#4 Midwestern State vs. Tarleton State
MSU 7-0, 6-0 LSC; Tarleton State 6-3, 4-2 LSC
Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017 | 2 p.m.
Memorial Stadium | Wichita Falls, Texas
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com |
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM |
Video (PPV)/Audio: Mustangs Digital Network
HONORING ROBERT GRAYS
- Midwestern State will honor teammate Robert Grays with helmet decals with No. 24. The coaches have embroidered patches with Grays' No. 24, as well.
- Fans are encouraged to honor Robert Grays on each kickoff by holding up two fingers on the left hand and four on the right during each kickoff.
- Each of MSU athletic teams will honor Grays in a visual way throughout the 2017-18 academic year.
- The men's and women's soccer teams each intended to halt play in the 24th minute of games on Sept. 21nd and 22nd with a minute long cheer. In the first competition following the incident, MSU senior forward Scott Doney scored in the 24th minute against Rogers State after the crowd spontaneous cheered to halt the game between 24:59 and 24:00 (22nd minute) of the first half then repeated the cheer at the same time in the second half.
- The MSU volleyball squad honors Grays by holding up two fingers on the left hand and four on the right on every Mustangs set point.
- Texas State sophomore linebacker Clifton Lewis, Jr. wore No. 24 in honor of Grays against UTSA. Lewis and Grays were teammates at Hightower High in Missouri City.
- Grays suffered a severe neck injury with 3:24 to play in MSU's 31-13 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville on Sept. 16th and passed away on Sept. 19th.
HOOF MARKS
- Midwestern State battles rival Tarleton State Saturday afternoon as MSU celebrates its annual Military Appreciation Day and pays honor to 14 seniors including wide receiver DeAndre Black, punter Mitchell Henton, tight end Dorian Johnson, tight end Keanu Kalawaia, quarterback Javin Kilgo, safety Jordan Meyers, wide receiver D.J. Myers, long snapper Bobby Joe Nielsen, defensive end Semaj Robinson, safety Steven Rogers, wide receiver Brandon Sampson, offensive lineman Islam Sbeih, linebacker Jacob Sherrill and wide receiver Jerryl Yarbrough.
- With a win, Midwestern State can clinch at least a share of its fourth Lone Star Conference championship. The Mustangs claimed league titles in 2009, 2011 and 2012.
- The Mustangs rolled UT Permian Basin 66-8 last Saturday to improve to 7-0 for the third time in program history.
- MSU started 7-0 in 2015 before falling 27-14 at Texas A&M-Commerce then rolled to a perfect 10-0 regular season mark in 2011 before falling 38-31 in overtime to Northwest Missouri State in the second round of the NCAA D2 Playoffs.
- Midwestern State's 58-point win matched the fourth biggest victory margin since the start of the 1988 season. It was second-best margin of victory in a road game and biggest since MSU pounded Western New Mexico 82-6 on Oct. 13, 2001.
- It's the third time since Midwestern brought back football in 1988 that an MSU team posted three wins by 40-or-more points in the same season – 53-6 over Quincy (8/31), 45-3 over West Texas A&M (10/21) and 66-8 over UT Permian Basin (10/28). The 2011 Mustangs accomplished the task four times, while the 2009 squad won by 40 on three occasions.
- Midwestern State moved up a spot to No. 3 in the NCAA Division II Super Region Four rankings released Monday afternoon. The Mustangs (7-0) are behind Central Washington (9-0) and Minnesota State (9-0). The trio is trailed by Winona State (Minn.) (8-1), Sioux Falls (S.D.) (8-1), Colorado Mesa (8-1), Texas A&M-Commerce (7-1), Humboldt State (Calif.) (7-1), Minnesota Duluth (7-2) and Eastern New Mexico (7-1). The top seven teams qualify for a NCAA D2 playoff berth.
- The Mustangs are one of 10 remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA Division II.
- Midwestern State matched its second best start in program history and are 7-0 second time in three years. The Mustangs were 10-0 in 2011, and 7-0 in 2015.
