Midwestern State vs. Humboldt State
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015 | 8 p.m.
Memorial Stadium | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (6-0); Humboldt State (5-0)
Video: Mustangs Digital Network (PPV)  
Audio: Mustangs Digital Network (Free) 
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com 
 
BATTLE OF UNBEATENS
Midwestern State and Humboldt State meet in an inter-regional battle Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set at 8 p.m. This marks the latest time in the season unbeaten Mustangs squad has faced off with another team with an unblemished mark. It's one of four Top 25 matchups this week as No. 2 West Georgia plays No. 15 Delta State (Miss.), No. 3 Northwest Missouri battles No. 22 Pittsburg State (Kan.) and No. 12 Michigan Tech takes on No. 18 Grand Valley State (Mich.).
 
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
- Midwestern State will wear pink accessories -- spats, socks, wristbands, etc. -- for breast cancer awareness.
- The team encourages donations to the Susan G. Komen Foundation which may be made through this online link.
- Donations may go directly to Metastatic Breast Cancer Research, General Breast Cancer Research or Patient Support and Education.
- To date, the Susan G. Komen Foundation has invested more than $2.6 billion in groundbreaking research, community health outreach, advocacy and programs in more than 30 countries. Its efforts have helped reduce death rates from breast cancer by 34 percent since 1990; and has helped improve five-year relative survival rates for early stage cancers from 74 to 99 percent.
 
A WIKI LOOK AT HUMBOLDT STATE
- Humboldt State is the northern most campus of the 23-school California State University system.
- Established as Humboldt State Normal School in 1913, HSU is currently divided into three colleges: the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; the College of Natural Resources and Sciences; and the College of Professional Studies. There are 49 undergraduate majors and 73 minors.
- Humboldt State boasts an enrollment of greater than 8,000 students.
- HSU is located in Arcata, Calif. in Northern California adjacent to Humboldt Bay with a population of 17,697.
- Arcata is located 280 miles north of San Francisco.
 
SCOUTING THE LUMBERJACKS
- Humboldt State is one of 13 remaining unbeaten teams remaining in NCAA Division II.
- The Lumberjacks boasts the nation's top scoring attack at 50 points per game while ranking 10th in total offense at 505.2 yards per game.
- Sophomore Ja'Quan Gardner paces the NCAA Division II's No. 5 rushing attack with a national best 1,050 yards and 15 touchdowns.
- Gardner erupted for a program record 305 yards on 36 carries with three touchdowns in HSU's 34-16 win over Azusa Pacific (Calif.) Saturday in Arcata. He connected on a 66-yard halfback pass for another score.
- Gardner boasts four 200-yard rushing performances this season.
- Sophomore quarterback Robert Webber ranks 14th in NCAA Division II with a 158.60 pass efficiency rating. He has completed 59-of-98 passes for 793 yards and 10 touchdowns. His lone interception came on a tipped pass last week against Azusa Pacific.
- Junior wideout Chase Krivashei paces the Jacks' receiving corps with 26 receptions for 373 yards and is sixth in NCAA Division II with eight touchdown receptions.
- Defensively, Humboldt State allows 18.8 points per game (25th nationally) and 349.4 yards per game (63rd).
- The Jacks boast 16 sacks through five games led by junior linebacker Drew Dubois, who has accounted for seven.
- Rob Smith is in his 25th year as a head coach going 109-62-1 at Western Washington (1989-2005) and is 44-35 in his eighth year at HSU.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
- Midwestern State meets Humboldt State for the first time in any sport Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.
- This will also be the first time the Mustangs have faced a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC).
- It will be the fourth meeting for Midwestern against a team hailing from California. The then-Indians lost to Cal Poly 19-7 in 1955 at home and 24-13 in 1956 in San Luis Obispo. MSU rolled to a 64-7 win over Menlo (Calif.) on Nov. 2, 2013 at Memorial Stadium.
- Humboldt State is making a trip to the Lone Star State for the second straight season as the Lumberjacks defeated Texas A&M-Kingsville 27-14 last season in Kingsville.
 
