MSU Football

SATURDAY... Defending Lone Star Conference Co-Champion Midwestern State plays at home for the first time this season when it hosts Texas A&M-Kingsville. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium/Joe Golding Field in Wichita Falls.

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 simulcasted on MSUMustangs.com. LINK

TELEVISION: The game is being televised live by Comcast SportsNet Houston as part of the Lone Star Conference's new three-year television package with the network. Veteran play-by-play man and former Houston Astros voice Brett Dolan calls the action, with former Houston Oiler/Tennessee Titan linebacker Eddie Robinson, Jr. with the analysis and CSN anchor Tiffany Blackmon on the sideline. There is no live video streaming of the game available.

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


SCOUTING THE JAVELINAS …

Texas A&M-Kingsville enters the game with an official record of 2-1 overall, 0-1 in Lone Star Conference action after a 69-7 loss at home to No. 4 West Texas A&M last Saturday in Canyon. The Javelinas also have an exhibition win over Monterey Tech at the Lone Star Football Festival.

The second consecutive week, MSU faces a new head coach in the conference. The Javelinas are under the command of head coach David Calloway, who sports a 2-1 record in his first season. Calloway spent the last six seasons as TAMUK's defensive coordinator and still holds that position.

The Javelinas run the ball 69 percent of the time and are led by redshirt freshman running back Greg Pitre whose 75.0 yards a game rushing is sixth in the LSC and 93rd nationally Joining Pitre are Anthony Washington and Cornelius Shackelford who average 64.5 and 62.5 yards a game respectively.

The Hoggie quarterbacks are really a jumble because of injuries, with three different signal callers having seen action and TAMUK listing a fourth as the starter. Redshirt freshman Alex Rios has the best numbers, but is banged up. He's completed 21-of-37 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown with three interceptions, while rushing for 31.0 yards a game. Sophomore Aaron Bueno is 16-of-32 for 108 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception and rushes for 27.5 yards a contest. Senior Dean Brantley has seen limited action and redshirt freshman Caled Bedford is listed by TAMUK as the starter.

Defensively, defensive back Anthony Forker and linebacker Mark Severe lead the Javelinas with 17 total tackles, or 5.7 per game. Defensive tackle Zane Brown has 16 with 3.5 tackles for loss, joining defensive end Robert Williams with 16 stops this season and 3.0 tackles for loss, and linebacker Brandon James with 16 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Texas A&M-Kingsville is averaging 373.7 yards of total offense a game (seventh in LSC, 93rd nationally) to go with 26.7 points an outing (sixth in LSC, 89th nationally), while allowing 345.0 yards defensively (second in LSC, 50th nationally) and 38.3 points an outing (seventh in LSC, 134th nationally).

All-Time Series: Midwestern State leads the series 8-6, having won seven of the last eight games. MSU has a 5-1 record against the Hoggies at Memorial Stadium.
   
  NOTEWORTHY

• The Mustangs are 2-1 on the season, 1-1 in Lone Star Conference play with the 30-24 win at Texas A&M-Commerce.
• The Mustangs fell out of the AFCA Coaches Top 25, ending their school record stretch of being ranked 26 consecutive reporting periods. MSU has been in the Top 25 in 49 of the last 54 polls and has received a vote in 88 of the last 89 polls that have been released.
• MSU's win at A&M-Commerce's Memorial Stadium was just the second time Midwestern has won in Commerce in the ninth game played in that city. It was the first time MSU had played in Commerce since 2005.
• MSU is now 3-0 against A&M-C in the Lions' Harvey Martin Classic, winning twice in Arlington and once in Commerce.
• Midwestern State has been golden to start the 12 seasons of the Bill Maskill Era. In the 50 games played August and September, MSU is 41-9 (.820), while it is 37-9 (.804) in 46 games in September alone.
• MSU senior Keidrick Jackson collected his second consecutive 100-yard game with his 117 yards at A&M-Commerce. It also marked his MSU record 16th 100-yard game.
• The first Midwestern running back to rush for 3,000 yards, Jackson extended his career total to 3,174. He is 417 yards from passing quarterback Daniel Polk (2004-07) at 3,590 for the MSU career rushing record.
• Jackson scored two touchdowns against A&M-C, becoming the first MSU player to reach 50 touchdowns.
• Jackson's 12 points pushed his school career record to 306 points, the first MSU player to pass 300 career points.
• Senior Greg Saladino tied the MSU school record with three field goals at A&M-C, which he already had shared.
• Saladino's 12 kicking points tied for sixth in single game MSU history.
• Saladino moved into a tie for third in MSU career field goals with 21, equaling Kristian Foster (2004-06).
• With his three extra-point kicks against the Lions, Saladino has recorded 24 consecutive PAT kicks, the sixth-longest string in school history. He now owns three of the seven longest PAT streaks at MSU.
• Senior Neiko Conway snared his first interception of the season and the 11th of his career.
• Conway extended his MSU career interception return yardage record to 282 yards. His 51-yard pickoff return was his third career interception return for more than 50 yards … Conway has snared an oskie in each of his four seasons at MSU.
• Midwestern opener against Texas A&M-Kingsville on Oct. 5 marks the latest home opener in MSU history, passing last season's Sept. 29 home opener against Incarnate Word.