- MSU improved to 102-33 (.756) against Lone Star Conference opponents since the start of the Bill Maskill era (2002) with last week's 66-8 win over UT Permian Basin.
- MSU has started the season with at least five consecutive victories in six of the last 12 years dating back to the start of the 2006 season.
- Midwestern State is in sole possession of first place in the Lone Star Conference race. At 6-0, the Mustangs hold a one-game lead in the loss column over Eastern New Mexico (6-1) and Texas A&M-Commerce (5-1).
- The Mustangs are 6-0 in Lone Star Conference for just the second time since joining the league in 1997. MSU was a perfect 8-0 in 2011.
- Midwestern State used its home field dominance at Memorial Stadium to roll off four straight wins to start this season before last week's road win at Angelo State. The Mustangs own a 69-15 mark (.821) on the home field since the start of the Bill Maskill era in 2002 and are 14-2 (.875) since start of 2015 season.
- The Mustangs capped off a 3-0 September with a 35-24 win over Western New Mexico on Sept. 30th. MSU is 49-9 (.845) during the month of September during the Bill Maskill era (since 2002) and sport records of 50-21 (.704) in October and 22-15 (.595) in November.
- Midwestern will play a nine-game regular season slate in 2017 after its Sept. 9th matchup at West Florida was cancelled due to the threat of Hurricane Irma.
- MSU remained at No. 4 in this week's American Football Coaches' Association Division II Poll. It matches the Mustangs' highest ranking since spending two weeks at No. 4 on Oct. 10 and 17, 2016. Midwestern reached No. 2 in the final poll of the 2011 season.
- The Mustangs are ranked fifth D2Football.com rankings.
- MSU moved up three spots to 18th in the Massey Rankings.
- MSU improved to 12-2 during the regular season versus opponents ranked in the AFCA Top 25 since the start of the 2011 season with a 47-42 win over No. 2 Texas A&M-Commerce on Oct. 7th. Eight of MSU's 12 wins over teams rated in the AFCA Top 25 were higher ranked. Other top wins came against No. 9 Abilene Christian (70-28) in 2011, No. 8 West Alabama (45-21) in 2013, No. 6 Angelo State (29-20) in 2015 and No. 4 Texas A&M-Commerce (26-25) in 2016. The two losses came at the hands of No. 25 West Texas A&M (19-12) in 2013 and No. 11 Texas A&M-Commerce (27-14) in 2015.
- MSU's 47-42 win over No. 2 Texas A&M-Commerce came against the highest ranked opposition in program history. The Mustangs previously fell to No. 2 Northwest Missouri (27-0) in the 2006 NCAA playoffs and to No. 2 Abilene Christian (47-17) in 2008. Midwestern has never faced a team ranked No. 1.
- Midwestern State was picked to finish second in the Lone Star Conference heading into the 2017 season behind Texas A&M-Commerce. The Mustangs have finished second or better six of the last eight season including league titles in 2009, 2011 and 2012.
- Bill Maskill is in his 18th season as a head coach and 16th 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, 2015 and 2016 seasons while amassing a 126-46 record (.733). 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 23 All-Americans, 51 all-region selections and 61 All-Lone Star Conference first teamers in his 15 seasons in Wichita Falls.
- Maskill's 126 wins account for 54.1 percent of MSU's all-time victories on the gridiron.
- Midwestern State clinched its 18th consecutive winning season with a 41-27 win at Angelo State on Oct. 14th. In the State of Texas, the streak is matched only by defending NCAA Division III national champion Mary Hardin Baylor, which also clinched its 18th straight winning ledger. The top-ranked Cru is off to an 8-0 start this season.
- Midwestern State was won 17 more games than any other LSC member since the start of the 2000 season. That's an average of 7.8 wins per season for an overall mark of 140-54 (.722). The Mustangs are trailed by West Texas A&M (123-87, .586), Tarleton State (121-74, .621), Texas A&M-Kingsville (101-91, .526), Texas A&M-Commerce (90-101, .471), Angelo State (87-104, .455) and Eastern New Mexico (79-98, .446).
