HIGHLIGHTS: The Falcons nearly shut out by the Rams following a big injury

MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – The Angelo State Rams beat the UTPB Falcons 36 to 7 as the Falcons drop to 3-3 overall, losing their second game in the Lone Star Conference. The game between the two most recent Lone Star Conference winners got off to a slow start, and things got even slower for the Falcons after losing starting quarterback Dylan Graham to an ankle injury.

Graham went down early in the first quarter after a designed quarterback run and was carted off the field, and later seen on the sidelines in a boot and crutches. His replacement was quarterback Christian Kaopua, a redshirt junior, and he would later be replaced by true freshman Isaac Mooring.

Kaopua would go 8-15 with 50 yards through the air as well as an interception, and Mooring would throw for 113 yards completing 7-17 passes on the night. The lone touchdown for the Falcons was a 38-yard pitch and catch from Mooring to wide receiver Ben Patterson. That score came with 5:45 left to play in the fourth quarter.

The injury to Graham was one of many things that went wrong on the night for the Falcons. Another part of the hard loss was the number of penalties. UTPB was called for 11 penalties, which resulted in 114 yards, and Falcons head coach Chris McCullough questioned many of those calls.

UTPB had 108 rushing yards and 169 passing yards for a total of 277 yards, while the Rams had 280 total yards. The Falcons averaged 3.90 yards per play to the Rams 5.19.

Next up the Falcons look to bounce back on the road against Central Washington University. That game is Saturday at 8 p.m. at Tomlinson Stadium in Ellensburg, Washington.

Watch the video above for highlights.