LSC 2025 Season Preview

August 18th, 2025 2:00pm

2025 Lone Star Conference Season Preview

Last we saw the LSC on the football field, Angelo State and Central Washington were on the losing end in first-round playoff games and Texas-Permian Basin fell in overtime to Zach Zebrowski’s last great moment with Central Missouri.  But optimism can be endless when coaches and players take to the field for Spring and Summer practices and scrimmages, whether that optimism is justified or not. 

As the LSC returns to the field for the 2025 season, the landscape of Division 2 has changed quite significantly, particularly in Super Region 4.  The GAC and MIAA, conferences with some of the nation’s top programs, are now in Super Region 4 while the NSIC moves over to Super Region 3.  Things look to be quite a bit tougher for the LSC. 

And now, let’s get to the 2025 season preview!

Part 1 – A look back at the 2024 LSC season

LSC Final 2024 Standings

* Includes postseason games

The main stories from of the 2024 season were:

1. Angelo State returned to the top of the LSC standings for the second time in the last three seasons.  The Rams also made the NCAA Division 2 playoffs for the third time in the last four  seasons and the sixth time since the 2014 season. 
2. Central Washington returned to the NCAA Division 2 playoffs for the second straight season and third out of the least four seasons, but there was no playoff luck at Western Colorado in 2024. 
3. Sul Ross State won 3 games in their first season as a Division 2 program, sweeping the two New Mexico teams for the Lobos’ first two LSC conference wins.    
4. Texas A&M-Kingsville won seven games for the third consecutive season in Michael Salinas’ final season as the Javelinas’ head coach. 
5. Western Oregon won their first 5 conference games and held their own in every conference game except for one on their way to a 3-way tie for third place in the LSC and a 6-5 overall record.    
6. Texas-Permian Basin couldn’t repeat their 2023 playoff season, losing starting quarterback Dylan Graham to a leg injury.  The Falcons still were a tough out most of the season, managing a 7-5 season record.  They even held back Central Missouri all-timer Zach Zebrowski nearly the entire way before falling in overtime in the Heritage Bowl. 
7. West Texas A&M improved by 2 games over their 2023 record. 
8. Eastern New Mexico won the New Mexico round robin.

Part 2 – The LSC Off-Season

There were two coaching changes:

1. Sul Ross State head coach Barry Derickson stepped down after leading the Lobos to an 11-20 record in three seasons.  Lubbock-Copper High School offensive line coach and assistant offensive coordinator Lee Hays was named head coach.  Hays has LSC experience as an assistant coach, having served at Texas A&M-Kingsville and West Texas A&M and he also earned degrees from both schools.   
2. Texas A&M-Kingsville head coach Michael Salinas split time between head coach and athletic director for much of the 2024 season and moved into the athletic director position full-time at the end of the season.  Louisiana Tech co-offensive coordinator Scott Parr was named the Javelinas’ new head coach.  Parr has been in various coaching roles for the past 26 years, with his father and brother both having coaching careers at several Texas high schools.  Parr has LSC experience, serving as West Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator for four seasons under then-head coach Don Carthel. 

Now let’s talk about the REALLY big change, and that’s the NCAA realigning the four Super Regions.  In Super Region 4, who’s in and who’s out?

1. In – The Great American Conference – The GAC is home to 2023 Division 2 National Champion Harding along with current contenders Ouachita Baptist, Southern Arkansas, and Henderson State.  The GAC is the lone holdout conference that still plays the conference-only “silo” schedule, so LSC followers can watch them from afar and then see them in the playoffs.  The GAC comes over from Super Region 3.
2. In – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association – The MIAA, who gave up their “silo” schedule in 2024, will have some matchups with LSC teams this season (more on those games in coming weeks).  The MIAA is one of the nation’s deepest conferences, with nationally-recognized programs Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburg State along with defending conference champions Central Oklahoma and contenders in Central Missouri, Fort Hays State, and Emporia State.  The MIAA also comes over from Super Region 3. 
3. Out – The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference – One of the nation’s largest football conferences at 14 teams, the NSIC heads over to Super Region 3. 

