PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Texas Wesleyan University football team (1-3, 1-1 SAC) put up its best effort against the unbeaten Arizona Christian University Firestorm (4-0, 2-0 SAC) Saturday night and certainly found a way to #BeRelevant on and off the field over the weekend. In a valiant effort, the Rams failed to convert a goal-to-go-situation that could have put the Rams in position to win on the game's final play. The team fell just short, suffering a 36-29 loss.
 
The Rams came back from a 21-0 first-quarter deficit to take a 22-21 halftime lead, then nearly erased a 36-22 disadvantage in their surge at the end of the game. Arizona Christian improves to 4-0, 2-0 in the Sooner Athletic Conference. The result was a massive improvement from a 63-7 home loss to the Firestorm less than a year ago, showing just how much progress the program has made in 2018.
 
Arizona Christian scored touchdowns on its first three possessions before the Rams put together a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ate away 4:31 off the clock, capped by the first rushing touchdown of the season for Desmond Nisby. The second quarter dominance continued with a Jaylen King interception. It was King's third interception of the season, which is now tied for most in the SAC. King also had five of the team's seven pass deflections.
 
Texas Wesleyan pounced with a 41-yard touchdown pass from Donavan Isom to Cole Maxwell, the longest pass for a score of 2018. Maxwell had just one reception for six yards heading into Saturday's game in Arizona, but came away with 4 receptions for 84 yards and that score against the Firestorm.
 
Down 21-13 (the first extra point was no good), the Rams defense came up big again, forcing a three-and-out and a punt that eventually fell into the hands of Diamond Williams. Williams took the punt return back 64-yards, sending the Rams bench into a frenzy and capping a 19-0 run. If Arizona Christian was feeling deja-vu, it was because Marteveus Jackson returned a punt 70 yards against the Firestorm for the Rams in 2017.
 
Just before the half, Kade Dixon booted a 44-yard field goal to give Texas Wesleyan the lead - the longest made field goal in the last two seasons for Rams football.
 
Arizona Christian appeared to be pulling away after 15-straight second half points and major runs from freshman Aidan Quinn, who gashed the Rams defense for 233 yards on the ground and two scores - but the Firestorm coughed the ball up at the ACU 21, recovered by TyQuandr Conner. Jermarcus Jones punched the pigskin in from one yard out seven plays later and with 4:21 remaining in the fourth, just like that, it was a seven-point, 36-29 game. Jones carried the rock 28 times for 149 yards and that touchdown, his second-straight 100-yard game. Jones led the SAC in rushing yards per game prior to Saturday.
 
The ensuing Rams pooch kick was fair caught at the ACU 46 and 19 yards later, Arizona Christian decided it wanted to put the Rams in the rear-view mirror once and for all, but couldn't. Maverick Gamez, who came in for the conference's top passer Adam Abbatacola in the second half, put the pass too far out in front of his intended target, giving the Rams one last chance.
 
Rams quarterback Avery Childs, who came in for Donavan Isom who had gone 14-of-24 for 137 yards and a touchdown, completed four of his next five passes as he marched the Rams into scoring position. Childs looked for Cole Maxwell and then Erik Richards on the left side of the end zone on the game's final two plays, but both fell incomplete and just off the hands. Childs was 8-of-18 for 91 yards and threw an interception.
 
Brandon Reeves hauled in eight receptions for 57 yards and Le'Mant Monroe got six different touches for 53 yards (35 receiving, 18 rushing). Chance Carroll, who returned a blocked punt for a touchdown last week, led the defense with 10 solo tackles.
 
RAMBLINGS:
Texas Wesleyan scored 121 points in 11 games in 2017. The team already has 82 points in four games in 2018.
 
WHAT'S NEXT:
Rams football has a bye week next week before returning to Farrington Field for back-to-back SAC tests against Langston University and Oklahoma Panhandle State University on October 6 and 13, two of the top teams in the Central States Football League last year.