- Midwestern State boasts two alumni in the NFL as Amini Silatolu (taken by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft) and Marqui Christian (taken in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft) both made opening day rosters. Silatolu is a reserve lineman making his return with the Panthers this season. He was a consensus All-America pick for the Mustangs in 2011. Christian serves as a reserve safety for the Los Angeles Rams. He was a first-team All American claiming the Cliff Harris Award as the nation's top small college defender in 2015.
- The Mustangs' tradition of O-Line Pride has produced six of the last seven Lone Star Conference Offensive Linemen of the Year including Amini Silatolu (2010, 2011), Ken Van Heule (2012), Shadow Stokes (2014), Alfredo Moreno (2015) and D2 Rimington Award winner Akoakoa Paleka-Kennedy in 2016.
AGAINST THE TEXANS
- Midwestern State and Tarleton State meet for the 30th time on the gridiron Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
- The Texans hold an 18-11 edge in the series which dates back to the 1946 season.
- The Mustangs have won the last two and three of the last four against Tarleton State including a 27-23 victory in Stephenville in 2014, a 63-46 win in Wichita Falls in 2015 and a 21-16 victory last season in Stephenville.
- MSU has never won three consecutive games against the Texans in series history, but has won consecutive games three times – 1999 and 2000, 2010 and 2011 and 2015 and 2016.
- The teams have split the 14 games of the series played in Wichita Falls, but MSU has won three of the last four against the Texans played at WFISD's Memorial Stadium
- At 9-5, Tarleton State is the only Lone Star Conference program to sport a winning record against the Mustangs during the Bill Maskill era (since 2002).
OFFENSIVE NOTES
- Midwestern State bring the Lone Star Conference's top-ranked offense into Saturday's game against Tarleton State. MSU ranks sixth in NCAA Division II piling up 505.6 yards per game including 211.0 rushing yards (25th in NCAA D2/2nd in the LSC) and 294.6 passing yards (14th in NCAA D2/4th in the LSC).
- The Mustangs boast the top scoring offense in the Lone Star Conference averaging 46 points per game which rates sixth nationally.
- Midwestern State tops the nation in fewest turnovers with four through seven games this season. The Mustangs have turned ball over once in the last five weeks – an interception by Angelo State's Fred Lawrence.
- MSU's 667 yards of total yards of offense against UT Permian Basin on Oct. 28th were ninth most in a single game in program history. It's the second time the Mustangs have amassed 600 yards this season.
- Three quarterbacks combined for a school single-game record seven touchdown passes in MSU's 66-8 win over UT Permian Basin on Oct. 28th. Quarterbacks Layton Rabb, Javin Kilgo and Hagen Hutchinson combined for 424 passing yards -- the second most in a single game in program history and most since MSU put up 446 against West Texas A&M on Oct. 12, 2002.
- Two-time Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week Layton Rabb continued his impressive run as a starting quarterback for the Mustangs completing 16-of-23 passes for 280 yards and five touchdowns in two quarters and a possession in a 66-8 win over UT Permian Basin.
- Rabb became the third quarterback in school history to complete five touchdown passes in a single game against UTPB (10/28) joining Zack Eskridge, who had six against Eastern New Mexico on Nov. 1, 2008 and Phillip Boggs, who had five at Northeastern State on Sept. 28, 2002
- Rabb connected on 23-of-31 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-3 win over West Texas A&M on Oct. 21st.
- Rabb completed a career-high 32-of-45 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-27 win over Angelo State on Oct. 14th.
- Rabb had a career-best 332 yards of total offense in leading the Mustangs to a 47-42 win over No. 2 Texas A&M-Commerce on Oct. 7th. Rabb completed 16-of-28 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for a career-best 67 yards on nine carries.
- Rabb passed for a career-high 326 yards on 20-of-31 passing with two touchdowns in a 35-24 win over Western New Mexico on Sept. 30. It was Rabb's second consecutive game with at least 200 passing yards and it was the biggest passing day by an MSU quarterback since Zack Eskridge threw for 356 yards at Eastern New Mexico on Oct. 31, 2009.