How might this realignment impact the LSC?  Well, while the NSIC is a deep and strong conference with some very strong teams like Bemidji State and MSU-Mankato, the GAC and MIAA have some of the nation’s best-known and strongest football programs that are not looking to simply make the playoffs – they expect to (and very well could) win the whole thing.  In my opinion, life just got a whole lot tougher for the LSC’s playoff contenders. 

Part 3 – LSC Team-By-Team Preview 

First, the LSC Preseason Awards and Players to Watch in 2024:

Go to the link below to see the LSC’s Preseason Awards and players to watch.  Angelo State quarterback Braeden Fuller is the LSC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and Texas-Permian Basin linebacker Tristan Exline is the LSC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

https://lonestarconference.org/news/2025/7/15/fuller-exline-receive-lsc-football-preseason-honors-players-to-watch-list-announced.aspx

Next, I will profile each team in the order of the LSC Preseason Poll, starting with tenth-place Sul Ross State:

https://lonestarconference.org/news/2025/7/16/lsc-football-preseason-poll-announced.aspx

A note before the team profiles – These profiles are written with the best information that I could find at the time.  However, there’s this thing called the transfer portal, which can completely turn over rosters from season to season now and make writing preview articles like this one a headache-inducing ordeal.  While I have tried my best to be as accurate as possible, much of what is written here is based on returning players, which sometimes can present a negative picture of a team if they were hit hard by the transfer portal or graduations.  Those teams may actually be quite strong if they get the right transfers in the right places or did well in recruiting.  Now that doesn’t help me that much since knowing who is likely to take the field might still be a mystery, even to the coaches! 

So then, it is time to pull out my trusty Magic 8-Ball and get on with the preview (Hmmm…Reply hazy – try again???)

10. Sul Ross State Lobos

2024 Record: 3-8 (2-7 LSC)

Coach: Lee Hays (first season, no record)    

Notable Players: Offense – OL Trayvon Young, WR Yamil Oaxaca, QB Andrew Martinez; Defense – LB Tresean Gilmore, DB Evian Thompson, DB Brendon Martin

First Game in 2025: August 30 at Texas-Rio Grande Valley (Division 1 – Southland Conference)

Outlook: It’s going to be rough, Year 2    

Since life already wasn’t tough enough for Sul Ross State transitioning from Division 3 up to Division 2, head coach Barry Derickson then steps down after the 2024 season ended.  In came longtime college and high school assistant coach Lee Hays, who was most recently at Lubbock-Cooper High School.  Hays is tasked to continue the Division 2 transition and work to field a more competitive team (this is the part where I say they haven’t done better than 6-4 since 1983, by the way).  Outside of the two wins against the New Mexico schools and a shootout win over NAIA Wayland Baptist, the Lobos were seriously overmatched in terms of skill, physicality, and depth.  They had some good players, but not nearly enough to compete at the level of the LSC. 

Going into 2025, quarterback Andrew Martinez is returning and could lead the Lobos’ offense.  On defense, the Sul Ross secondary could stand out this season, possibly out of necessity considering most of last season’s defensive starters (including top defender Quincy Blair) have departed.  Building size and depth up front on both sides of the ball is a must for Sul Ross. 

The Lobos didn’t do themselves any favors on their schedule, with road games at Division 1 opponents Texas-Rio Grande Valley (in the Vaqueros’ first-ever football game) and Stephen F. Austin to start the season.  This program (and the Sul Ross State athletic program in general) is a work in progress, and there were many bumps in the road last season.  Expect many more bumps in 2025, Lobos fans. 

Schedule Highlights:

October 18 at Western New Mexico – One of two LSC games the Lobos won last year, and if this season goes a similar way, this could be one of the few winnable games for Sul Ross.

November 1 at Eastern New Mexico – See Western New Mexico above.Unless coach Hays has seriously upgraded the roster, this might be the only other game they can win since there are no NAIA games in the non-conference schedule this season.

