LANGSTON, OK: The Texas Wesleyan University Football team (0-5) fell by a final score of 34-0 at 11th ranked Langston University (4-0) at W.E. Anderson Field on Saturday.
The Texas Wesleyan defense held its own in the early going, pushing the high-powered Lions back 15 yards on their opening possession. Langston got the ball right back after a Texas Wesleyan fumble on the ensuing punt, but the Ram defense held once again.
After a Texas Wesleyan punt, the Lions drove 73 yards to the Texas Wesleyan seven yard line before the Rams forced a fumble. Unfortunately a TXWES fumble erased that momentum and Langston's Tyree Hanson ran in an eight-yard touchdown for the first score of the day.
At the close of the first quarter, Michael Smith picked off a Colby Reed pass and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown that brought the score to 14-0.
Ja'Rod Bedford returned the ensuing kick to the 50 yard line and the Rams looked to get on the scoreboard after driving to the Langston 28. Bryce Nye lined up for a 45-yard field goal, but the attempt was blocked and Langston took over at the 33.
Midway through the second quarter Jaylen Lowe hit Glenn Irons for a 52 yard touchdown. Nearing halftime the Rams put together perhaps their best drive of the day using 12 plays to move the ball 48 yards before Smith picked off another pass at the Langston 12-yard line and the Lions went to the locker room with a healthy 21-0 lead.
Langston got a four-yard touchdown run from Taj Johnson in the third quarter, and a 12 yard TD pass from Lowe to Daylon Person in the fourth to cap the scoring at 34-0.
The Rams converted 2-of-3 fourth down attempts, but were just 4-of-18 on third down. Texas Wesleyan held the ball for 31:53, nearly four minutes longer than the Lions, but Langston was afforded an average starting field position of the 40 yard line.
Langston's Jaylen Lowe and Milton Harper combined for 230 yards passing, while Charles Marshal ran the ball 15 times for 98 yards.
Kane Hardin and Colby Reed were a combined 8-of-23 for 66 yards for the Rams. Brandon Reeves (17 carries, 48 yards) and Blake Sonnier (13 carries, 34 yards) got the majority of the touches in the TXWES ground game.
Ja'Rod Bedford returned five kicks for 126-yards including a season-long 40 yard return.
The Rams got pressure on the quarter back with a season-high four sacks including a pair for Byron Tate and one each for Dylan Briscoe and TyQuandrik Conner.
Texas Wesleyan is on the road again in week six, traveling to Tyler, TX, on Saturday to take on Texas College. That game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start. The Rams will celebrate Homecoming when they host Bacone College at Farrington Field on October 14.
Ramblings
- The Rams have recorded six sacks in their last two games.
- Bedford is averaging 25.2 yards on kick returns and 11.4 yards on punt returns on the season.
