Angelo State Rams Look to Bounce Back on the Road

SAN ANGELO, TX — Angelo State will look to rebound from its season-opening loss when the Rams travel to face No. 11 Western Colorado on Thursday night in Gunnison, Colorado.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Mojo Field at Mountaineer Bowl at the Rady Family Sports Complex.

The Rams (0-1) are coming off a 35-14 home loss to Fort Hays State in which a competitive first half unraveled after halftime. Angelo State committed three turnovers in the second half while allowing 28 points as Fort Hays State pulled away.

Despite the loss, the Rams enter Thursday with history on their side. Angelo State owns a 7-0 all-time record against the Mountaineers, including a 48-20 victory in the teams' last meeting on Sept. 12, 2015, in Gunnison.

Thursday's matchup also marks Angelo State's second consecutive Thursday night game before transitioning to a Saturday schedule for the remainder of the regular season.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Ayden Arp will make his second career start after opening the season under center against Fort Hays State. The Cedar Park native completed 13 of 23 passes for 135 yards and one interception in the opener. Last season, Arp appeared in two games, throwing for 316 yards and five touchdowns while adding 144 rushing yards and a touchdown.

The Rams will again lean on running back Cameron Dischler, a preseason Lone Star Conference Player to Watch and first-team All-LSC selection. Dischler led Angelo State's rushing attack in 2025 and opened this season with two rushing touchdowns against Fort Hays State.

Angelo State also returns an experienced offensive line anchored by all-conference linemen Viliami Salakielu and Isaiah Mworia, while transfer Jose Chavez joins the unit after earning honorable mention all-conference honors at Western New Mexico.

Defensively, the Rams feature veteran cornerbacks Demetris Charles and Tre Liger. Charles earned second-team All-LSC honors after recording 46 tackles, three interceptions and six pass breakups last season, while Liger added 39 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and seven pass breakups.

Western Colorado (1-0) enters the matchup ranked No. 11 nationally after opening the season with a 52-21 road victory over West Texas A&M. The Mountaineers scored 17 points in the second quarter and 28 more in the third while totaling 491 yards of offense.

Quarterback Josiah Roy threw for 268 yards and four touchdowns on just nine completions in the opener, while the Mountaineers rushed for 184 yards and two scores with four players recording at least five carries.

Western Colorado is coming off a 10-3 season that included an NCAA Division II playoff appearance. The Mountaineers defeated Central Washington in the opening round before falling to UT Permian Basin in overtime.

Angelo State entered the season receiving votes in the AFCA Division II preseason poll and was picked to finish fourth in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll. The Rams' early-season schedule remains challenging, with five opponents receiving votes or ranked in the AFCA preseason poll during the first six weeks of the season.