- Rabb's 32 completions against Angelo State were tied for the third most in a season game in MSU program history and were the most since Zack Eskridge had 34 completions in a 38-33 loss at Central Oklahoma on Oct. 25, 2008.
- Rabb's 45 pass attempts versus Angelo State were the sixth most in program history and most since Eskridge threw the ball 47 times at Central Oklahoma in 2008.
- Rabb ranks second in the LSC and is 11th nationally with a pass efficiency rating of 172.5. He is third in the league and 39th nationally in passing yards per completion (13.61) and third in the LSC and 25th in NCAA D2 with 254.7 passing yards per game.
- Junior running back Adrian Seales ranks second in the LSC in rushing yards per game (98.8/33rd in NCAA D2) and leads the league in rushing yards per carry (8.01/4th in NCAA D2). He is also fourth in the league and 104th nationally with 105.3 all-purpose yards per game.
- Seales has not taken a loss of yards in 74 rushing attempts this season.
- Seales notched the fourth best individual rushing game in school history finishing the night with 243 yards on 17 carries and one touchdown in the season opener against Quincy. Seales' performance stands as the fifth-best rushing day this season in NCAA II. The performance was his fourth 100-yard effort of his career. He followed with 83 yards on 13 carries against Texas A&M-Kingsville and 86 yards on 19 carries versus Western New Mexico.
- Former All-America quarterback Daniel Polk is the only player in program history to run for more yards in a game going for 290 against Abilene Christian in 2007, 259 versus Southeastern Oklahoma in 2006 and 244 at Eastern New Mexico in 2005. That means a runner wearing MSU's No. 5 jersey has accounted for the top four rushing efforts in program history as Polk also wore the number.
- Seales moved to 18th on MSU's all-time rushing list in MSU's win over UT Permian Basin (10/28) and now has 1,292 rushing yards. He needs 62 yards to pass BeeJay Mathis (1,353 yards/2007-09) to move into 17th and 90 yards to pass Ulysses Odoms (1,380 yards/2005-06).
- Junior running back Vincent Johnson ranks fifth in the LSC and 77th in NCAA D2 rushing for 76.9 rushing yards a game, but continues to find the end zone at a record setting clip. He scored three touchdowns in the season opener against Quincy, had two more in a win over Texas A&M-Kingsville then scored another against Western New Mexico before rushing for three in a win over No. 2 Texas A&M-Commerce and going for four more against Angelo State.
- Johnson has accounted for multiple rushing touchdowns in 13 games in his career turning the task two times as a freshman in 2015, seven times in 2016 and four times this season.
- Johnson moved past former All-America Brandon Kelsey on MSU's all-time rushing touchdowns list with his touchdown against Western New Mexico and now has 39. He trails Keidrick Jackson (61 TD/2010-13) and Daniel Polk (44 TD/2004-07). With 234 points, Johnson stands fifth on MSU's all-time scoring list behind Keidrick Jackson (372/2010-13), Jose Martinez (291/2007-10), Daniel Polk (266/2004-07) and Greg Saladino (245/2010-13).
- Johnson is 8th on MSU's all-time rushing list with 1,871 career rushing yards. He needs 87 yards to pass Henry Anders (1,957 yards/1991-92) into seventh and 286 yards to pass Brandon Kelsey (2,156 yards/2009-12).
- Johnson has accounted for two 100-yard rushing games this season going for 136 yards on seven carries with three TDs in the season opener against Quincy. He ran for 133 yards and three more scores in a 47-42 victory over No. 2 Texas A&M-Commerce. Johnson has five career 100-yard rushing efforts.
- Senior D.J. Myers set career highs with eight receptions for 149 yards including a 72-yard touchdown in a 45-3 win over West Texas A&M on Oct. 21st. It was his second 100-yard receiving performance of the season.
- Myers exploded for four catches for 130 yards including a 54-yard TD reception against Western New Mexico then had six catches for 70 yards and a TD against Angelo State.
- Myers' 149 receiving yards versus West Texas A&M were the 13th most in a single game in school history and most since David Little caught 14 passes for 181 yards against Incarnate Word on Oct. 2, 2010.