ABOUT BILL MASKILL
- Bill Maskill is in his 16th season as a head coach and 14th campaign at Midwestern State.
- Maskill has led the Mustangs to winning ledgers in each of his years at the helm of the program including the school's first Lone Star Conference championship in 2009 and first undefeated regular season in 2011.
- Under Maskill's guidance, MSU has advanced to the NCAA Division II postseason in the 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2012 seasons while amassing a 107-41 record (.723).  He was named LSC Coach of the Year in 2009, 2011 and 2012, and was the AFCA Regional Coach of the Year in 2011.
- In all, Maskill has coached 16 All-Americans (to some 54 mentions), 59 all-region selections and 67 All-Lone Star Conference first teamers in his 13 seasons in Wichita Falls.
- Maskill is starting his 47th year as a football coach. His coaching experience includes stops as a Division I assistant at Vanderbilt (twice), Southern Methodist, Wake Forest, Oregon, Tulane, Louisville, Arizona State, Bowling Green and Iowa.
- Maskill has a 120-49 overall record (.710) and led Southeast Missouri State to a 1988 MIAA co-championship.
 
A QUICK LOOK BACK
- Midwestern State halted a two-game skid to rival West Texas A&M taking a 24-17 win Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
- The win gave the Mustangs a 3-1 lead in this year's Highway 287 Challenge Cup series.
- MSU improved to 6-0 for just the third time in school history with the others coming in 1949 and 2011.
- Freshman Vincent Johnson rushed for 190 yards on 17 carries including scoring runs of 9 and 84 yards.
- Johnson's 190 yards were the 11th most rushing yards in a single game and MSU history, while his 84-yard carry was the sixth longest.
- Senior defensive end Harold Wills made career-high 11 tackles including three tackles for loss and two sacks while forcing two fumbles.
 
MSU SURGES TO 11TH IN AFCA POLL
- Midwestern State moved up one spot to No. 11 in the AFCA Division II Top 25.
- The ranking is the highest since the Mustangs were ranked No. 8 on Nov. 12, 2012.
- The Mustangs have received mention in at least one poll in each season dating back to 2006 and have received a national ranking for at least one reporting period in each of the last seven season (since 2009).
- The Mustangs received a vote on at least one ballot in 105 of 107 reporting periods dating from the 2006 season to the end of the 2014 campaign including 47 straight periods from 2011-14.
- Super Region Four boasts nine ranked teams including seven of the top 14 including No. 4 Ferris State (Mich.), No. 6 Colorado State-Pueblo, No. 7 Colorado Mines, No. 8 Ashland (Ohio), No. 11 MSU, No. 12 Michigan Tech, No. 14 Texas A&M-Commerce, No. 18 Grand Valley State (Mich.) and No. 25 Angelo State (Texas) while Colorado Mesa and Indianapolis (Ind.) are receiving votes.
- Four of MSU's opponents are receiving including Colorado Mesa (RV/Sept. 12), Angelo State (No. 25/Oct. 3), Humboldt State (No. 10/Oct. 17) and Texas A&M-Commerce (No. 14/Oct. 24). West Texas A&M (Oct. 10) was receiving votes prior to its game with the Mustangs.
- The Mustangs spent four weeks in the Top 25 in 2014 topping out at No. 16 on Sept. 29.
 
UP FOR THE BIG GAME
- Midwestern State has won eight of its last nine games against nationally ranked opponents during the regular season after upending No. 6 Angelo State on Sept. 26th at LeGrand Stadium.
- The lone loss during the run came against West Texas A&M in the regular season finale of 2013 at Memorial Stadium.
- Humboldt State is the third in a stretch of four games the Mustangs will face competition receiving mention in the AFCA Division II Top 25.
- MSU defeated No. 6 Angelo State and West Texas A&M (receiving votes), while Humboldt State (Calif.) is 10th and Texas A&M-Commerce is 14th.
 
