MSU Football

SATURDAY... No. 16 Midwestern State (3-0, 2-0) returns home for Family Day 2014 when the Mustangs face Angelo State (2-1, 1-1). Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium/Joe Golding Field in Wichita Falls.  Tailgating activities start at 5 p.m.


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 via MSUMustangs.com 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 RAMS…

Angelo State enters the game with a record of 2-1 overall, 1-1 in Lone Star Conference play after falling at home to West Texas A&M 58-41 to close a stretch of three consecutive home games to start the season.

The Rams are under the command of head coach Will Wagner, who sports a 17-19 record in his fourth year at ASU. The Rams have three straight 5-6 seasons under Wagner.

The Texans have the 39th ranked offense in NCAA Division II, the fifth in the Lone Star Conference, averaging 468.3 yards a game, but are 24th nationally in scoring offense and second in the league with a 41.3 average.  Of the Rams 468.3 yards,only 175.3 yards is on the ground, with the other  293.0 yards passing.  The Ram attack is keyed by junior quarterback Kyle Washington of Humble, Texas, a dual threat quarterback who is emphasising his passing this season.  He is 32nd nationally and third in the LSC with a 277.0 yard average through the air, hitting an amazing 72.8 percent of his passes.  He's 67-of-92 for 831 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions.  He's only averaing 41.0 yards a game this season, but was second in the LSC (to MSU's Keidrick Jackson) with 100.2 a game in 2013.  The Rams have gone back to the future with their top receiver in senior Dakarai Pecikonis of Allen, Texas who has 15 catches for 240 yards, or 80.0 yards a game (sixth in the LSC, 71st nationally).  Pecikonis is back after missing last season with an injury.  Senior Chris Omigie of Arlington, Texas/Martin, a transfer from Kansas, adds 53.0 yards a game.

The ground game is also led by junior running back Ryan Byrd of Lake Elsinore, Calif., who is eighth in the LSC and is 162nd in Division II averaging 57.7 yards a game by collecting 173 yards on 30 carries with two touchdowns. Senior Cody Burtscher of Burleson, Texas adds 51.3 yards a game.

Defensively, senior linebacker Rush Seaver of Lampasas, Texas, paces the way with 41 total tackles or 13.7 per game (third in the LSC and fifth in Division II).  Senior linebacker Blair Smith of Mississauga, Ontairo, Canada, has 28 stops (9.3 per game, eighth in the LSC and 68th nationally). Junior defensive end Clayton Callicutt of Crosby, Texas, chips in 19 tackles (6.3 per outing) and leads the team, the LSC and is seventh nationally in tackles for losses with 6.5 for -20 yards in three games (2.2 per game).

The Rams are fourth (of eight) in the LSC in Total Defense, 100th in the nation, allowing 411.3 yards a game.

All-Time Series: Midwestern State leads the series 11-5, with MSU winning the last four meetings including the 49-43 shootout in San Angelo last season.  MSU is 7-2 in Wichita Falls, 6-2 at Memorial Stadium and has not lost to the Rams at home since Oct. 23, 1999, when ASU upset the MSU Homecoming 21-19.

NOTEWORTHY

• Midwestern State is 3-0 overall and is 2-0 in Lone Star Conference play.
• MSU's 27-23 victory at Tarleton State was the first time Midwestern State had defeated the Texans in Stephenville since a 44-23 win on Nov. 4, 2000.
• The Mustangs are ranked 16th in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, marking MSU's third consecutive week in the poll.  It's also MSU's 35th ranking in the last 40 polls and 55th in the last 65.
• MSU has received at least one vote in the poll in 101 of the 102 polls.
• The win was the 98th of Coach Bill Maskill at Midwestern State, running his record to 98-37, with a 72.6 winning percentage, as he started his 13th season at MSU.  Maskill has an overall record of 111-45, a 71.2 winning percentage, starting his 15th season as a collegiate head coach.
• The Mustangs ran their record in pre-October games to 44-9 (.830) under Coach Bill Maskill. Since 2006, that record is now 33-3 (.917).
• The Midwestern defense once again leads the Lone Star Conference, allowing 361.3 yards a game and ranking 65th in NCAA Division II.
• MSU also leads the LSC in scoring defense (21.0 points a game, 44th nationally), Passing Defense (190.7 yards allowed, 49th in DII), Passing Efficiency Defense (147.65 rating, 41st), and Team Sacks (3.00 per game, 21st).
• The MSU defense held Tarleton State to 379 total yards, its lowest output of the season.  TSU entered the game ranked 17th in NCAA Division II in total offense averaging 513.5 yards a game.
• TSU was limited to 180 rushing and 199 passing yards after averaging 261.5 rushing (then 15th) and 252.0 passing (then 56th).
• Linebacker Daniel Laudermilk is the Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week this week after he led the MSU defense in the win over Tarleton State with nine tackles.
• With the interception by LaKeith Murray, three different Mustangs have interceptions on the year, one in each game.
• The MSU Offense is second in the LSC, averaging 485.7 yards a game (25th in NCAA II) and is third in scoring offense, averaging 36.3 points a game (35th nationally).
• Sophomore running back Dante Taylor posted his second 100-plus rushing game against Tarleton with 105 yards on 18 carries.  It was his fifth career 100-yard game, moving him into a tie for eighth all-time at MSU.
• MSU's string of 100-yard receiving games was snapped against TSU.  Breion Evans recorded 91 yards on five receptions in the first half, but did not have another catch in the game, ending the streak at four straight contests dating back to 2013.
• MSU collected 30 first downs against Tarleton State, tied for the four most in school history, and the most since gathering 32 first downs against Abilene Christian on Nov. 10, 2007.
• Redshirt freshman punter Mitchell Henton leads the LSC and is 13th in NCAA Division II with a 43.5 yard average. He booted five punts for a 45.0 average at Tarleton State, three inside the 20.
• The Mustangs were flagged 14 times for 187 yards, tying for the second-most penalty yardage in a game.  It was the most penalty yardage recorded by MSU since moving into NCAA Division II.
• MSU has opened the Lone Star Conference season with wins over both the LSC defending co-champions, Eastern New Mexico and Tarleton State, and hasn't played a conference game at home until this week when Angelo State comes to visit Memorial Stadium.