Midwestern State vs. Ferris State
Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016 | 11 a.m.
Top Taggart Field | Big Rapids, Mich.
Records: Midwestern State (8-2); Ferris State (9-2)
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM
Watch: Bulldog Sports Network  
Listen: Mustangs Digital Network 
Live Stats: FerrisStateBulldogs.com 
 
SETTING THE STAGE
No. 22 Midwestern State squares off with No. 15 Ferris State in the opening round of the 2016 NCAA Division II playoffs Saturday at Top Taggart Field. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. (Central Time).  The winner moves on to face the victor of the Southwest Baptist (Mo.) vs. Colorado Mines first round contest next Saturday at the site of the higher remaining seed.
 
FOR STARTERS
- Midwestern State makes its seventh NCAA Division II Playoff appearance.
- The Mustangs are searching for their first postseason win since 2006
- MSU is 11-5 against nationally ranked opposition since the start of the 2011 season.
 
SUPER REGION FOUR MATCHUPS
First Round -- Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016
Midwestern State at Ferris State, 11 a.m.
Colorado Mines at Southwest Baptist, 2 p.m.
Colorado Mesa at Texas A&M-Commerce, 3 p.m.
Second Round -- Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016
CMU/TAMUC winner at Grand Valley State
MSU/FSU winner vs. CSM/SBU winner, at high seed
NCAA II Quarterfinal -- Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016
Second Round winner at high seed
 
ABOUT THE NCAA POSTSEASON
- The top seven teams in each of the four NCAA super regions advance to the playoffs.
- The No. 1 seed in each region receives a bye into the second round.
- The higher seed hosts each matchup throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs.
- The four remaining teams following the national quarterfinal round -- Super Region champs -- will be reseeded by the NCAA D2 Football Championship Committee.
- The semifinal round -- set for Saturday, Dec. 10 -- will be broadcasted on ESPN3.
- Sporting Park in Kansas City is the site of the championship game on Saturday, Dec. 17. It will be televised on ESPN2.
 
MSU IN THE NCAA POSTSEASON
- Midwestern State makes its seventh appearance in the NCAA Division II Playoffs as the Mustangs advanced to the postseason for the second consecutive season.
- The Mustangs head into the postseason with its lowest seed in program history. MSU was the No. 5 in 2004, No. 4 in 2006, No. 3 in 2009, No. 1 in 2011, No. 5 in 2012 and No. 1 in 2015.
- MSU has never won a road playoff game falling at Colorado Mines in 2004 (52-33), at Northwest Missouri in 2006 (27-0) and at Indianapolis (31-14) in 2012.
- Midwestern's lone postseason win came against Missouri Western by a 28-26 count on Nov. 18, 2006 after Daniel Polk connected with DelJuan Lee for two scores in the final 3:41 to overcome a 26-14 deficit.
 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
- Ferris State rides a five-game winning streak into the opening round of the 2016 NCAA Division II Playoffs
- The Bulldogs rank 14th in NCAA Division II in total offense rolling up 494.9 yards per game while scoring 35.3 points per game.
- Ferris State is scoring 44.2 points per game during its five-game winning streak.
- Junior quarterback Reggie Bell has passed for 2,046 and 11 touchdowns while rushing for 1,081 yards and 15 more scores. The Eastern Michigan transfer ranks 12th nationally and tops the GLIAC in total offense at 312.7 yards per game.
- Junior running Jahaan Brown has ran for 824 yards and seven touchdowns.
- The Bulldogs boast the ninth best rushing attack in NCAA Division II (267.4 yards per game) while passing for 227 yards per game.
- Ferris State's defense ranks third in the GLIAC and 51st nationally allowing 344.5 yards per game including 105.6 rushing yards and 238.9 yard through the air.
- Sophomore defensive end Zach Sieler boasts 60 tackles including 22 for loss and 14 sacks.
- Senior Anthony Darkangelo leads the Bulldogs with 102 tackles through 11 games with nine tackles for loss, while junior linebacker Nick Huckabay adds 81 tackles.
- Junior quarterback/punter Trevor Bermingham leads NCAA Division II with a 47.3 yards per punt average placing 14 of 31 punts inside the 20 with a long of 72.
- Tony Annese boasts a 46-11 record (.807) in his fifth season at the helm of the Ferris State football program.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
- Midwestern State and Ferris State meet for the first time on the gridiron Saturday at Top Taggart Field in Big Rapids, Mich.
- It will be the first time the Mustangs play any team from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).
- It will mark just the eighth overall meeting between MSU and Ferris State in any sport. The Bulldogs have claimed wins in each previous meeting.
- Ferris State is 3-0 against MSU in men's tennis including a 5-2 win in the national quarterfinals last spring. The Bulldogs also claimed wins in 1998 and 2001 in Edmond, Okla.
- Ferris State is 2-0 against MSU women's tennis with victories in Edmond, Okla. in 1999 and 2000.
- Ferris State is 2-0 in volleyball versus Midwestern State with a win in Big Rapids in 2004 and San Antonio in 2006.
 