THEY CALL IT THE STREAK
- Midwestern State is riding its seventh winning streak of at least six games after scoring a 24-17 win over West Texas A&M.
- The Mustangs have posted five winning streaks of at least six games since the start of the Bill Maskill era in 2002.
- With a win over the Jacks, the Mustangs will start a season with seven consecutive victories for the second time during the Maskill era and for the first time since winning 10 straight in 2011.
- Midwestern State also started 6-0 in 1949 and 2011.
- With a win, MSU would win seven straight games for the first time since reeling off seven consecutive victories from Sept. 21-Nov. 2, 2013.
 
TEXAS ELITE
- Midwestern State is one of just two Texas four-year football playing institutions actively sporting 15 straight winning seasons.
- The Mustangs are the only scholarship-granting program in the State of Texas with a current string of 15 consecutive winning seasons.
- NCAA D3 power Mary Hardin Baylor also sports 15 consecutive seasons.
- Hardin-Simmons (NCAA D3) had 22-straight winning seasons before suffering a 4-6 year in 2013.
- Mary Hardin Baylor (5-0) travels to Pineville, La. to take on Louisiana College on Oct. 17.
 
MSU DEVOURING NON-CONFERENCE FOES
- The Mustangs are 19-3 overall and 17-1 against D2 non-conference opponents during Bill Maskill's tenure as head coach in regular season contests with his lone loss coming at Nebraska-Omaha on Sept. 14, 2002.
- MSU suffered defeats at FCS Sam Houston State in 2002 and 2003, but has now won its last 15 contests against regular season NCAA Division II non-conference opponents dating back to the 2003 season.
- Since joining the Lone Star Conference in 1997, the Mustangs are 22-8 against non-league opposition during the regular season. That includes a 0-5 mark against NCAA FCS teams, an 18-3 record against D2 opposition, 2-0 against NAIA teams and a 1-0 record against NCAA III squads.
 
MASTERFUL AT MEMORIAL
- Since Bill Maskill took over the reins of the MSU football program in 2002, the Mustangs have compiled a 58-13 record at Memorial Stadium - good for an impressive .817 winning percentage.
- MSU has a 92-50 overall record in its 26th season playing home contests at Memorial Stadium.
- The Mustangs are 65-15 (.813) at home since 2000.
- MSU has won 29 of its last 32 regular season games at Memorial Stadium dating back to the 2008 season.
 
MUSTANGS TOPS IN THE NEW MILLENIUM
- Midwestern State has blazed its way to the top of the Lone Star Conference as one of the steadiest programs in all of NCAA Division II.
- The Mustangs have averaged more than seven wins a season since the start of the 2000 season and overtook Tarleton State to become the league's winning percentage leader over the last decade after defeating Southwestern Oklahoma 46-9 on Sep. 18, 2010.
- MSU has won 29 of its last 32 regular season games at Memorial Stadium dating back to the 2008 season.
 