- Myers leads the Mustangs with 23 receptions for 400 yards and a team-best four touchdowns. Myers averages 17.4 yards per catch and ranks 8th in the LSC with 66.7 receiving yards per game.
- Sophomore wide receiver Tyrique Edwards enjoyed a breakout performance catching a career-high seven passes for 94 yards including a 23-yard touchdown against Texas A&M-Commerce then had six catches for 55 yards and another score at Angelo State.
- Edwards, who has touchdown receptions in each of his last four games, leads the MSU receiving corps with 26 catches and is third with 318 receiving yards ranking 16th in the LSC at 50.4 receiving yards per game.
- Senior wide receiver DeAndre Black's career-high 177 receiving yards against UT Permian Basin are the sixth most in a single game in MSU history and the most since David Little had 181 receiving yards against Incarnate Word on Oct. 2, 2010.
- Each of Black's seven receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns against UT Permian Basin (10/28) all came in the first half.
- Black's 94-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against UT Permian Basin was the second longest reception in school history and the longest since Jake Glover connected with Vernon Johnson for 99 yards in a 70-28 win over No. 9 Abilene Christian on Oct. 22, 2011.
- Black boasts three consecutive 70-yard performance making five catches for 72 yards against Angelo State before going for four catches for 70 yards versus West Texas A&M. Black is third on the team with 17 receptions for 247 yards and a touchdown.
- Sophomore wide receiver Xavier Land snagged his first collegiate touchdown on a 22-yard corner route against Texas A&M-Commerce and added another on a 14-yard crossing route against West Texas A&M. Land has made 19 catches for 177 yards this season.
- Freshman Tyler Milliken caught five passes for 110 yards and three touchdowns -- all in the second half against UT Permian Basin (10/28). Milliken became just the sixth MSU receiver to catch three touchdowns in a single game and the first since Edgard Thelier had three TDs against Abilene Christian on Oct. 22, 2011.
- Senior wide receiver Brandon Sampson caught a season-best eight balls for 64 yards against Angelo State.
- Five different Midwestern State receivers have at least 16 receptions this season and seven different receivers have scored touchdowns.
- The Mustangs have been great in the Red Zone scoring on 29 of their 30 excursions with 26 touchdowns. That's the third best Red Zone offense in NCAA Division II and tops in the Lone Star Conference.
- Behind the starting offensive line of John Rowell (LT), Islam Sbeih (LG), A.J. Roland (C), Kevin Fisher (RG) and Caleb Brown (RT), MSU have permitted a tops in the nation 2.5 tackles for loss through six games this season. The group is ninth nationally and tops in the LSC allowing 0.67 quarterback sacks per game.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
- Midwestern State boasts the LSC's No. 2 scoring defense while ranking 22nd in NCAA Division II allowing 17.6 points per game.
- The Mustangs rate sixth in the LSC in total defense allowing 396.9 yards per game including 142.6 rushing yards (5th in LSC/60th in D2) and 254.3 passing yards (6th in LSC/145th in D2).
- MSU tops the LSC and second in NCAA D2 in the Red Zone allowing 10 touchdowns and 14 total scores in 25 opponent opportunities inside the 20 (56 percent).
- The Mustangs held two of their six opponents to fewer than 300 yards limiting Quincy (Ill.) to 246 yards in the opener on Aug. 31st and West Texas A&M to 228 yards on Oct. 21st.
- The 228 yards by West Texas A&M were the fewest allowed by an MSU defense since Truman State managed 171 yards on Sept. 5, 2015.
- Midwestern State leads NCAA Division II in turnover margin at +13. The Mustangs have scored 78 points off of 17 turnovers while the opposition has scored just 7 points on four MSU miscues.
- Junior linebacker Drew Bolin earned LSC Defensive Player of the Week honors making four tackles and a sack while playing 13 snaps in 45-3 win over West Texas A&M on Oct. 21st.
- Sophomore Kevin Hayes claimed Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors after making two interceptions, breaking up two more passes, forcing and recovering a fumble and had a season-high seven tackles in a 41-27 win at Angelo State on Oct. 14th. Hayes is fourth in the LSC and 118th in NCAA D2 with 0.3 interceptions per game.
