Box Score SAN ANGELO, Texas – Clifton Rhodes III caught five passes for 103 yards and scored a career-high three touchdowns to help lead the Tarleton State Texans to a 38-34 come-from-behind victory over the Angelo State Rams Saturday night at San Angelo Stadium.
 
Rhodes' third touchdown catch on the night came with 30 seconds left in the game, which put the Texans on top for good after quarterback Jake Fenske drove the field on nine plays for 78 yards and the 32-yard strike to the junior wide-out.
 
The Texans started the drive down 34-31 after ASU's Blake Smith pushed his way into the end zone with 1:48 left to play in the game. Tarleton opened the drive on the 22-yard line, but a false start penalty forced the drive to begin at the 17-yard line instead.
 
Fenske completed his first pass to Rhodes for 14 yards, but his second completion attempt towards Bubba Tandy was broken up forcing a third-down and one to go situation. Tandy made up for the dropped pass though as Fenske found the true freshman for a seven-yard gain.
 
Fenske's next two passes were incomplete towards Le'Nard Meyers and Tandy, but he managed to give the Texans a first down at midfield when he scampered his way 12 yards down field. Following a 15-yard pass to Tandy, Fenske then hooked up with Rhodes for the game winning catch from 35 yards out.
 
The ball was tipped by an ASU defender, but Rhodes managed to keep his eyes on the ball and pull it in for the winning score.
 
"I was hoping that [the ASU defender] was not going to catch the ball and when he didn't, I just kept my head in the game and grabbed the rock," Rhodes said after the game. "Coach [Fowler] is always telling us to take it one play at a time and that is the only thing that was on my mind when I saw the ball coming towards me."
 
ASU still had a chance with 30 seconds left on the clock, but after two 15-yard pass plays form Rams quarterback Kyle Washington, his third attempt was intercepted at the two-yard line by Devin Figures to end the game and seal the four-point victory.
 
The Texans (2-0, 2-0 LSC) tallied 472 yards of total offense in the game, collecting 134 yards on the ground and 338 yards through the air. The Rams (1-2, 0-1 LSC) managed to rack up 538 yards on offense with 222 of those yards coming on the ground.
 
"This is a good offensive team and we knew that going into the game," Tarleton head coach Cary Fowler said. "You have to give them all the credit in the world. They came to play tonight and [ASU head coach] Will [Wagner] is going to have this team competing for a LSC Championship very soon.
 
The duel quarterback system of Fenske and Aaron Doyle combined to complete 23 of their 50 passes and a pair of touchdowns each. Fenske finished the game 13-for-29 for 167 yards, while Doyle went 10-for-21 for 171 yards.
 
The Rams opened the game with a 53 second scoring drive after Washington found Alex Young from 15 yards out. Reid Layton's extra point capped off a three-play, 54-yard drive that quickly gave ASU a 7-0 lead.
 
Rhodes not only got the Texans on the board late in the first quarter with his 22-yard touchdown reception from Fenske, but he later gave Tarleton a 14-7 lead when he caught a 29-yard strike from Doyle with 14:21 left to play in the second quarter.
 
Doyle capped off a 12-play, 68-yard drive midway through the second quarter when he found Jeken Frye from eight yards out for his second passing touchdown of the contest. Blake Barnes connected on his extra point attempt and Tarleton's lead increased to 14 points up 21-7.
 
Washington pulled the Rams within seven points at the 1:37 mark of the first half when he scored from nine yards out and following a three-and-out on Tarleton's ensuing possession, he looked poised to take ASU down the field again.
 
With 56 seconds left to play in the half, Washington rushed for seven of his 32 first half yards when ASU took over possession of the football. He then handed the ball off to Jermie Calhoun for a 19-yard gain before his next pass sailed incomplete. Tarleton's Jake Blount stalled the drive with a four-yard sack on the next play and then ended the ASU threat when he got to Washington again for back-to-back sacks to end the half.
 
Tarleton's first two possessions resulted in three-and-outs and ASU's Ryan Clapsaddle later intercepted Fenske's pass, which led to Washington's 17-yard dash into the end zone with 2:36 left to play in the third quarter. Layton's extra point attempt, however, failed and Tarleton remained in the lead 21-20.
 
Barnes manage to push Tarleton's lead to 24-20 after converting his first field goal of the season – a 45-yarder with 12:12 left to play in the game. ASU looked to push the ball down the field with a couple of runs from Calhoun, but the Rams coughed up the ball on the next play with 10:43 remaining in the game.
 
Marquis Wadley forced the fumble and then recovered the ball for the Texans at the ASU 40-yard line. Doyle then aired it out to Bubba Tandy for a 39-yard gain and he later punched it in for the one-yard score. Barnes' PAT was good and Tarleton pushed its lead to 31-20 with a little over nine minutes left to play.
 
ASU's Quinn Reels pulled the Rams back within five points on a 48-yard shovel pass from Washington that he took into the end zone with 7:32 left to play. ASU's two-point conversion failed though and Tarleton led 31-26.
 
Doyle hooked up with Meyers for a 59-yard reception on Tarleton's next possession, but the drive stalled and Barnes' 24-yard field goal attempt was wide-right, giving the football back to the Rams with 4:45 left to play.
 
Tandy led the Texan corps of receivers with seven catches on the night and he tallied 85 yards in the contest as well. Frye had five catches for 49 yards and a touchdown, while Meyers notched four receptions for 89 yards.
 
Doyle led all Tarleton rushers with 69 yards on 13 carries and Zach Henshaw followed with 35 yards on 11 attempts.
 
ASU's Smith led all rushers in the game with 104 yards on the ground, while Calhoun followed with 103. Washington, who came into the game leading the LSC in rushing, carried the ball 13 times for a total of 45 yards.
 
Reels led the Rams in both catches (6) and receiving yards (106) on the night.
 
Wadley led the Texans defensively with 11 tackles and the forced fumble. He also had an interception for the Purple and White early in the first quarter. Dashaun Phillips tallied eight total tackles, while three different Texans notched at least one sack. Blount led the way with his two sacks and both Hurndon and Patrick Bettiol had one sack on the evening.
 
Saturday's win was the 12th straight win over the Rams dating back to Nov. 18, 2000, and it marks the first 2-0 start for the Texans under coach Fowler.

Tarleton will take its unblemished on the road again next weekend in a neutral field contest with former LSC rival Abilene Christian. The Texans and Wildcats will face off at Toyota Stadium in Frisco next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.