OFFENSIVE TEAM NOTES
- Midwestern State piled up more than 200 rushing yards for the third consecutive game chewing up 271 yards on the way to 453 yards of total offense in a 24-17 win over West Texas A&M.
- The 271 rushing yards were the second most this season by the Mustangs.
- True freshman Vincent Johnson delivered the 11th best rushing game in school history finishing with 190 with two touchdowns.
- Junior Quade Coward threw for 182 yards on 13-of-22 passing while running 52 yards on eight carries.
MUSTANGS TAKE DOWN ANGELO STATE
- Midwestern State accounted for 231 of its 374 yards of total offense in the second half including 148 yards on 28 carries.
- The Mustangs controlled the clock for 20:25 of the second half to seal the victory.
- Junior quarterback Quade Coward carried the ball three times for 51 yards on MSU's eight-play, 93-yard drive in the third quarter resulting in a 24-yard strike from Coward to Statron Jones to tie the game at 13-13.
- Jones led the team with seven catches for 62 yards including the 24-yard TD strike.
- Coward connected on 13-of-27 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown while rushing for a team-high 63 yards in relief of sophomore quarterback Hagen Hutchinson, who exited due to injury in the first quarter.
MIDWESTERN ROASTS TEXAN DEFENSE
- The Mustangs erupted for 676 yards of total offense in a 63-46 win over Tarleton State on Sept. 26. It was the fifth largest output in program history and the most yards ever hung on a Tarleton State defense.
- The Mustangs have scored at least 60 points in a single game in each of the last five seasons.
- Sophomore quarterback Hagen Hutchinson accounted for 320 yards of total offense completing 19-of-30 passes for 251 while rushing for a team-best 69 yards with three touchdowns.
- Hutchinson accounted for each of MSU's first six touchdowns.
- It was the first time an MSU player had accounted for 300 yards of total offense since Brandon Kelsey amassed 348 yards at West Texas A&M on Nov. 3, 2012.
- Senior wideout Ryan Hyman accounted for a season-high 103 yards on eight receptions. It was the first-team an MSU receiver accounted for 100 yards since Statron Jones had 132 yards on six catches against Angelo State on Oct. 4, 2014.
- Five different MSU's rushers accounted for at least 49 yards.
MSU ROLLS OVER GREYHOUNDS
- Midwestern State rolled up a then season-high 400 yards in total offense in a 28-24 win over Eastern New Mexico in the Lone Star Football Festival at AT&T Stadium (9/19).
- Junior quarterback Quade Coward engineered a game-winning 13-play, 90-yard drive in 2:42 and scored the winning touchdown with 21 seconds remaining against Eastern New Mexico.
- True freshman running back Vincent Johnson rushed for a career-best 83 yards including a 9-yard TD run in the second quarter to pace MSU's season-best team total of 193 yards.
- Vincent's 9-yard touchdown burst in the second quarter was MSU's first rushing touchdown scored by a running back this season.
- Coward came on in relief of starter Hagen Hutchinson to complete 12-of-29 passes for 132 yards while rushing for 43 yards on nine carries with a touchdown.
- Senior wide receiver Arsenio Phillips set career highs with seven receptions for 84 yards including a 49-yard TD reception on a halfback pass from Hutchinson in the third quarter.
- Senior wide receiver Terrence Smith also set career bests with six catches for 85 yards against the Greyhounds.
HISTORIC NOTABLES VS. COLORADO MESA
- MSU failed to account for an offensive touchdown for just the fifth time in the Bill Maskill era (since 2002) in a 16-13 overtime win over Colorado Mesa on Sept. 12. MSU didn't score an offensive touchdown previously in a 2008 game against Northeastern State (W. 7-3), in the 2006 playoffs against Northwest Missouri State (L, 27-0) and twice in the 2004 season (Tarleton State (L, 19-3) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (L, 27-3)).
- The Mustangs failed to account for a rushing touchdown against Colorado Mesa (9/12) for the first time since falling 27-24 to Tarleton State in the 2013 season opener at AT&T Stadium.
RED ZONE/TENDENCIES
- MSU has scored on 20-of-25 trips to the Red Zone including touchdowns on 13 of those possessions.
- The Mustangs scored on seven consecutive trips to the Red Zone against Eastern New Mexico and Tarleton State before being limited to a pair of field goals against Angelo State.
- Midwestern's play call tendencies are 57.3 percent run and 42.7 percent passing.
- The passing game has produced 49.6 percent of MSU's offensive production.
 
