Angelo State football can not complete comeback in 27-24 loss to Central Washington

The Angelo State football team fought back from a 17-point deficit late in the fourth quarter but fell short in a 27-24 loss to Central Washington.

Untimely mistakes cost the Rams a win (1-2) again this week. Unlike last week's loss against the Colorado School of Mines, the Rams only committed one penalty, however, they turned the ball over two times and had a punt block returned for a touchdown. All in all, Angelo State's mistakes led to 17 points for the Wildcats (1-2).

Even after being in a 17-point hole in the fourth quarter, the Rams still had a chance to tie or win on the last drive of the game.

At the Central Washington 14-yard line, two sacks and an intentional grounding penalty pushed the Rams back to the Wildcat 37-yard line.

Central Washington blocked the 52-yard tying field goal attempt and the Rams' comeback ended in a 27-24 loss.

Saturday's highlights

The Wildcats scored first on the first possession of the game on a 10-play 75-yard drive. The Rams responded with a 13-play 85-yard drive that ended in a field goal, bringing the score to 7-3 by the end of the first quarter.

After a fumble recovery, Rams quarterback Gerald Gardner hit Drew Carstens for a 5-yard touchdown pass to go up 10-7. Central Washington was able to tie the game at 10 going into halftime after a Gardner interception in the Rams' territory.

The Wildcats went up a touchdown after returning a blocked punt for a touchdown near the start of the third quarter. They extended their lead 20-10 with a field goal heading into the fourth quarter. They went up another score at the start of the fourth quarter with an interception returned for a touchdown to go up 17 points.

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With nine minutes left, Gardner hit wide receiver Zorhan Rideaux for a 44-yard touchdown pass, and on the next possession, Chad Pharies ran the ball in from the 2-yard line to bring the game back within three points, 27-24.

Saturday's stars

Gardner completed 27 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. Rideaux caught seven passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Albert Thomas IV finished with three catches for 32 yards, and running back Kason Phillips led the team in rushing with 31 yards on 4.4 yards per carry.

Game Preview

The No. 9 Angelo State Rams start Lone Star Conference play in Ellensburg, Washington against the Central Washington Wildcats at 8 p.m. CST on Saturday.

The Rams dropped from No. 4 to No. 9 in the rankings after a 31-21 loss to No. 2 Colorado School of Mines at home last weekend. The loss marked Angelo State's first regular season loss in 18 weeks. The Rams held a 21-17 lead going into the fourth quarter, but the combination of untimely injuries and penalties cost Angelo State the win.

The Rams are 2-0 against Central Washington since the Wildcats joined the LSC. Last year, the Rams beat Central Washington 22-12 to clinch the Lone Star Conference Championship title. The Wildcats are projected to finish second in the LSC this season after finishing 6-3 in conference play last year. The Wildcats come into this matchup 0-2 after losses to Weber State and Montana Tech.

The Rams hold the third-best offense in the LSC averaging 418 yards a game and are allowing the fourth fewest points at 22.5 a game. Central Washington, meanwhile, has the lowest-ranked defense in the conference giving up 379 yards to opposing offenses.

Rams quarterback Gerald Gardner comes into the matchup ranked third in the LSC in passing yards and touchdowns, while wide receiver Kyle Bradford is second in the LSC averaging 96 receiving yards a game.

How to watch/listen to Angelo State

Listen to the game live on the radio at 101.9 KWFR or watch the game at lonestarconferenetwrok.com.

This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: Angelo State football: Comeback falls short in 27-24 loss to Wildcats