Date: October 16, 2021
Time: 6 PM
Where: 1^st Community Credit Union Field at Legrand Stadium
Weather: 68 degrees and cloudy at kickoff, wind ENE 6 mph
Watch: Lone Star Conference Digital Network
Listen: Rock 95.1 FM
Follow Along: Live Stats
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The Falcons come into the week red hot winning 11 of their last 13 games dating back to 2019.  This week will be their toughest test of the year against a very good Angelo State squad.  The Rams come in 4-2 and receiving votes in national polls after spending multiple weeks ranked in the top 25.  This will be a battle on the ground as the Falcons sport the No. 3 rushing attack in the Lone Star Conference, while the Rams top the list.
 
Scouting the Opponent
The Rams poise the biggest challenge thus far for the Falcons.  They come into the weekend receiving votes nationally and were picked to finish second in the Lone Star Conference. 
 
The Rams are coming off a tough 31-15 loss to West Texas A&M, who was handled easily earlier in the season by the Falcons.  They employ the top rushing attack in the LSC averaging 215.7 yards per game.  Nathaniel Omayebu III leads the LSC in rushing with 601 yards and four touchdowns while back-up RB CJ Odom is sixth with 296 yards and a pair of touchdowns. 
 
Under center is Zach Bronkhorst who's thrown for 844 yards and just five touchdowns in four games.  Where the Rams are vulnerable is their red zone offense.  The Rams are just 14-21 this season scoring inside the opponent's 20.  They have also struggled in the kicking game, only going 5-13 and having three kicks blocked  On the season the Rams are –1 in turnover differential.  They also haven't helped themselves averaging 87.2 penalty yards per game.
 
Keeping the Train Rolling
Falcon Football is red-hot winners of 11 of their last 13 games, including nine in a row against Division II opposition.  In the spring of 2021, the Falcons went 5-0 and re-wrote the record books along the way.  The Falcons won five games in a season for the first time in program history and set a record for the longest winning streak to start a season.   In those wins the Falcons:
· Tied for the largest comeback in program history (14)
· Scored the most points in program history (75)
· Set the largest margin of victory (75)
· First shutout
· First overtime game and win
· Beat West Texas A&M and Midwestern State for the first time
 
Ground and Pound
The Falcons have completely remade their rushing attack from the spring.  That team averaged 74.8 yards per game and finished with 374 total on the ground.  So far in 2021, the Falcons have averaged 171.8 per game and 859 total yards in the same number of games, ranking them third in the LSC.
 
A major reason is the combo of Nathan Tilford and Jayvon Davis.  Tilford, a transfer from Arizona, and Davis, a true freshman, are the perfect duo in the Falcon backfield.  Tilford leads the way with 347 yards on 73 carries while Davis, who has seen his workload increase every week, has 325 yards on 54 carries.  Against Lincoln, Davis became the second player in program history to score three times in a game. 
 
Winning on the Perimeter
MJ Link is making his case as one of the best receivers in Division II football.  Against West Texas A&M the junior went off for 140 yards and a pair of touchdowns, his third career multi-touchdown game in just his eighth game as a Falcon.  For his career, Link now has 10 TD receptions in 10 games to go along with 681 yards on 40 catches.  Link became the third player in program history with 10 career TD receptions last week against Lincoln.
 
Kobe Robinson leads the team with 24 catches and 308 yards and caught his first touchdown of the 2021 campaign against Lincoln. The junior is closing in on history.  Robinson has 947 yards and 79 receptions for his career along with nine touchdowns.  Robinson is looking to become just the third player in program history to reach each of those numbers individually, and would join Mitchell Leonard as the only player to record 1,000 yards, 100 receptions, and 10 TDs as a Falcon.
 
Jordan Smart has had a fantastic start to his Falcon career.  He's burst onto the scene as a freshman with three touchdowns on 16 catches for 189 yards.
 
Getting Defensive
The Falcon defense put together their best game of the season last time out, completing the first shutout in program history and forced six turnovers.  The defense was a point scoring machine as they returned two interceptions for a touchdown and nearly had a third on a fumble in the end zone that resulted in a safety.  They did not allow a third down conversion until the final drive of the ball game and only allowed 133 yards of total offense.
 
Home Cooking
The Falcons have turned the Permian Basin into a tough place for opposing teams in recent years.  Since 2018 the Falcons are 11-5 at Ratliff and Grande Stadium.  The last two seasons the Falcons are 9-2 and winners of seven straight home games.  Against Eastern New Mexico the Falcons will look to get back to a .500 record at home.
 
Closing Time
Give the Falcons a lead and they won't look back.  All-time the Falcons are 16-2 with a halftime lead and 18-3 with a lead after three quarters. 
 
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