ALAMOSA, Colo. – The Adams State Grizzlies Football team suffered their fifth loss of the season Saturday afternoon, as they fell to the Angelo State Rams 41-21 at Rex Stadium. Angelo State was the Grizzlies' only non-RMAC opponent of the season, and the Rams came into Saturday ranked 21^st in the nation. Adams State hung in tough for the duration of the first half, in a back and forth fight, but were unable to generate the offense in the second half to keep pace with the Rams. The big storyline on the day was the injury to Adams State wide receiver Tariq Bitson, who coming into Saturday was leading the nation in receiving and threatening the national receiving record. He went down early in the first quarter, and Adams State quarterback John Buksa was forced to rely on his other playmakers.
 
The Adams State defense for the second straight week came ready to play, particularly in the first half. They shut the Rams offensive attack down, and the Grizzly offense would play a more conservative approach with the ball in their hands early on with Bitson going down. They relied heavily on their running back trio of Sproles, Federick and Payemanu to shoulder the load.
 
The first quarter was a defensive slugfest, but the Grizzlies had the advantage. They put together a nice drive in the first quarter that turned into an Erick Ruiz field goal. The two teams would exchange turnovers and punts in a slow first quarter, and after one, Adams State led 3-0.
 
In the second quarter, the pace of the game picked up rapidly. The Grizzlies got in range for an Erick Ruiz field goal and converted, going up 6-0 with 10:14 left in the half. The Rams got the ball back hoping that their offense would wake up, and it did. They put together a 7-play, 68-yard drive almost entirely on the ground, and punched it into the end zone. Following the extra point, the Rmas went ahead 7-6.
 
The Grizzlies went three and out on their next drive, immediately giving the ball back to the Angelo offense. They took full advantage of the momentum, getting into the end zone for the second consecutive drive on a short pass. Following the extra point, they went up 14-6 with 2:28 left in the half.
 
The Grizzlies knew they had time to put something together and gain momentum before halftime, and they did exactly that. John Buksa threw a quick strike to receiver Ziere Banner who shook off the defender on his hip, and proceeded to outrun everyone else on his way to a 66-yard touchdown. The Grizzlies would go for two and were unable to convert, but nonetheless, they were down only two going into halftime, and had momentum.
 
The second half, like the first half began slow with both teams exchanging punts. It was on the Rams' second drive of the third quarter that they were able to get deep into Adams State territory with the help of a pass interference flag, and took advantage of the penalty, getting into the endzone to extend their lead. It was now 21-12 Rams, following the extra point.
 
The Grizzlies offense struggled mightily without their star playmaker Tariq Bitson particularly in the third quarter as they were unable to generate any offense early in the period. The defense did as much as they could to keep giving their offense opportunities, and it looked as though they would be rewarded as Duson Sproles sprung loose for 43 yards to give the Grizzlies first and goal at the Rams four yard line. They would take advantage of the long play, and Buksa hit Banner for their second touchdown connection on the day. The Grizzlies were right back in the game, and trailed 21-19 headed to the fourth.
 
The fourth quarter would prove fateful for the Grizzlies, who unfortunately could not seem to limit the mistakes. Buksa threw two interceptions in the quarter and was replaced by Sohail Mohsini late for the second straight week. The Rams went on a long touchdown drive early in the quarter, and then another on their ensuing drive, to land the proverbial knockout punch. They converted Buksa's final interception into points, and the route looked to be on.
 
While the Grizzlies may have lost the cause, they never gave up, as Ahmed Bernard blocked the Angelo extra point following the touchdown, and defensive lineman Daniel Woodis scooped it up and took it 98 yards for two points in one of the wildest plays on the 2019 Adams State season. While there are no moral victories, this play was a testament to a team that refused to quit. Following the Woodis rumble, the score was 41-21, Rams which is how it would end.
 
The Grizzlies prepare to host Colorado Mesa in their last home game next weekend at Rex Stadium at 1 p.m. The senior class will be honored prior to the game, and the Grizzlies will look to send their seniors out in a big way against the RMAC rival Mavericks.