WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Midwestern State junior Neiko Conway was named the Lone Star Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week for his play on Thursday in the Mustangs 65-14 nationally televised win over Texas A&M-Commerce at the Lone Star Football Festival.
 
Conway collected three of the seven turnovers taken by Midwestern.  He recovered two fumbles and intercepted a pass on the first play of the second half, returning it 32-yards for a touchdown that started a 35-point third quarter for MSU.
 
It was MSU's first interception return for a touchdown since Oct. 23, 2010 when Zak Bracken had a 20-yard scoring return at West Texas A&M.  The interception return moved him to 182 career interception return yardage to set a new MSU record.  Conway moved to fifth on the MSU career interception list with his seventh career pickoff.
 
He also chalked up two tackles and a pass breakup as well in the Mustangs win.
 
Conway was joined by West Texas A&M linebacker Taylor McCuller who chalked up 15 tackles in the Buffaloes 40-13 win over then No. 14 Texas A&M-Kingsville.
 
The LSC Offensive Player of the Week was Abilene Christian receiver Taylor Gabriel who had five receptions for 50 yards, including a pair of touchdowns.
 
The LSC Special Teams Player of the Week was Incarnate Word's Marcus Wright who returned the opening kickoff 83 yards for UIW's first-ever kickoff return for a touchdown.
 
MSU, now ranked 15th nationally, visits Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday for a 7 p.m. contest.
 
Notables
 

• Midwestern State never trailed in beating A&M-Commerce 65-14 to open the Lone Star Football Festival in front of a CBS Sports Network national TV audience on Thursday at Cowboys Stadium
• The 65 points by MSU are the most by an LSC team this season.
• MSU rushed for 376 yards as a team to lead all teams at the LSFF.
• Chauncey Harris, MSU's fourth running back, led all collegiate rushers at the LSFF with 148 yards on just four carries with runs of 16 and 18 yards before scoring runs of 55 and 59 yards.  Those were his first carries since Nov. 13, 2010.
• MSU is now 2-0 at Cowboys Stadium and is averaging 64.0 points a game at Jerry World.
• Junior Brad Dittmar caught the first pass of his career for a 7-yard touchdown against A&M-C.  Dittmar moved to tight end this season after coming back from a season-ending knee injury in Sep. 2010 and rehabbing in 2011.
• MSU has scored 10 of the 11 times its hit the red zone (91 percent), with six touchdowns and four field goals.
• Neiko Conway's 32-yard interception return for a touchdown gave the Houston junior the MSU record for career interception return yardage.  Conway now has 182 interception return yards on seven interceptions (the seven picks are fifth all-time).
• Ricardo Riascos 12-yard interception return for a touchdown, his first collegiate score.  He now has two on the season in two games to lead the LSC at 1.0 per game.
• The two interception returns for touchdowns against A&M-C mark the first time since resuming football in 1988 that MSU has returned two picks in the same game.
• The Mustangs also have already tied their season record for interception touchdowns in a season joining the 1990, 2000, 2005 and 2010 teams.
• The four interceptions against the Lions also is the most in a game since MSU snared five passes at Eastern New Mexico on Sep. 11, 2010.
• MSU is now 3-0 under coach Bill Maskill on Thursday night and 4-4 on Thursday since 1988 with one more Thursday game this season (Oct. 4 at West Alabama).
• MSU has the number one total defense and number two scoring defense in the LSC, allowing 312.5 yards a game and 17.0 points.
• The winningest coach in MSU history, Bill Maskill won his 80th game at Midwestern with the win over A&M-Commerce.  Maskill is 80-33 in his 11th season at MSU, 93-41 in his 13th season as a head coach.
• MSU plays its third game of the season away from Wichita Falls and won't play at Memorial Stadium until Sep. 29 against Incarnate Word.
• Saturday's game against Texas A&M-Kingsville is the 14th game between the schools with MSU holding a 7-6 series lead.  Midwestern has won six of the last seven meetings.
• With the new artificial turf at Kingsville, Midwestern will not play a regular season game on a grass field in 2012.