Sports

Rams lose to Texas College

Karan Muns • October 8, 2017

Texas Wesleyan fell 21-11 to Texas College on Saturday in Tyler.

The Rams (0-6) needed to take control of the opportunities they were given early on in the game, head coach Joe Prud’homme said.

“If we had taken advantage of field position early on we could have taken the lead and set a different tone,” Prud’homme said.

The Rams first scored on a 27-yard Bryce Nye field goal in the first half. In the second half, the team recorded its first safety of the year when Vince Stephenson tackled Steers running back Carlos Mosby in the end zone. The team’s first score was a seven-yard run by quarterback Kane Hardin, who has seven completions for 81 yards, according to ramsports.net.

While the final score was disappointing, there were bright spots. For one thing, the Rams were able to hold the Steers scoreless in the second half. Also, the Rams’ ground game produced 134 yards to the Steers’ 107, according to ramsports.net. And finally, the Rams had 19 first downs to the Steers’ 12.

Here is what the Rams need to do better:

1. Finish drives with scores.

The Rams won’t be successful until they can finish drives with a touchdown, running back Da’vonte Mitchell-Dixon said.

“We can’t keep getting close to scoring and end up with nothing,” Mitchell-Dixon said.

The Rams have to execute better; even the little things make a difference, Hardin said.

“I think we could’ve took advantage of matchups more, and execute on the little things,” Hardin said.

“[The Rams] played great defense the second half and had set up good field position most of the game,” Prud’homme said.

2. Improve the best personnel.

The people on the field are the best choice for each position, Mitchell-Dixon said.

“We just have to give 100 percent when we’re out there and do what we have to do,” Mitchell-Dixon said.

The Rams have the best athletes on the field, Hardin said.

“We’re just still going through the growing process and trying to figure some things out,” Hardin said.

3. Keep a good outlook.

The Rams’ weakest area is their attitude, Mitchell-Dixon said.

“Instead of yelling at teammates and arguing when we’re losing, we need to pick each other up,” Mitchell-Dixon said.

However, the Rams’ strongest point is their ability to not give up, Mitchell-Dixon said.

“We can be down by 21 points and we’ll still keep fighting and fighting,” Mitchell-Dixon said.

“We fought to the end,” Prud’homme said.

The reason the team still has a positive attitude is because it is laying the groundwork for future seasons, Hardin said.

“We know what we’re working for; it’s something bigger than ourselves. We knew that the day we signed up for this,” Hardin said.

4. Learn from mistakes.

This season has taught the Rams a lot of lessons, Mitchell- Dixon said.

“This is our first year as a unit,” he said. “The more we grow this program up, the more we’ll see improvements and wins. I think What needs to happen is teamwork.

What I mean by that is we need everyone on the field to do what they’re supposed to do. If one guy is doing something wrong, the play is busted.”

5. Prepare for next season.

“We are laying the foundation and building for the future,” Prud’homme said.

This season is important because it sets expectations for future seasons, Hardin said.

“We know we’re young,” Hardin said, “and that winning doesn’t come easy. We’re just focused on setting a standard so that this program can be successful for years.”

The Rams just need to trust the process as the program grows, he said.

“We trust our coaches to go out and recruit well,” Hardin said. “When those younger guys come in there has to be a culture for us to succeed. We’re on the right path.”

The Rams are set to take on Bacone College at home Saturday at 2 p.m. for the homecoming game. Live stats and streaming are available on ramsports.net Tickets are $10 for general admission. according to ramsports.net

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Rams lose to Texas College

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