The Rams are ready to head back to the field Saturday night to take on the Houston Baptist Huskies in Houston.

The Rams were defeated 48-24 by the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes last Saturday; even so, players and coaches are optimistic about the rest of the season.  Head coach Joe Prud’homme wrote in an email that the Coyotes were a tough opponent, especially for the first game of the season.

“It was a long trip and we had some challenges logistically,” Prud’homme wrote. “We made several mistakes that can be associated with the first game of the year. KWU is a top 3 program nationally because of their experience, talent and depth. They played that way and did all of the small things well, which was the difference in the game. They created opportunities and then capitalized on them.”

The Rams/Huskies game is at 7 p.m., according to ramsports.net. The Huskies lost to the University of Texas at El Paso 36-34 last weekend.

Wide receiver Le’Mant Monroe scored the first touchdown for the Rams on Saturday night.  In an e-mail, he wrote that the team plans to press on, learning from the last game and striving to do better in each game this season.

“We enjoyed the time on the road,” Monroe wrote.  “Every time we travel it’s always our team (my brothers) reflecting on last year if we played the team and how we are trying to get a championship for our School.  We have Great Coaches and we are a team of brothers.”

Team kicker Gregory Blaser wrote in an e-mail that the team will be prepping for the upcoming game the same way they always do: through lots of analysis, breaking down the other team, and practicing together.

“This week we are facing Houston Baptist University which is a D1 school,” Blaser wrote.  “We all feel like we have the capabilities of being D1 football players and this week will give us a chance to prove that against a D1 team.”

This will be the Rams second away game in a row, as well as their second game of the season.

“Houston Baptist is a very good football team,” offensive coordinator Kyle Cox wrote in an e-mail.  “Their Defensive Line is big and fast, their Linebackers move very well in space, and they’ve got some rangy players in the Secondary that make a bunch of plays. This is by far the most athletic defense we will face this year, and I’m excited to see how our offense will step up to the challenge!”

Cox wrote that the team is excited about this season and plan to build upon their successes from the last game, as well as improve upon their shortfalls during the games to come.

“I don’t think our preparation is any different week to week, regardless of who the opponent is,” Cox wrote.  “A football season is like a marathon. It’s four long, grueling months of hard work, and you have to chip away at it day by day. I think our whole team might have been a little too excited to play last weekend. The energy level in the locker room before the game was unbelievable, but when we got to the field and felt like we were a little drained of some of that energy. Now, the first game jitters are out of the way, and we can feel a little more relaxed going into week two versus a very strong opponent.”

The Rams play Houston Baptist at 7 p.m. Saturday in Houston. To watch the game and for more information, go to ramsports.net