ABOUT BILL MASKIILL
- Bill Maskill is in his 17th season as a head coach and 15th campaign at Midwestern State.
- Maskill has led the Mustangs to winning ledgers in each of his years at the helm of the program including the school's first Lone Star Conference championship in 2009 and first undefeated regular season in 2011.
- Under Maskill's guidance, MSU has advanced to the NCAA Division II postseason in the 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015 seasons while amassing a 119-45 record (.726).  He was named LSC Coach of the Year in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015, and was the AFCA Regional Coach of the Year in 2011.
- In all, Maskill has coached 21 All-Americans, 47 all-region selections and 60 All-Lone Star Conference first teamers in his 15 seasons in Wichita Falls.
- Maskill is starting his 48th year as a football coach. His coaching experience includes stops as a Division I assistant at Vanderbilt (twice), Southern Methodist, Wake Forest, Oregon, Tulane, Louisville, Arizona State, Bowling Green and Iowa.
- Maskill has a 132-52 overall record (.717) and led Southeast Missouri State to a 1988 MIAA co-championship.
 
FACING THE RANKINGS
- Midwestern State boasts a 11-2 record against nationally ranked opposition in regular season games since the start of the 2011 season.
- The Mustangs are 7-14 all-time against teams ranked in the Top 10 of the AFCA D2 Poll, but have won three of the last four over the last three seasons.
- Saturday marks the fourth time MSU will be involved in an AFCA D2 Poll Top 10 tussle.
- MSU improved to 4-2 over the last two seasons against nationally ranked opponents claiming a 26-25 win over No. 4-ranked Texas A&M-Commerce on Oct. 8, 2016.
- The Mustangs were 3-2 against rated opposition last season splitting games with Texas A&M-Commerce, which was ranked 11th heading into both contests before falling to 4th-ranked CSU-Pueblo in the playoffs.
 
MSU IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
- Midwestern State dropped 10 spots to No. 22 in this week's AFCA Division II Top 25.
- The Mustangs have carried a national ranking for each of the last 21 polls dating back to last season.
- The Mustangs fell eight spots to No. 18 in this week's D2Football.com rankings.
- MSU is ranked 20th in the Massey Ratings, while Ferris State is 13th.
- The Mustangs are 22nd in the Hero Sports Bennett Rankings compared to Ferris State which is 12th.
- The Hero Sports Bennett Rankings have the Lone Star Conference as the third strongest league in NCAA Division II, while the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) is 7th out of the 15 D2 leagues.
 
A LONG WAY FROM HOME
- Midwestern's opening round playoff game at Ferris State in Big Rapids, Mich. marks the program's longest trip of the modern football era (since 1988).
- It will be the third trip of more than 650 miles for MSU this season which also included excursions to Truman State (Kirksville, Mo. --668 miles) and Western New Mexico (Silver City -- 703 miles).
- According to Mapquest.com, the distance between campuses is 1,139 miles which is the longest trip since Midwestern traveled 1,460 miles to San Luis Obispo and 1,275 miles to Youngstown, Ohio -- both during the 1956 season.
- Following Saturday's game at Ferris State, the Mustangs will have traveled 7,098 round-trip miles this season.
 
COMEBACK KIDS
- Midwestern State has trailed in 16 games since the start of the 2015 season.
- The Mustangs fell to 12-4 in those games after despite erasing a 10-point deficit to surge ahead on a pair of Quade Coward-to-Jerryl Yarbrough TD connections over a 20-second span to lead 28-24 last week against Eastern New Mexico. The Greyhounds answered with a seven-play, 70-yard drive to score as time expired.
- MSU never trailed in a 43-22 win at Western New Mexico on Oct. 1, 2016. It was the first time since beating West Texas A&M (24-21) on Oct. 10, 2015 the Mustangs didn't face a deficit -- a span of nine games.
- Midwestern has trailed in seven of 10 games during the 2016 season.
 
JUST GIVE ME A MINUTE
- Midwestern State has scored in the final minute in five games this season.
- Tanner Graeber's 18-yard field goal with 12 seconds to play beat Texas A&M-Kingsville 32-30 on Sept. 17.
- MSU scored two touchdowns in the final 3:22 with Quade Coward hitting Breion Evans for a 12-yard score with 28.3 seconds left to beat No. 4 Texas A&M-Commerce on Oct. 8.
- Coward hit four straight passes to lead MSU 77 yards on four plays culminating in a 10-yard TD to Jerryl Yarbrough with 16 seconds left to beat Angelo State 28-21 on Oct. 15.
- The Mustangs traveled 74 yards in five plays culminating in a 13-yard touchdown run by Adrian Seales with 52 seconds remaining to beat Tarleton State 21-16 on Nov. 5.
- Midwestern State managed just 8 total yards of offense on its first five possessions of the second half against Eastern New Mexico on Nov. 12 before scoring two touchdowns in a 20-second span with the aid of an onside-kick recovery by Gary Farquhar. Quade Coward and Jerryl Yarbrough connected on TDs of 28 and 34 yards to give MSU its only lead of the game at 28-24 with 52 seconds to go. ENMU answered with a seven-play, 70-yard drive to score the winning touchdown as time expired.
 
