Oklahoma Panhandle State University

Goodwell, Okla.—OPSU Football takes to the road again this week for another long-distance match-up, this time out of the strong Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

Coming off a hard-fought loss in week one to No. 12 Angelo State (31-52), the Aggies will travel to Durango, Colo. to take on the Fort Lewis College Skyhawks this Saturday, Sept. 12 at 12 p.m. (MST). The Skyhawks opened their season in similar fashion as the Aggies, taking a 14-45 loss in week one to the No. 11 ranked Montana State.

Facing similar challenges this week as they did against Angelo State last week, the Aggies will be up against a skilled and seasoned quarterback in senior Jordan Doyle. Doyle led the team last year with 1,509 passing yards and rushed for 428 yards, accounting for almost 2,000 total yards on offense; he went 8-14 against the Bobcats last week with one passing touchdown. OPSU's defense also has to be sound against the option in the Bobcat's run game.

The Aggie O-line will once again face a strong defensive front averaging 6-1, 257 lbs., anchored by senior and RMAC Pre-Season All-Conference defensive lineman Sione Folaumoeloa. Senior safety Ryan Ross will present a challenge to the Aggie receivers; Ross was named All-RMAC Honorable Mention for his performance in 2014 totaling 98 tackles and two interceptions for the season.

The Aggies will bring plenty to the table though, giving the Skyhawks a 'run' for their money with senior running back Chris McClendon who averaged 8.1 yards per carry with two touchdowns in last week's performance against the Rams. Rod Moore also put in a great ground game in week one as well, averaging 10.3 per carry for 86 yards.

Defensively the Aggies will look to last week's leading tackler Xazier Murry who totaled 14 tackles with one forced fumble on the Rams. Corners Byron Edwards and Jamel Major look to manage the FLC receivers; each took one interception last week against Angelo. Special teams could prove crucial once again this week as both teams struggled with third-down conversions offensively.

Coach Russell Gaskamp is ready to see his team compete against another strong Division-II opponent saying, "We're looking for improvement out of our football team from game one to game two. We have to get more touches for McClendon and Moore and shore up on pass protection offensively. Defensively we have to do a better job of not giving up big plays and have to play sound assignments."

He continued, "We need to be more consistent on special teams as well; we did some great things last week but also gave up some big plays, and to be a good football team you have to be good in that phase of the game. Our team looks forward to competing against a good football team this week at Fort Lewis."

Aggie fans can keep up with every minute of the game this weekend with live stats, video and audio links available on the Football Schedule page of the OPSU Aggie Athletics website.

The Aggies return for their home opener next Saturday, Sept. 19 against long-time rival Langston University; kick-off is set for 2 p.m. It will be a special day at Carl Wooten Field as they host a Military and First Responders Appreciation Day sponsored by Chrysler Corner in Liberal, Kan. Local military, law enforcement and first responder groups will be present and recognized during the game; at the gates fans will receive free t-shirts commemorating the event as supplies last.

Other activities planned include a pre-game recognition of OPSU's Hispanic student athletes in honor of Hispanic Heritage month and the Little Aggies Cheer Camp, which will be held in the Noble Activity Center on the OPSU campus starting at 9am Saturday morning; the camp will run through 12:30 p.m. and the participants will receive lunch, a free camp t-shirt and admission into the game. The little cheerleaders will perform their routine at halftime of the football game in front of the crowd.

It's a great time to be an Aggie and an even better time to be an Aggie fan! Follow Aggie football online and in person and, as always, WEAR RED, GET ROWDY and REV IT UP!