WICHITA FALLS, Texas - Midwestern State's Jimmy Pipkin rushed for 155 yards and a touchdown to lead the 18th-ranked Mustangs to a 44-13 win over Tarleton State in the driving rain Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.

The Mustangs rolled up 450 yards of offense including 308 on the ground to improve to 5-0 on the season and 4-0 in Lone Star Conference play while the Texans dropped to 1-5 and 1-3.

Tarleton took advantage of a pair of Mustangs' miscues to claim a 13-7 first quarter lead.

Texans quarterback Nick Stephens scored on a 2-yard run after MSU mishandled a punt snap to give Tarleton possession at the Midwestern 8-yard line early in the first quarter.

After Keidrick Jackson, who rushed for 53 yards on 15 carries, burst in for the first of his two rushing scores, Tarleton's Cordell Valentine muffed the ensuing kickoff the burst 74 yards for a touchdown to give the Texans their final lead of the game.

Jackson carried the ball over from 2 yards on the next possession, then Tarleton was flagged for holding in the end zone resulting in a safety to give MSU a 16-13 lead.

MSU quarterback Brandon Kelsey burst 33 yards for another score to give the Mustangs a 23-13 halftime lead.

Then the Mustangs and the rain poured it on the Texans in the second half.

Kelsey connected with David Little for a 27-yard scoring connection on a 4th-and-9 play early in the third quarter before Lester Bush plowed in from 1 yard out after the Texans failed to convert on a 4th-and-1 from its own 36 to give the Mustangs a commanding 37-13 bulge.

Pipkin closed out the scoring with an 83-yard romp to pay dirt with a 11:02 to play.

Kelsey threw for 142 yards on 14-of-19 passing and touchdown while rushing for 56 yards on eight carries.

Tarleton's Courtney Vaughn ran for 90 yards on 26 carries to lead the Texans.

Midwestern State hits the road to battle Angelo State on Saturday, while Tarleton plays host to Texas A&M-Commerce.