MAGICAL RUN
- Midwestern State has taken the lead in the final minute of five games this season claiming four wins in the process.
- Prior to this season, MSU teams had scored to take the lead in the final minute just four times in the Bill Maskill era (since 2002).
- Senior quarterback Quade Coward is the author of five of the eight final-minute, lead taking drives of the Maskill era.
 
REWIND: ENMU 30, MSU 28
- Midwestern State scored a go-ahead touchdown with 52 seconds remaining for the second consecutive week.
- Eastern New Mexico rallied for a 7-play, 70-yard drive in the final 49 seconds to score on a 19-yard TD pass from Wyatt Strand to Aaron Johnson as time expired.
- The Mustangs were held to 8 yards of total offense through the first five drives of the second half before Quade Coward and Jerryl Yarbrough connected on TD passes of 28 and 34 yards during a 20-second stretch to give MSU its only lead of the game at 28-24 with 52 seconds to play.
- Eastern New Mexico held the Mustangs to 36 rushing yards which was the lowest output during the Bill Maskill era (since 2002) and fewest rushing yards since MSU lost 26 yards on 29 carries against Texas A&M-Kingsville on Oct. 18, 1997.
- Junior wide receiver DeAndre Black posted season highs with eight catches for 89 yards.
- Black finished with 227 all-purpose yards including 135 kick return yards with a 67-yard fourth-quarter return.
- Senior quarterback Quade Coward accounted for three touchdowns on 19-of-35 passing for 120 yards but threw a career-high three interceptions.
- Senior defensive lineman Darian Childers had a season-high seven tackles with 2.5 stops for loss sacking the quarterback for the sixth consecutive game.
 
OFFENSIVE TEAM NOTES
- Midwestern State was held to a season low 266 yards of total offense last week against Eastern New Mexico. It was the lowest output since the Mustangs were limited to 183 total yards in the opening round of the 2015 NCAA II Playoffs against Colorado State-Pueblo on Nov. 28, 2015.
- MSU has amassed 400 yards of total offense five times this season including a high of 609 yards against UT-Permian Basin.
- MSU rushed for 200 yards four consecutive weeks from Sept. 17-Oct. 8 and has 200-or-more rushing yards six times this season with a high of 350 against UT-Permian Basin.
- The Mustangs were held to a season low 36 rushing yards by Eastern New Mexico (11/12).
- The Mustangs boast the No. 2 rushing attack in the LSC ranking 37th nationally churning out 196.1 yards per game.
- MSU ranks fourth in the LSC and 62nd in NCAA Division II in total offense at 422.9 yards per game.
- Midwestern ranks second in the LSC and is 38th nationally allowing 5.10 tackles for loss per game.
- The Mustangs exploded for a school record 63 points in the first half against UT-Permian Basin (10/29). The 35 points in the first quarter were the most since MSU scored 36 against Western New Mexico in 2001, while the 76 total points were the second most in school history falling just shy of the 82 scored against WNMU also in 2001.
- MSU set season highs in both rushing touchdowns (5) and passing scores (4) against UT-Permian Basin (10/29).
- MSU's play breakdown is 58.3 percent rush (400-1961) and 41.7 percent pass (167-286-2268).
 
DEFENSIVE TEAM NOTES
- Midwestern State boasts one of the top Red Zone defense in the Lone Star Conference as the Mustangs have permitted touchdowns on just 22-of-41 (53.7 percent) of opponent trips inside the 20-yard line yielding 4.3 points per trip.
- Four of MSU's eight interceptions this season have come in the end zone.
- MSU has yielded 400-or-more yards of total offense in five games after holding Truman State to a season low 255 yards in the season opener.
- Midwestern ranks 38th nationally averaging 2.8 sacks per game and is 66th in tackles for loss average 7.0 per game.
- The Mustangs have produced 62 points off of 17 turnovers this season.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
- Midwestern State ranks third in the LSC and 55th in NCAA Division II in kickoff returns at 21.91 yards per return, while second in the LSC and ranking fourth nationally in kick return defense giving up 14.42 yards per return.
- MSU ranks third in the LSC and 23rd in NCAA Division II with a 13.70 yards per punt return average, while ranking fourth in the LSC and 56th nationally allowing 7.63 yards per return.
 
UP NEXT
With a win, Midwestern State moves on to face either Southwest Baptist (Mo.) or Colorado Mines in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. As the No. 7 seed, the Mustangs stay on the road throughout the postseason run.