MSU Football

SATURDAY... Defending Lone Star Conference Co-Champion Midwestern State returns to LSC play by visiting Angelo State. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at San Angelo Stadium in San Angelo.


WHERE TO FIND THE GAME…

95.5 ESPN: The broadcast features the play-by-play voice of two-time Lone Star Conference Broadcaster of the Year Bill Powers. He is joined by KAUZ TV-6 anchorman Chris Horgen, who serves as color analyst.

ON THE WEB: The ESPN-Midwestern State Sports Network audio broadcast is simulcast on MSUMustangs.com. LINK

VIDEO WEBCAST: The game will be available on a pay-per-view video stream provided by AngeloSports.com. LINK

LIVE STATS: Live stats are available courtesy of the Angelo State Athletic Communications Office. LINK


SCOUTING THE RAMS…

Angelo State enters the game with a record of 2-5 overall, 0-3 in the Lone Star Conference after dropping a 34-30 decision at then No. 17 West Texas A&M last Saturday. The Rams three LSC losses are by a combined nine points (4,1, 4), and all settled in the last minute of the game.

The Rams are under the command of head coach Will Wagner, who sports a 12-17 record in his third season. Wagner an assistant at Northwest Missouri State for 12 years, including time as the defensive coordinator. A state-champion player at Odessa Permian, Wagner was an all-American at Hardin-Simmons.

The Rams run the ball 59 percent of the time for 56 percent of their offensive yards. ASU is paced by the play of sophomore quarterback Kyle Washington of Humble, Texas. Washington averages 80.3 yards a game on the ground (562 yards on 71 carries) with seven touchdowns. He also has completed 127-of-199 passes for 1288 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions to average 184.0 yards through the air.

The running game is manned by senior Jermie Calhoun, in his second year at ASU after transferring from Oklahoma. Calhoun averages 94.3 yards a game (second in the LSC and 43rd in Division II) with his 660 stripes with three touchdowns. Junior Blake Smith has 458 yards with six TDs, averaging 65.4 yards an outing (seventh in the LSC, 112th nationally).

The Rams have three favorite receivers as well that account for 57 percent of the grabs and 62 percent of the yardage. Senior Quinn Reels averaging 47.6 yards a game (10th in the GSC) ), with senior Joey Knight averaging 46.9 yards a game (11th in the LSC) and sophomore Talon Smith picking up 33.7 yards an outing (17th in the LSC).

Defensively, linebacker Rush Seaver heads the tackle chart. The junior has 72 stops on the year, a 10.3 average (fourth in the LSC, 23rd nationally), along with a team leading 8.0 tackles for losses of 28 yards (ninth in the LSC) and a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown against Colorado State-Pueblo. Sophomore free safety Ryan Clapsaddle has 53 stops (7.6 a game, 12th in the LSC) along with three interceptions. Junior linebacker Blair Smith adds 47 tackles (6.7 per game, 15th in the LSC) with 5.5 tackles for loss (-22 yards) and 2.0 quarterback sacks (-8 yards), while sophomore defensive end Clayton Callicutt chips in 39 stops (5.6 per game) with 6.0 tackles for loss (-24 yards) and a team leading 3.0 quarterback sacks (-20 yards).

Angelo State is averaging 464.9 yards of total offense a game (second in the LSC and 32nd in Division II), that includes 259.0 rushing (second in the LSC, 14th in DII) while scoring 29.3 points an outing (sixth in the Gulf South and 74th nationally). The Rams allow 457.9 yards defensively (seventh in the LSC and 136th in Division II) and 34.9 points per contest (sixth LSC, 120th in DII).

All-Time Series: Midwestern State leads the series 10-5, including last season's 35-28 win on Oct. 13, 2012. The series is tied at 3-3 in San Angelo, with the Rams last win, 20-17, coming at San Angelo Stadium on Sept. 26, 2009.MSU has won the last three games, six of the last seven and nine of the last 11.

NOTEWORTHY

• Midwestern State is 5-1 for the season with the 45-21 win over No. 8 West Alabama and returns to Lone Star Conference play this week with a 2-1 record.
• It's the fifth straight season that MSU has been off to a 5-1 or better start.
• MSU is ranked 18th in the AFCA Division II poll for the third straight week after having its school record string of 26 straight period ranked in the Top 25 snapped after a win earlier this year.
• MSU has been ranked in 51 of the last 57 polls and has received votes in 91 of the last 92 polls.
• MSU is ranked 19th in the D2Football.com poll.
• With the win over UWA, MSU is 6-2 against nationally ranked teams since in the last three seasons.
• MSU extended its regular season winning streak at Memorial Stadium/Joe Golding Field to 23.
• Since the start of the Bill Maskill era in 2002, MSU is 40-23 in road games with a .634 winning percentage.
• Midwestern State has a 77-26 record (.748) over Lone Star Conference opponents during the Bill Maskill era.
• Midwestern has scored in 21 straight quarters, being shutout in only one quarter this season (third quarter of season opener).
• MSU continues to lead the Lone Star Conference in total defense, allowing opponents 323.5 yards a game.
• Junior cornerback Ricardo Riascos snared his third interception of the season (with an 18-yard return) to join senior Neiko Conway for the lead in the LSC at .50 per game. The duo has six of the Mustangs' LSC leading nine interceptions on the season.
• Keidrick Jackson is in the process of nearly totally rewriting the MSU record book for rushing. Jackson broke the MSU career rushing record with his final carry on Homecoming against West Alabama, a 12-yard jaunt that gave him 3,597 yards for his career. He passed quarterback Daniel Polk (2004-07) who held the mark with 3,590 yards.
• Jackson's 23 carries for 136 yards against UWA also tied the MSU record for consecutive 100-yard games first set by Dominic Rhodes (2000) and previously tied by Jackson (2011).
• Jackson already holds MSU record for rushing attempts (550), rushing touchdowns (58), touchdowns (59), points scored (354), and 100-yard performances (19).
• Jackson also has 3,857 career all-purpose yards, second on the MSU all-time list. Former NFL receiver Bryan Gilmore has the record at 3,926 yards, just 69 ahead of Jackson.
• In the four games over the last two seasons against the Gulf South Conference, Jackson has rushed for 617 yards or 154.3 yards a game, but only played one half with 104 yards in 2012 against West Georgia.
• Add nine more points to Greg Saladino's total, bringing him to 221 in fourth on the all-time list.
• Saladino had a 24-yard field goal, and hit 6-of-6 PATs to bring his career mark up to 149-of-155. He has connected on 43 straight point-after kicks, the equaling his own second-longest string in school history and has been good on 86 of his last 87 attempts.
• After three straight home games, MSU hits the road for its next to last regular season game away from Memorial Stadium when the Mustangs visit Angelo State.
• The last two Angelo State wins (Sept. 24, 2005 and Sept. 26, 2009) were by field goals with three seconds remaining at San Angelo Stadium.