9. Western New Mexico Mustangs

2024 Record: 2-9 (0-9 LSC)

Coach: Billy Hickman (third season, 4-17 overall record)

Notable Players: Offense –WR Deuce Zimmerman, RB Zay Savoie, QB Connor Ackerley; Defense – LB Cole Lalama, DB Ruben Gamboa, DB Clayton Zentner

First Game in 2025: August 30 at home against Adams State (RMAC)

Outlook: It ain’t easy digging your way out of a hole

Western New Mexico went undefeated in non-conference play in 2024.Unfortunately for the Mustangs, that was about all that went right for them as they went 0-9 in conference play, with only two of those games decided by one score.The good news for WNMU, I guess, is that those non-conference games (Adams State and New Mexico Highlands) are their first two opponents in 2025, and they are both once again picked near at or near the bottom in the RMAC preseason poll.For a program that has gone 4-17 in head coach Billy Hickman’s first two years in Silver City and has historically struggled to get close to breaking even, the main objective must be winning those first two games again and then snagging a couple in LSC play.Maybe the Chile Bowl and Sul Ross State games?

Connor Ackerley, who had some moments last season as the Mustangs went through three quarterbacks, is the most experienced returning passer.Deuce Zimmerman and Anthony Flores are the top returning receivers and that alone could put some points on the board for the Mustangs and possibly get into a shootout or two.Linebacker Cole Lalama is one of the country’s top tacklers and will need to do quite a bit and get some help along the way to keep opponents off the scoreboard.WNMU has some players, but like Sul Ross, they need more of them to be competitive.

Schedule Highlights:

August 30 at home against Adams State – Along with the games against the other New Mexico schools and Sul Ross, this could be a rare chance for WNMU to be competitive and possibly get in the win column.

The New Mexico Round Robin – WNMU will participate in La Batalla Bowl at New Mexico Highlands on September 6.The Chile Bowl at ENMU is October 25.Last year WNMU beat Highlands but lost a close one to ENMU.

8. Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds

2024 Record: 3-8 (1-8 LSC)

Coach: Kelley Lee (third season of second tenure at ENMU, 29-26 overall record)

Notable Players: Offense – RB/SB Jarius Stewart, QB Chad Ragle, WR Dalton Flowers; Defense – LB Matthew Quartieri, LB Dylan Quartieri, LB JJ Silver

First Game in 2025: August 28 at home against New Mexico Highlands (RMAC)

Outlook: Get the program (literally) running forward again

When the three teams you beat have a combined 7 wins between them, to say “there’s work to be done” is a bit of an understatement.Head coach Kelley Lee will rely heavily on his offensive line, which returns 4 starters from last year’s squad, to lead the way for the ENMU ground attack.They will need that experience and discipline to help them navigate a tough first half of the 2025 season.After what looks like a winnable game against New Mexico Highlands to start the season, the Greyhounds will face Colorado Mesa, Angelo State, and Central Washington in 3 of their next 4 games.If their running game and defense aren’t going the way they need to go, coach Lee may already be looking at a salvage operation going into the second half of the season.

The ENMU offense lost quite a bit of production with the departure of quarterback Mario Sanchez, fullback Elijah Zeh, and top receiver (if you can call it that given how much they run the ball) Jeremiah Moore.However, if their veteran offensive line can hold off opposing defenses, they can at least hold their own on offense.On defense, a lot of retooling is necessary outside of the Quartieri brothers, so there might be some growing pains on that side of the ball.

Schedule Highlights:

October 18 at West Texas A&M – The Wagon Wheel went back to Canyon after two years in Portales and winning it back can be the highlight of their season.

The New Mexico Round Robin – ENMU will host New Mexico Highlands on August 28 (first 500 tailgaters get a free ENMU cup!) and the Chile Bowl (also doubling as their Homecoming game) against WNMU on October 25.The Greyhounds swept both games last season and hope to do it again.

