Midwestern State vs. West Texas A&M
Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 | 6 p.m.
Kimbrough Memorial Stadium | Canyon, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (6-0, 5-0 LSC); West Texas A&M (4-3, 3-2 LSC)
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM
Watch: GoBuffsGo.com  
Listen: Mustangs Digital Network 
Live Stats: GoBuffsGo.com 
 
SETTING THE STAGE
No. 4 Midwestern State looks to improve to 7-0 for the second straight year Saturday night against West Texas A&M at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium in Canyon. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. It's the longest running series in MSU football history.
 
HIGHWAY 287 CHALLENGE CUP
- Midwestern State and West Texas A&M enter the fourth year of the Highway 287 Challenge Cup series.
- Each of the previous three Challenge Cups have been decided by a single point with West Texas A&M winning in 2013-14 (13-12) and 2014-15 (12-11) with MSU edging the Buffs 12.5-115 in 2015-16.
- West Texas A&M holds a 2-1 edge thus far in 2016-17 winning in volleyball and women's soccer while MSU rolled to a 5-0 win in men's soccer.
- Five points are on the line Saturday with the Mustangs and Buffs squaring off at the LSC Cross Country Championships in Commerce and in volleyball and football in Canyon.
 
FOR STARTERS
- Midwestern State is one of 10 remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA Division II and one of two from Super Region Four along with Grand Valley State (Mich.).
- The Mustangs have won 15 of its last 16 regular season games dating back to last season which is the best run since winning 19 of 20 between the 2011 (10-1) and 2012 (9-1) campaigns.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
- Midwestern State and West Texas A&M square off for the 30th time on the gridiron Saturday night at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium.
- West Texas A&M leads the series which dates back to the 1947 season by a 16-13 margin.
- The programs have split the 14 meetings during the Bill Maskill era (since 2002), but MSU has claimed victories in four of the last seven contests.
- The average victory margin is 13.1 points per game since 2002, but seven of the last 12 games have been decided by a touchdown or less.
- Midwestern is 8-6 all time in games played against West Texas A&M in Canyon.
 
SCOUTING THE BUFFS
- West Texas A&M rebounded from a two-game skid to roll Oklahoma Panhandle State 42-14 last week in Goodwell improving to 4-3 on the season and 3-2 in Lone Star Conference play.
- WT boasts the top passing attack in the LSC rankings 10th nationally at 322.7 yards per game.
- Sophomore Ben Arbuckle earned Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors in his first collegiate start completing 30-of-42 passes for 292 yards and six touchdowns.
- Junior Ethan Brinkley started the previous six games for WT amassing 1,608 yards on 152-of-231 passing (65.8 percent) with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.
- Senior Ja'Quarius Daniels, an Iowa State transfer, leads the receiving corps with 30 receptions for 256 yards and two touchdowns.
- Senior Junior Pomee, who began his collegiate career at Southern California (USC), has 29 catches for 403 yards and a team leading seven touchdowns.
- Five WT receivers boast at least 20 receptions this season including junior Michael Andrews (24-361), sophomore P.J. Leonce (23-153) and junior Eppy Henriques (20-260).
- Junior Devon Paye ranks fourth in the LSC in rushing with 610 yards on 113 carries with three touchdowns while making 17 catches for 229 yards and two more scores out of the backfield.
- West Texas A&M touts the third best defense in the LSC limiting the opposition to 371.1 yards per game but allow 205.3 yards on the ground.
- Junior defensive lineman Daelin Young headlines the defense with 44 tackles including 8.5 stops for loss and 4.5 sacks.
 
ABOUT BILL MASKILL
- Bill Maskill is in his 17th season as a head coach and 15th 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, 2012 and 2015 seasons while amassing a 117-43 record (.731).  He was named LSC Coach of the Year in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015, and was the AFCA Regional Coach of the Year in 2011.
- In all, Maskill has coached 21 All-Americans, 47 all-region selections and 60 All-Lone Star Conference first teamers in his 15 seasons in Wichita Falls.
- Maskill is starting his 48th 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 130-51 overall record (.718) and led Southeast Missouri State to a 1988 MIAA co-championship.
 
