MSU Football

SATURDAY... Midwestern State (3-2, 2-2) returns to open a two-game homestand starting against the McMurry War Hawks (2-3, 1-3). Kickoff is scheduled for 8 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 simulcast on MSUMustangs.com. LINK
VIDEO WEBCAST: The game will be video streamed FREE courtesy of Midwestern State and Stretch Internet. LINK
LIVE STATS: Live stats are available courtesy of the Midwestern State Athletic Communications Office. LINK
GAME NOTES:  Courtesy the Midwestern State Athletic Communications Office. LINK

SCOUTING THE WAR HAWKS…

McMurry enters the game with a record of 2-3 overall, 1-3 in Lone Star Conference play and like the Mustangs on a two-game skid after falling on Homecoming to Eastern New Mexico 62-23 last Saturday.

The War Hawks are under the command of head coach Lance Hinson, who sports a 2-3 record in his first year at McM and a 38-57 mark in his 10th season.

McMurry is playing as an affiliate member of the Lone Star Conference this season (and counts as a Division II game), but because it is transitioning back into NCAA Division III, it doesn't receive any NCAA statistical rankings for either Division II or III.

The War Hawks are averaging 391.6 yards a game, but are averaging just 22.2 points a game. 

McM is averaging 288.2 yards a game through the air, while rushing for only 103.4 yards an outing.  The McMurry attack is keyed by junior quarterback Matt McHugh of Ingleside, Texas.  He is producing a 270.6 yard average passing, hitting 57.5 percent of his passes.  He's 96-of-167 for 1353 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions.  The War Hawks top receiver is senior Jeret Smith of Abilene, Texas/High who has 30 catches for 591 yards, or 118.2 yards a game (would lead the Lone Star Conference). Smith is third on McM's career receptions list (157), and fourth in career receiving yards (2,177).  Junior Charles Agugua of Spring, Texas/Oak Ridge (a transfer from Abilene Christian), has 15 receptions for 258 yards or 51.6 yards a game.

The ground game is paced by senior running back Chris Simpson, Jr. of Duncanville, Texas, who is averaging 51.0 yards a game by collecting 255 yards on 55 carries with one touchdown.

Defensively, senior safety Desmond Guy of Itasca, Texas, paces the way with 44 total tackles or 8.8 per game.  Senior linebacker Josh Jones of Abilene, Texas/High, has 42 stops (8.4 per game) and leads the team with 5.5 tackles for losses (-27 yards).

McMurry is allowing 417.6 yards a game defensively.

All-Time Series: Midwestern State leads the series with McMurry 11-9-1, including last season's 66-20 triumph at Memorial Stadium.  However, the series is tied 7-7 in Wichita Falls, but MSU holds a 3-1 series lead in games at Memorial Stadium.

SAME SCHOOLS, DIFFERENT NAME…

When Midwestern and McMurry played in the past it was known as the Battle of the Indians.
 
But neither school carries its old moniker. When the NCAA declared the use of the old nickname of the institutions "hostile and abusive" in 2005, both MSU and McMurry were requested to drop "Indians."
 
Midwestern State quickly adopted Mustangs, in fact becoming the first to do so in November 2005 (with the basketball season). But McMurry didn't move as fast.
 
After losing an appeal, McMurry went without a mascot from 2006 to 2011 -- just one of two out of the 19 institutions cited by the NCAA not to use a mascot (the other was Newberry, who MSU played in 2008).
 
On March 11, 2011, McMurry officially adopted War Hawks as the mascot.

REAL MEN WEAR PINK…

The Mustangs are wearing some pink articles Saturday night in support of Breast Cancer Awareness.
 
The Mustangs encourage your support of the many organizations in the fight to end the dreaded disease.

NOTEWORTHY

• Midwestern State is 3-2 overall and is 2-2 in Lone Star Conference play.
• MSU fell to West Texas A&M 34-13 last Saturday, marking the first time for MSU to lose two games in October since 2010 (10/9/10 loss at Abilene Christian 31-28 and 10/23/10 loss at West Texas A&M 42-29).  It was also the first time for MSU to have consecutive losses in October since 2008 (10/4/08 loss at WTAMU 42-14 and 10/11/08 loss to Tarleton State 37-16).
• With the loss to WT, the Mustangs fell from the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll after four straight weeks in the Top 25.  MSU received votes in the AFCA poll for the 46th straight ranking period and has received at least one vote in the poll in 103 or the last 104 polls.
• Coach Bill Maskill has a  record of 98-39 at Midwestern State, with a 71.5 winning percentage in his 13th season at MSU.  Maskill has an overall record of 111-47, a 70.3 winning percentage, in his 15th season as a collegiate head coach.
• MSU fumbled once in the game with WT taking the ensuing drive for a touchdown.  It marked the fifth TD off an MSU turnover (out of eight) in the last three games and a total of six scores out of the eight miscues.
• Sophomore running back Dante Taylor recorded his fourth 100-yard game of the season, equaling his career high of 159 yards on 18 carries.  It is his seventh career 100-yard game, moving him into a tie for sixth all-time at MSU.
• The highlight for Taylor was his 80-yard scamper for a touchdown in the second quarter.
• Taylor is averaging 115.8 yards a game on the ground, second in the Lone Star Conference and 26th in NCAA Division II.
• Junior Marqui Christian returned after missing the last two games and picked up where he left off.  Christian recorded his third straight double-digit tackle game this season with 10 at West Texas A&M.   Christian now has eight career games of 10 or more stops.
• MSU threw for only 72 yards against West Texas A&M, the first time since Nov. 17, 2012 that MSU has thrown for less than 75 yards (74 yards vs. Indianapolis).
• MSU ran for 344 yards against West Texas A&M, the most this season and the most since rolling up 412 yards against Menlo (Calif.) on Nov. 2, 2013.
• Midwestern State is home for the next two weeks as they host McMurry and Texas A&M-Commerce.
• Saturday's game will be the 22nd meeting between McMurry and MSU with the Mustangs holding an 11-9-1 lead in the series.