7. Midwestern State Mustangs

2024 Record: 4-7 (3-6 LSC)

Coach: Rich Renner (second season, 4-7 overall record)

Notable Players: Offense – RB Christian Olige, QB Andrew Knebel, WR Demonte Greene; Defense – DE Kam’rin Devault, DB Jaylin Broadus, DL Charles McKnight

First Game in 2025: August 30 at Missouri Southern (MIAA)

Outlook: Stuck in the middle of Texas  

MSU head coach Rich Renner is happy about the increase in player size and leadership on both sides of the ball.Kirk Bryant comes to Wichita Falls from Texas Tech to take over at offensive coordinator, bringing the promise of speed and points to Mustang fans.Bryant’s major task will be finding stability at the quarterback position, where the best answer to that question for the past couple seasons is “I don’t know”.Look at last season – Sean Jastrab threw for 361 yards in a tough loss at Western Colorado, but hos other games were 37, 74, and 95 yards.Andrew Knebel and Matthew Duncan also saw time at quarterback, and Jastrab and Knebel are still on the roster.Also on offense, very few players return, but Christina Olige is top returning rusher with just 179 yards and Demonte Greene returns at receiver.On defense, Jaylin Broadus is the top returning tackler for a defense that needs to replace quite a few starters.

But all is not lost for MSU – there is talk of plans to convert the blighted Sikes Senter Mall in Wichita Falls to a new multi-use community.Those plans include construction of a new stadium for MSU athletic teams, including football.

Schedule Highlights:

August 30 at Missouri Southern – Missouri Southern was picked last in the MIAA preseason poll and MSU won a grinder in Wichita Falls last season.Should be a winnable game again this season.

September 6 at home against Western Colorado – MSU nearly pulled off a huge upset in Gunnison last season and host the Mountaineers this season.The question is whether MSU can stay in the game against what looks to be a loaded WCU squad.

6. West Texas A&M Buffaloes

2024 Record: 5-6 (5-4 LSC)

Coach: Josh Lynn (third season, 73-63 overall record)

Notable Players: Offense – OL Kanyon Ives, RB Jamaal Joseph, QB Sean Johnson; Defense – CB Cam Manahan, LB David deMenezes, LB Ashton Reynolds

First Game in 2025: August 28 at Western Colorado (RMAC)

Outlook: This is the year…maybe?

At each of Josh Lynn’s previous two coaching stops, his third year was a 7-win season.If the Buffaloes are to reach 7 wins, it will be their first winning record since the 2021 season.To reach that mark, they have chosen to overhaul their offense, hiring Central Missouri offensive coordinator Justin Bane as the Buffs’ new offensive coordinator.Bane, with the help of all-time great Zach Zebrowski, ran the Mules’ breakneck passing offense to the tune of nearly 10,000 passing yards over the last two seasons.How that transfers to WTAMU remains to be seen, but the Buffs definitely need an answer at quarterback, where Kanon Gibson had his moments but ultimately decided to transfer to UTPB.Right now, there are holdovers like 2024 early-season starter Sean Johnson, but also redshirts and transfers like former Texas State signal caller RJ Martinez.The receiver crew will also be completely overhauled, with the top returning wide receiver being Tory Simmons and his 73 receiving yards.

On defense, coordinator Justin Richter replaces Levi Gallas, who took the head job at his alma mater Adams State.Returning defenders include cornerback Cam Manahan and linebackers David deMenezes and Ashton Reynolds having to replace JT Cavender’s and Zach Schleger’s productivity.

So the biggest question for the Buffaloes might just be whether there will be enough time for Lynn, the new assistant coaches, and the new players to take the next step in 2025?Of course, you can say many of the same things about a great many teams these days, especially with the transfer portal bringing its own brand of chaos to college sports.Whatever happens, it won’t be boring in Canyon, that’s for sure.

Schedule Highlights:

August 28 at Western Colorado – WCU won a tight game in Canyon last season and are looking to do big things this season in their first of two games against LSC opponents.WT can get off to a great start with an upset win in Gunnison.

October 18 at Eastern New Mexico – WT rode a big second quarter to take back the Wagon Wheel and they look to keep it on the road in 2025.

5. Western Oregon Wolves

2024 Record: 6-5 (6-3 LSC)

Coach: Arne Ferguson (twenty-first season, 109-96 overall record)

(Note: 2025 roster not available at this time.)

Notable Players: Offense – QB Kainoa Jones, WR Keyvaun Eady, WR Jaylen Fite; Defense – LB Malcolm Liufau, DB Andrew Simpson, LB Aden Murphy

First Game in 2025: September 6 at home against Southern Oregon (NAIA-Frontier Conference)

Outlook: More feast than famine

Last October 19, Western Oregon sat atop the LSC standings with a 5-0 conference record after an overtime win over UTPB.  Then the LSC schedule became a horror show as the calendar turned to Halloween, with losses to TAMUK, Angelo State, and Central Washington ending the Wolves’ hopes for a potential LSC title and playoff berth.  This season will be no different – the Wolves have almost the same schedule as 2024, except for their first opponent, Southern Oregon from the NAIA’s Frontier Conference.  Just flip the home and away games from 2024 and you have WOU’s conference schedule, so if the Wolves are to feast in 2025, they need to get past the horrors of the second half of their conference schedule.      

Kainoa Jones looks to be the favorite to run the WOU offense, but Jordan McCarty also returns after having significant playing time in 2024.  Both quarterbacks are dual threats, combining for 534 rushing yards and 1,421 passing yards, but both dealt with injuries that contributed to the Wolves’ late-season slide.  With top rusher Dominique Loggins departed, someone other than a quarterback will need to step upon the ground.   Keyvaun Eady and Jaylen Fite are the top returning receivers.  Defense looks to be a strength for WOU, with top tacklers Aden Murphy and Malcolm Liufau returning along with top pass defenders Andrew Simpson and Tyler Copeland (9 combined interceptions) returning.   If I’m on a team picked to finish at the top of the LSC this season, I wouldn’t be looking past Western Oregon at all. 

Schedule Highlights:

September 27 at West Texas A&M – This is one of the strangest matchups in all the LSC, and it’s simply because WOU is 4-0 against the Buffaloes.  Will the streak continue?

November 15 at home against Central Washington – Familiarity breeds contempt in this rivalry, which is almost always a grind-it-out, defensive struggle.Last year’s game was in doubt until the fourth quarter, when the game’s lone touchdown put Central Washington just far enough ahead to win.

https://www.flofootball.com/articles/14390227-western-oregon-wolves-football-2025-schedule-preview-and-more

4. Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas

2024 Record: 7-4 (6-3 LSC)

Coach: Scott Parr (first season, no record)

Notable Players: Offense – QB Jack Turner, WR CJ Thompson, WR Jacory Logan; Defense – DB D’Cambren Verrett, LB Travis Bielefeld, DE Blake Jaques

First Game in 2025: September 6 at home against Lincoln University, California (Unaffiliated)

Outlook: Can a new coach break the 7-win curse?

Scott Parr comes back to Texas from Tulane University, taking over for new TAMUK athletic director Michael Salinas, who found himself in the position of hiring his replacement.Salinas did a solid job leading the Javelinas, but couldn’t win enough games against the LSC’s best to get past the 7-win mark.Parr comes in to try and break through that ceiling with Louisiana Tech transfer quarterback Jack Turne, who looks to lead an offense that started three quarterbacks in 2024.Lawrence Starks is the top returning rusher, but that only amounts to 74 yards in 2024.CJ Thompson (274 receiving yards) and Jacory Logan (62 receiving yards) are the top returning receivers.Top returning defenders include linebacker Travis Bielefeld, defensive end Blake Jaques, and defensive backs D’Cambren Verrett and Keion Thomas (1 interception each and 10 blocked passes combined).

With a home game against perennial barnstormers Lincoln University (Ca.), the Javelinas have a chance to get off to a strong start to the 2025 season and to work out any issues…well, as much as you can work out issues by facing a team with a 3-41 all-time record.Well, for one week at least.Then business picks up in a big way with a trip to Maryville, Missouri to face a Northwest Missouri State team who also has a new coach and desperately wants a return to the glory days of Mel Tjeerdsma and Adam Dorrel.However, if TAMUK wants to get past that 7-win mark, it will need to first gain consistent success against the LSC’s top teams and not slip up against teams they should beat.

Schedule Highlights:

September 13 at Northwest Missouri State – NWMSU is a troubled titan of Division 2 football, dismissing head coach Rich Wright after 7-4 and 6-5 seasons.John McMenamin comes back to his alma mater after serving as the co-offensive coordinator at Tulane University.  Both teams bring in Division 1 assistants with hopes for a return to more promising times.

October 11 at home against Angelo State and October 18 at Central Washington – After starting the 2024 season 4-1, TAMUK lost games to Angelo State and Central Washington by 38-0 and 31-0 scores.These two games should be a good test of how the Javelinas are progressing under coach Parr, even more than the early-season games against NWMSU and UTPB.

3. Texas-Permian Basin Falcons

2024 Record: 7-5 (6-3 LSC)

Coach: Kris McCullough (third season, 26-10 overall record)

Notable Players: Offense –RB Kory Harris, RB Camden Tyler, QB Issac Mooring; Defense – LB Tristan Exline, DB Jalani Jefferson, DB Jamarion Ravenell

First Game in 2025: August 30 at home against Central Oklahoma (MIAA)

Outlook: A new army of transfers to try and push back to the top

UTPB head coach Kris McCullough enters his fourth year as a head coach and I’m sure wants to celebrate turning 30 (yep, he still isn’t 30 yet!) with a return to the playoffs.To do that, his team will need to start out of the gates quick.2024 MIAA champion and preseason pick to repeat as MIAA champion Central Oklahoma comes to Midland to start the 2025 season, and then the Falcons will face all the top teams in the LSC (at least according to the LSC preseason poll) over the following 5 weeks.Get through that schedule with a strong record and we’ll have something to talk about.

Issac Mooring returns as the incumbent quarterback after improving nearly weekly after replacing the injured Dylan Graham.However, no starting quarterback has been named at this time as McCullough, as he is known to do, has brought in his share of transfers, and one of those transfers is former WT quarterback Kanon Gibson.Kory Harris and Camden Tyler return from a deep running attack, but Ben Patterson and Traylen Suel are the lone wide receivers returning from a receiver group that suffered greatly from departures.Linebacker Tristan Exline is the top returning defender.The defensive backfield, led by defensive backs Jalani Jefferson and Jamarion Ravenell, is the most experienced part of the UTPB defense.

There are areas of need, like the defensive front and wide receivers, however coach McCullough is known for being quite active in the transfer portal, and we will soon see how he has addressed these areas of need.

Schedule Highlights:

August 30 at home against Central Oklahoma – Central Oklahoma returns much of their 44-point-per game offense from a team that went 11-2 and won the MIAA championship and a first-round playoff game in 2024.UCO could be just about the toughest possible opponent for UTPB to schedule.

October 11 at Angelo State and October 18 at home against Central Washington – Like TAMUK, UTPB faces ASU and CWU on consecutive weeks, and those games will go a long way toward determining whether UTPB will be a factor in the LSC championship race.

2. Central Washington Wildcats

2024 Record: 8-4 (7-2 LSC, NCAA Division 2 Playoffs Super Region 4 First Round)

Coach: Chris Fisk (sixth season, 38-24 overall record)

Notable Players: Offense –QB Kennedy McGill, OL Slade Edwards, WR Jalen Grable; Defense –LB Brett McCalla, LB Brycen Indell, DB Chase Coalson

First Game in 2025: August 28 at home against Colorado Mesa (RMAC)

Outlook: A third straight playoff season?

CWU has finished the past three seasons in second place in the LSC standings.The Wildcats have become “road warriors”, doing well despite many long trips throughout the vast territory covered by Super Region 4.They couldn’t replicate last season’s playoff success, losing a close first-round rematch to Western Colorado, who they beat in 2023.Reaching the playoffs will require many new Wildcats to contribute.A non-conference win against a Colorado Mesa team picked to finish fourth in the RMAC preseason poll wouldn’t hurt.

Kennedy McGill returns to lead the CWU offense with his arm and his legs, but not much is coming back with him.CWU’s top returning running back is Beau Phillips and his 149 yards.Slade Edwards is the anchor of a CWU offensive line who should make life easier for whoever carries the ball.The top returning pass catchers are wide receiver Jalen Grable and tight end Andrew Molloy, with a combined total of 283 receiving yards between them.Linebacker Brett McCalla looks to lead the way on defense after the departure of do-everything safety Tanner Volk.LB Brycen Indell and DB Chase Coalson also return as leading defenders.