DEFENSIVE TEAM NOTES
- Midwestern State boasts one of the top defensive units in the Lone Star Conference ranking 36th nationally in scoring defense (20.5 ppg) and 81st in total defense (378.7 ypg).
- MSU ranks second in the LSC in scoring defense (20.5), third in total defense (378.7 ypg) and third in passing yards allowed (212.7 ypg).
- The Mustangs have forced 16 turnovers (10 fumble recoveries, 6 interceptions) which have netted 47 points.
- Midwestern held four of its six opponents under 200 yards passing.
MSU makes buffs one dimensional
- West Texas A&M senior running back Geremy Aldridge-Mitchell rushed for 189 yards which is a season high against the Mustangs but it took him 40 carries to accomplish.
- The Mustangs forced and recovered two fumbles for the third consecutive game and have produced multiple turnovers in five of six games this season.
- MSU kept West Texas A&M out of the end zone until the final 90 seconds of the game.
MUSTANGS FRUSTRATE ANGELO STATE
- Midwestern State held the Rams to 482 yards of total offense which was more than 100 yards under their season average as ASU led NCAA Division II piling up 586.8 yards per game.
- The Mustangs produced four turnovers including interceptions by linebackers Adam Hill and Calvin Stewart and fumble recoveries by Stewart and Sir'Vell Ford.
- The Mustangs limited the Rams to 292 yards of total offense over the last three quarter after surrendering 190 through the first stanza.
TARLETON'S LATE SPLURGE SPOILS DAY
- The Mustangs limited Tarleton's 19th-ranked offense to 141 total yards over its first nine possessions while building a 49-17 lead with 4:03 to play in the third quarter (9/26).
- The Texans rolled up 414 yards over their final six possessions against the MSU reserves.
- The Mustangs made seven tackles for loss including sacks by Herb Whitehurst, Tyler Massey and Eric Olson.
MUSTANGS STIFLE EASTERN NEW MEXICO
- The Mustangs limited Eastern New Mexico's third-ranked rushing attack to less than half of its season average holding the 'Hounds to 179 rushing yards on 58 attempts (3.1 ypc). ENMU came in averaging 362.5 rushing yards per game.
- Eleven different MSU players recorded at least five tackles against the Greyhounds including career highs by Calvin Steward (9), Emerson Evans (9), Deneldric Hudgens (7) and Darian Childers (6).
- Senior safety Marqui Christian earned Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this season after finishing with a team-high 13 tackles against ENMU.
MSU MAKES MESA WORK FOR EVERY INCH
- Midwestern State limited Colorado Mesa to 4.0 yards per play as the Mavericks used 91 plays to churn out 362 yards of total offense.
- Senior linebacker Daniel Laudermilk finished with a career-high 18 tackles including 2.5 for loss.
- Senior safety Marqui Christian made nine tackles with a sack and a forced fumble.
- Senior cornerback Dominique Rouse made a key interception in the overtime period allowing MSU to win the game in overtime.
- Junior linebacker Adam Hill made eight tackles and made interception in the first quarter.
- Senior safety Tari Jones accounted for the lone touchdown of the game scooping and scoring on a bad punt snap midway through the second quarter.
MUSTANGS DOMINATE IN SEASON OPENER
- Midwestern State allowed the sixth fewest yards in NCAA Division II (171.0) in a season opening win over Truman State.
- Nine different players were in on seven tackles for loss while seven players recorded a pass breakup.
- Senior safety Marqui Christian recorded his 12th career game with at least 10 tackles finishing with a team-high 11 stops.
- Redshirt-freshman linebacker Drew Bolin made eight tackles in his MSU debut.
- Junior linebacker LaFrontae Conkleton jumped a slant route for his first collegiate interception in his first defensive appearance as a converted running back.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
- Midwestern State ranks 11th in NCAA Division II with four blocked kicks over the first six weeks of the season.
- Junior defensive end Kerry Holiday was credited with a block against Truman State (9/5), junior defensive lineman Robert Kitchen got one at Colorado Mesa (9/12) and Cameron Drummond blocked a field goal against Eastern New Mexico (9/19).
- Senior Michael Gerst broke free through the middle of the formation for a blocked punt against Angelo State allowing Sir'Vell Ford to scoop and score a touchdown from 12 yards out in the final minute of the third quarter.
- Senior safety Tari Jones accounted for MSU's lone touchdown at Colorado Mesa on Sept. 12 scooping a fumbled punt snap and racing 30 yards for a TD. It was MSU's first fumble returned for a touchdown since Taiyon Jackson returned on 90 yards for a score at Angelo State on Oct. 26, 2013.