- Sophomore Marcus Wilkerson ripped the ball away from Carandal Hale in the third quarter and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown in a 47-42 win over Texas A&M-Commerce on Oct. 7th. It was his second defensive score of the season to go along with a 49-yard interception return in the season opener against Quincy (Ill.).
- Sophomore DaMarcus Wilson made a season-high seven tackles with an interception and a pass breakup against Texas A&M-Commerce. Wilson leads the Lone Star Conference and is 39th in NCAA D2 with three interceptions this season (0.4 per game). Wilson is also second in the LSC and 28th nationally with 1.4 passes defended a contest.
- Junior safety Josh Wydermyer matched a career high with 13 tackles at Angelo State. He leads the Mustangs with 47 tackles this season including 26 solo stops.
- Up front, the Mustangs rank second in the LSC and 16th in NCAA D2 in quarterback sacks at 3.14 per game getting 4.0 from junior Alec DiValerio and senior Deandra Stevenson, 3.5 by senior Semaj Robinson and 2.0 each from senior Jacob Sherrill and sophomore Tristan Shearman. Freshman A.J. Gulley is next with 1.5, while sophomore Travon Ransom and juniors Paul Manus, Drew Bolin and Nathaniel Nicolas have one each.
- Through seven games, 10 different defenders have recorded at least 25 tackles for MSU led by junior safety Josh Wydermyer with 41. Wydermyer amassed a career-high 13 tackles at Angelo State after making eight stops three times this season – Quincy, Western New Mexico and Texas A&M-Commerce.
- Other players with at least 25 tackles include sophomore Tristan Shearman (40), senior Jacob Sherrill (33), senior Steven Rogers (32), junior Sir'Vell Ford (31), sophomore Zack McMahan (30), sophomore J.P. Cognasi (27), sophomore DaMarcus Wilson (26), sophomore Kevin Hayes (26) and junior Alec DiValerio (25).
- The MSU defense ranks seventh in the LSC and 72nd nationally with 6.6 tackles for loss a game led by senior Sejam Robinson (6.0/28yards), junior Alec DiValerio (5.5/36 yards) and sophomore Zach Edwards (5.0/28 yards).
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
- Senior Mitchell Henton ranks second in the Lone Star Conference and 16th in NCAA Division II averaging 41.5 yards on 26 punts this season. He boasts five punts of 50-or-more yards including a career-best 64-yard effort against Western New Mexico. Henton has placed nine punts inside the 20 and forced nine fair catches.
- Behind Henton's efforts, the Mustangs rate third in the Lone Star Conference and 23rd in NCAA Division II in net punting at 36.96 yards per attempt.
- Henton was 15-for-17 on point-after tries over the last two games since taking over for the injured Jaron Imbriani.
- Sophomore kicker Jaron Imbriani missed three games due to injury. He has connected on 22-of-24 point-after tries and is a perfect 3-for-3 on field goal tries this season including a 30-yarder against Quincy (Ill.) in the season opener and a 21-yarders against West Texas A&M on Oct. 21st.
- Imbriani was a perfect 9-for-9 on PATs in MSU's 66-8 win over UT Permian Basin (10/28) which was one shy of the most in a single game of 10 held by Kristian Foster at Northeastern State in 2006 and Tanner Graeber last season against UT Permian Basin.
- Imbriani's 12 kicking points against UT Permian Basin -- nine extra points and a 29-yard field goal -- are tied for the sixth most in a single game in program history and most since Greg Saladino had 14 at Angelo State on Oct. 15, 2011.
- Imbriani is averaging 53.6 yards on 28 kickoffs with five touchbacks over four games this season.
- Top return man DeAndre Black, an All-America last season, averages 6.8 yards on nine punt returns with a long of 24 yards. The senior also averages 22.5 yards on 11 kick returns with a long of 39 yards.
- Black is sixth in the Lone Star Conference and 127th in NCAA D2 in combined kick return yardage (309) and third in the LSC and 78th nationally in kick return average (22.5).
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