The Rams’ season so far has not been easy, and it’s just about to get tougher.

The team is 0-4 and this Saturday faces a very tough opponent in the Langston University Lions, who last week beat Bacone College 36-6; the win kept the Lions perfect for the season at 3-0, and they also moved up several spots in the 2017 NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, to No. 11, according to langstonsports.com.

The Rams will have a much better chance at getting a win if they can execute plays to the best of their ability, head coach Joe Prud’homme said.

“[The Rams need to] play one play at a time and focus on executing all of the little things,” Prud’homme said. “If we do this we will be in a much better place.”

The Rams have to focus on several things on Saturday.

1. Focus on the details.

It’s important to focus on Langston’s team but it’s also important for the team to remember it’s still a football game, Prud’homme said.

“Play one play at a time and focus on executing all of the little things,” Prud’homme said.

2. Be prepared.

“[Langston University is] very athletic and experienced,” Prud’homme said. “We need to limit their explosive plays.”

The team has been focusing on the type of routes Langston typically runs, linebacker Vincent Stephenson said.

“Our scouting report has shown that Langston has a strong defense,” Stephenson said, “and their offense tries to get tricky with their formations and plays.” 

The Lions have a reputation as an experienced team with a lot of talent, running back Da’vonte Mitchell-Dixon wrote in a text message.

“I’ve heard they’re really good,” Mitchell-Dixon wrote. “But every team can be beat. They have on shoulder pads just like we do.”

3. Play harder and smarter.

The team has been studying how Langston plays football to prepare for their plays, Mitchell-Dixon wrote.

“We’re looking at how Langston lines up,” Mitchell-Dixon wrote, “and what they do to put us in the best position to win.”

The Rams aren’t just focusing on Langston though. They’re trying to perfect their plays and up the intensity, Mitchell-Dixon wrote.

“[It’s going to take] executing our plays and going 100 percent on everything,” Mitchell-Dixon wrote.

The Rams aren’t reinventing the wheel. They’re just trying to be the best that they can be, Stephenson said.

“We haven’t changed practice,” Stephenson said. “We continue to have the same approach, high in both concentration and effort.”

The Texas Wesleyan Rams play the Langston University Lions on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Oklahoma. The game will not be live streamed. For more information, go to ramsports.net.