 yards.
 
Josiah Cochran finished with the most tackles at seven and combined with Chase Loidhamer for the only CWU tackle for loss. Loidhamer added six tackles and a quarterback hurry. Daniel Matagi added six tackles and quarterback hurry while Jalen Webber added five tackles. Tanner Volk had three tackles and three interceptions. Britton finished 6/6 on PAT's while Wyatt Redding had seven kickoffs for 384 yards. Gaines had two kickoff returns for 41 yards while Flanagan had one for 44 yards.
 
ABOUT THE RAMS
 
Angelo State is 6-2 on the season and a perfect 6-0 in Lone Star Conference play. ASU opened their 2024 season with back-to-back setbacks on the road, falling first at Fort Hays State 21-7 before falling at Emporia State 17-12. They have since bounced back in a big way, first defeating Eastern New Mexico at home 26-20, then shutting out Western New Mexico on the road 21-0, then maintaining their momentum on the road defeating UT Permian Basin 36-7 in Midland. ASU continued to cook, shutting out Texas A&M-Kingsville at home 38-0, defeating Midwestern State 44-7 on the road, and last week defeating Sul Ross State 57-10 at home.
 
The Rams are outscoring their opponents 30.13 points per game to the 10.25 points they're allowing per game. They're outrushing their opponents 152.9 yards per game to the 97 yards their defense is allowing. The Rams offense has been outgaining their opponents in the air, passing for 211.63 yards per game compared to their opponents 156.75 passing yards per game.
 
Braeden Fuller has been a do-it-all quarterback for the Rams this season. Fuller is 115/192 on the season for 1,459 yards, 10 touchdowns, and no interceptions so far this season. He is also ASU's leading rusher running for 340 yards and six touchdowns. Four other Rams have 30 or more rushing attempts on the year with Jayden Jones and Brayden Wilcox leading the way with 252 and 247 rushing yards and three and two rushing touchdowns, respectfully. Kel Williams has been the target of choice by Fuller making 24 receptions for 341 yards and three touchdowns. Hunter Wallis has also accumulated three receiving touchdowns adding 167 yards.
 
"We have to find a way to stop their quarterback," CWU Head Football Coach Chris Fisk said. "Their quarterback is a dual-threat quarterback, he can throw the ball very well. If you look at how they played Kingsville, they didn't even really try to run the ball they manufactured 30 rushing yards, but they threw for 343 yards. He's a dynamic kid, he does a great job. Every year you kind of follow a team where you get their film every week, and Angelo's offense is one we watch every week, and to watch him go from some struggles in week one and week two and just watching him grow every single week, getting better and better, so, hopefully he's not at his best on Saturday."
 
Kenton Allen leads the ASU defense with 68 total tackles with 3.5 coming for a loss, while adding one pass breakup, one quarterback hurry, and one fumble recovery. Dylan Neeley leads the Rams with eight tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks and is tied with Owen Seaver with three quarterback hurries. Eric Rascoe and Andrew Pitts have four pass breakups while Pitts leads with five interceptions on the year. Xavier Walton and Seaver have each blocked a kick as well.
 
"We have to find a way to run the ball against a defense that prides themselves on being able to stop the run," Fisk said. "They're built very much like Kingsville, and as you know Kingsville was averaging giving up 55 rush yards a game. So, we'll have to be very good at running the ball and figuring out ways to manufacture those yards besides what we do every week, so we'll have to get creative that way."
 
Cade Fuller has 49 punts on the year for 2,257 yards with 16 landing in the opponents 20-yard line. Fuller has added 44 kickoffs for 2,753 yards. Bradley Larson is 8/12 on field goal attempts with his longest coming from 43 yards. Pitts and Wallis each have 11 punt returns for 99 and 24 yards, respectively. Kyle Bradford has five kickoffs for 164 yards while Dorian Morris has four kickoffs for 82 yards.
 
"We have to win the special teams battle," Fisk said. "We really take a lot of pride in our special teams and I think they're a program that takes equal pride to that. So, we'll have to be very good in our special teams."
 
UP NEXT
 
The 'Cats will stay in The 'Burg for the rest of the regular season, first welcoming the LSC newcomers, the Sul Ross State Lobos (2-6, 1-5 LSC) for more under the lights action on Steve Hertling Field at Tomlinson Stadium. The 'Cats and Lobos battle on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 6:00 p.m.