2009 Texas State Football Season Preview: Angelo State Rams

Well folks, the dog days of summer are setting in and all Bobcat sports are in their respective off-seasons. However, Texas State football is on the horizon, so we aren't going to take a break. Instead, we will bring you an in-depth preview of every opponent that the Texas State football team will face this fall once a week until September. At the end of this preview series, we will give a preview of the Bobcats themselves. This week's preview focuses on Texas State's season opener and former Division 2 rival: Angelo State University.

Angelo State at Texas State
Location: Bobcat Stadium, San Marcos, TX
Date/Time: September 5th, 6 pm
Last year's result: Texas State 21, Angelo State 14

Basic facts about ASU:

Location: San Angelo, TX
Enrollment: 6,400
2008 Average Game Attendance: 4,509 (capacity 17,000)
2008 record: 3-8 (1-5 Lone Star Conference)
Head Coach: Dale Carr - 17-26 record in four seasons @ ASU
Series Record: Texas State leads 17-6

Angelo State's 2008 season in review: It was a disappointing 2008 campaign for the Rams as a stagnant passing offense and an ineffective passing defense negated a 1,020 yard campaign by senior running back Daniel Thomas. The quarterback position seemed to be a bit of a revolving door after star junior quarterback Josh Neiswander went down with a gruesome season-ending injury after throwing for 213 yards against Texas State. Freshman Michael Cochran and redshirt freshman Will Mezger each played in at least 8 games and combined for 9 touchdowns and 17 interceptions between the two of them. While the Rams' defense was able to keep the floodgates from bursting after the Texas State loss and nurse the team to a 3-3 record, things went south as the season wore on. The meat of ASU's Lone Star Conference slate took a toll as the Rams lost their last 5 games to teams that all had winning records. To add insult to injury four of their last five losses were by margins of 24 points or higher, including a humiliating 51-7 loss to rival Abilene Christian.

Last season's game: Angelo State visited San Marcos and played way above their heads as they have been known to do against their former Lone Star Conference rival. Angelo State actually outgained their Texas State counterparts in passing yards with 227 yards to 136 for the Bobcats, and both teams passed for two touchdowns. Bradley George also suffered his first early-season struggle as he threw two interceptions, including one baffling throw that ended up right in the numbers of an ASU linebacker's chest. Throughout the game, the Rams made the obvious talent differential between the two teams look non-existent as Bobcat fans wondered if the team would suffer another loss to a Division II school a la Abilene Christian in 2007. However, a rally led by senior QB Clint Toon saw Texas State come from behind in the fourth quarter to score two touchdowns and secure a season-opening 21-14 victory. Neiswander's season-ending injury with 1:48 left in the game put a somber tone on a victory that already had Bobcat fans skittish.

Returning starters/players: 6 starters on offense, 7 starters on defense

You obviously have to look at now-senior QB Josh Neiswander as ASU's most important returning starter, as the Ram offense was not the same last season without him. He will look to work his way back into the starting position this fall, although he may not be back to full strength just yet. Coach Dale Carr said in spring drills that "Josh is not back to the speed the had at this time last year, but he's actually stronger" from an increased focus on his workouts, so Texas State will likely be monitoring his status as fall approaches.

Senior running back Kobey Lewis, a transfer from Texas Tech, will look to inherit the starting position for an Angelo State rushing attack that was at times the only thing that kept the Rams competitive last season. However, he has a big hole to fill as he was only the third-string RB last year and only averaged 2.8 yards per carry. WR senior Robert Boone is the only returning wideout that seems to have made even a marginal difference for this ASU offense as he average 18 yards receiving per game last year with 1 TD. The offensive line should be improved for this team, as only one player in Joey Faken (9 starts in 11 games) graduated from the unit. Brian Dickey and Jorrie Adams are two 6'7" senior monsters that will likely see a lot of playing time.

On defense, junior linebacker Ian Ritchey will return as last year's leader in tackles for Angelo State, while sophomore defensive lineman Cody Smith will be counted on to make noise in the trenches as he led the team in tackles for loss and sacks last season. The main returning players looking to make an impact at defensive back are two relatively young players in redshirt sophomore Nick Williams and sophomore Jake Eannerelli. Despite only having two interceptions on the season, both players are likely tabbed to be the best returning candidates to replace the team's best DB in Quinton Butler.

Key Losses: Running back Daniel Thomas will be by far the biggest loss on offense for Angelo State, as he rushed for 1,020 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 4.9 yards per carry and 92.7 yards per game last year. His backup, Terrell Lee, is also gone after averaging 4.9 yards per carry and 33.2 yards per game. Three of the top receivers Sam Tindol (42.5 rec. ypg.), Drew Peterson (26.2 rec. ypg.) and Garrett Tidwell (14.0 rec. ypg.) all graduated or are no longer with the program.

DB Quinton Butler who led the team in interceptions with three total on the season and LB Jordan Cortez who was second on the team in total tackles are the main cogs of the defense that will have graduated. Both players were tied for second on the team in total sacks.

Newcomers: Transfer wide receiver V'Keon Lacy will likely assist a depleted receiving corps, as Coach Carr stated after spring drills that "V'Keon will be our best receiver this fall." JUCO transfer Johnathon Norcott will be counted upon to assist Kobey Lewis in the running game at fullback, while JUCO QB Aqura Brown could give the Rams a solid alternative under center if Neiswander re-aggravates his injury. Four offensive linemen and three defensive linemen signed from ASU's 2009 high school class may help give the Rams depth in the trenches.

Other notes: The Rams will undoubtedly look to cut back on unneeded mistakes in their 2009 season. 13 fumbles lost and an average of 71.4 penalty yards per game while opponents only averaged 55 penalty yards are the type of stats that can get a coach's blood boiling. ASU's kicking game could also use some improvement, as the Rams only made 6 of their 14 field goal attempts last year.

The big picture: Josh Neiswander may be back, but Texas State fans should hopefully enjoy a blowout at newly renovated Bobcat Stadium this year. Even if the passing game is effective again for the Rams, their running game looks to be less of a factor this year, and a one-dimensional offense won't get it done with the talent differential that exists between these two squads. Bradley George has also improved drastically after his early-season struggles last season, and has been displaying lots of confidence in spring drills. You can likely count on him not throwing any easy interceptions between the numbers this time around.

If you want to throw intangibles into the mix, then you have to factor how charged up the Bobcats will be when they take the field on September 5th. Texas State will not just want to beat a pesky Ram squad in front of a likely sellout crowd and new press box, they'll want to obliterate them. Ultimately, ASU might get a couple of scores through the air if they bring their A-game, but a romp seems likely for Texas State as long as they don't play with complacency.

-Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor