SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State football team rolled to a 45-14 win over McMurry to open Lone Star Conference play despite having to wait through an hour and six minute weather delay on Saturday night at LeGrand Stadium at 1^st Community Credit Union Field.
 
The Rams (2-0, 1-0 LSC) were up 7-0 after a Blake Smith 1-yard touchdown on the first ASU possession of the game before the lightning forced a delay. McMurry (1-1, 0-1 LSC) came out of the weather delay and tried a fake punt on fourth down but the pass was incomplete.
 
It took ASU a couple of drives to get things going after the weather delay. McMurry was pinned at its own 4-yard line and was only able to get punt off that travelled 21-yards. The Rams offense stalled but Peter Marquez kicked a 40-yard field goal to put ASU up 10-0 with 13:29 to go in the second quarter.
 
ASU stopped McMurry on fourth down for the third time in the game in the second quarter deep in ASU territory to give the ball back to the offense. ASU drove the field 86 yards and capped it off with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Washington to Dakarai Pecikonis for a 17-0 advantage.
 
The Ram defense, which limited McM to just 115 yards in the first half, forced another three and out on the next drive. Washington took the ball around the right edge and scampered for 29-yards. Four plays later, Washington found James Hurd in the corner of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown.
 
Down 24-0 at half, McMurry scored on its first drive of the second half on a 9-yard pass from Matt McHugh to Charles Agugua to cut ASU's lead to 24-7.
 
The Rams would respond after Doug Elliot's second interception of the season gave ASU the ball at McM's 34-yard line. Warren Truesdale hit Donovan Thompson for a 34-yard strike down the seam to extend the lead to 31-7. It was Truesdale's first touchdown pass of the season and Thompson's first of his career at ASU.
 
McMurry drove down into ASU territory on the very next drive and was looking at a second and goal at the ASU 11. Paul Mason intercepted a tipped McHugh pass 3-yards deep in the end zone and returned it 103-yards for a touchdown and a 38-7 lead on McMurry. It breaks the ASU school record for the longest interception return (102-yards) set by James Cross in 1974.
 
The War Hawks would score to open the fourth quarter on a 16-yard pass from McHugh to Smith to trim the lead to 38-14.
Truesdale would throw his second touchdown of the game, this time to Ryan Byrd, to make the final score 45-14.
 
ASU recorded 322 yards of total offense (185 passing, 144 rushing) while limiting McMurry to 309 (218 passing, 91 rushing). It is the second-straight week the Rams defense held an opponent to under 100-yards rushing.
 
Smith led the Rams with 49 yards rushing while Washington threw for 137 yards in the air on 14-of-16 passing. Rush Seaver led the defense with 10 total tackles and one tackles for loss. The Rams defense did force three interceptions on the night with Jonathan Shannon grabbing the third pick in the fourth quarter.
 
ASU is now 27-18 in conference openers dating back to 1964 and 2-2 in conference openers under head coach Will Wagner.

The Rams will host Lone Star Conference rival West Texas A&M next Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. for Family Day at LeGrand Stadium at 1^st Community Credit Union Field.