Schedule Highlights:

August 28 at home against Colorado Mesa – A potentially important game for positioning within Super Region 4 as Mesa, who upset Colorado Mines last season, tries to make a run at the top teams in the RMAC in 2025.

November 1 at home against Angelo State – The last time CWU hosted Angelo State, Tanner Volk had a game for the ages in a narrow Wildcat win.This one could be for the LSC title.

1. Angelo State Rams

2024 Record: 9-3 (9-0 LSC, 2024 LSC Champions, NCAA Division 2 Playoffs Super Region 4 First Round)

Coach: Jeff Girsch (sixth season, 55-21 overall record)

Notable Players: Offense – QB Braeden Fuller, RB Jayden Jones, WR Zeek Freeman
Defense – DL Owen Seaver, DB Xavier Walton, DL Zach Burton

First Game in 2025: August 28 at Fort Hays State (MIAA)

Outlook: Win more big out-of-conference games

A couple years ago I used essentially this same phrase as Angelo State’s outlook, but I thought it fit for this season too.The Rams had a very good season…in the LSC.They ran the table in conference play and quarterback Braeden Fuller went the entre regular season without throwing an interception.Outside the LSC – well, it’s a different story.The Rams went 0-3 in non-conference play and Fuller picked the worst time to throw his first interceptions of the year, throwing two of them in their first-round loss to Bemidji State.The Rams get their shot at revenge for two of those losses when they face Fort Hays State and Emporia State, teams picked third and fifth in the MIAA preseason poll, for the second straight season.Fuller is returning to San Angelo for his second season leading the Rams’ offense, and last years’ effort has him recognized as LSC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

ASU needs to replace the productivity of 6 of their top 8 tacklers, including the top tackler (LB Kenton Allen), top tackler for loss (DL Dylan Neeley), and top pass defender (DB Andrew Pitts), along with top linebacker Eric Rascoe.The offense brings a bit more back, particularly Fuller, but for the Rams to ultimately succeed in 2025, the defense can’t be too far behind the offense.

Schedule Highlights:

The MIAA Two-Step, Year Two – The Rams went 0-2 on the road against Fort Hays State and Emporia State to start the 2024 season, but those games helped establish Fuller as the starting quarterback.The Rams go back to Fort Hays on August 28 but get to host Emporia State on September 6 this season.

November 1 vs. Central Washington – If the season follows the preseason poll, this could decide the LSC championship.ASU got revenge over CWU last season but had a special teams and Tanner Volk nightmare the last time they took the trip to Ellensburg.

What’s my take on the LSC?

With the realignment of the Super Regions, Super Region 4 just got a whole lot more difficult.  In past years, Colorado Mines was the dominant force in the region, but they took a step back last season.  This season, two conferences from the absolutely loaded Super Region 3 come over to Super Region 4, possibly making Super Region 4 the deepest of all the Super Regions now. 

Even with as many teams as the NSIC has had in the playoffs over the last few seasons, the overall level of play in the region has gone up significantly.  There is a strong argument for the MIAA as the nation’s deepest football conference.  Sure, 2016 was the last year they won a national championship, but their best teams are at the same level or higher than the NSIC’s best teams.  Add the GAC, with Harding and other strong programs like Ouachita Baptist, and it won’t be easy to have multiple LSC teams qualify for the playoffs.  The LSC has had solid teams the last few seasons – it wasn’t a fluke what Angelo State and Central Washington have done the past 3 seasons, but there should be concern that the LSC may not be ready for the level of play coming over from Super Region 3.  Top example of this- the 2023 national championship game and the recent success of Ferris State even if Ferris State was not among the teams moving over. 

All that said, I’m going to get away from the doom-and-gloom tone of this part of the program.  There are programs in the LSC that have competed at the highest level within the region in recent years.  Also, the Super Regions have also been expanded to 8 teams per region.  So I’m cautiously optimistic that the LSC can continue to place multiple teams in the playoffs. 

Bottom line – Iron Sharpens Iron.

And with that, let’s kick off!