GOING FOR SEVEN
- MSU can extend its winning streak to seven games for the sixth time in program history with a win at West Texas A&M.
- Five of MSU's six seven-game winning streaks have come during the Bill Maskill era.
- The Mustangs have started nine seasons with at least five consecutive wins including a program best 10-0 sweep through the regular season in 2011.
- Midwestern is looking for its second consecutive and third 7-0 start to a season. MSU's best regular season run came in 2011 (10-0) and the Mustangs rolled to a 7-0 start last season. MSU has also posted 5-0 starts three other times during the Maskill era (2006, 2007, 2010).
- MSU has won at least four consecutive games in 12 of the last 13 seasons with the lone exception coming in 2014 when the Mustangs amassed two three-game winning streaks.
 
AMONG GRIDIRON ELITE, MSU AT 17
- Midwestern State is one of just two Texas four-year football playing institutions actively sporting 17 straight winning seasons.
- The Mustangs are the only scholarship-granting program in the State of Texas with a current string of 17 consecutive winning seasons.
- NCAA D3 power Mary Hardin Baylor has also clinched 17 consecutive winning ledgers. The Crusaders host Hardin-Simmons Saturday.
- Hardin-Simmons (NCAA D3) had 22-straight winning seasons before suffering a 4-6 year in 2013.
 
MSU IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
- Midwestern State remained at No. 4 in this week's AFCA Division II Top 25.
- The Mustangs have carried a national ranking for each of the last 17 polls dating back to last season.
- The Mustangs stayed at No. 5 in this week's D2Football.com rankings.
- MSU is ranked 10th in the Massey Ratings while West Texas A&M is 32nd.
- The Mustangs are 11th in the Hero Sports Bennett Rankings compared to West Texas A&M which is 42nd.
- The Hero Sports Bennett Rankings have the Lone Star Conference as the second strongest league in NCAA Division II.
 
COMEBACK KIDS
- Midwestern State has trailed in 13 games since the start of the 2015 season.
- The Mustangs improved to 11-2 in those games after overcoming a 12-point deficit with 5:29 to play to beat No. 4 Texas A&M-Commerce 26-25 on Oct. 8, 2016.
- MSU never trailed in a 43-22 win at Western New Mexico on Oct. 1, 2016. It was the first time since beating West Texas A&M (24-21) on Oct. 10, 2015 the Mustangs never faced a deficit -- a span of nine games.
 
JUST GIVE ME A MINUTE
- Midwestern State has scored in the final minute to win three of its six games this season.
- Tanner Graeber's 18-yard field goal with 12 seconds to play beat Texas A&M-Kingsville 32-30 on Sept. 17.
- MSU scored two touchdowns in the final 3:22 with Quade Coward hitting Breion Evans for a 12-yard score with 28.3 seconds left to beat No. 4 Texas A&M-Commerce on Oct. 8.
- Coward hit four straight passes to lead MSU 77 yards on four plays culminating in a 10-yard TD to Jerryl Yarbrough with 16 seconds left to beat Angelo State 28-21 on Oct. 15.
 
SULTANS OF THE SECOND HALF
- Midwestern State outscored 11 consecutive opponents in the second half dating back to West Texas A&M on Oct. 10, 2015 through last week.
- MSU outscored the opposition 115-52 through five games in 2016 before Angelo State won the second half 21-7 on Oct. 15.
- The Mustangs have outscored the opposition 60-26 in the third quarter and 62-47 in the fourth.
 
THE DEAD ZONE
- Midwestern State ranks third in the LSC in Red Zone defense per the NCAA allowing the opponent to score 71.4 percent of the time.
- The Mustangs are second in the LSC in points yielded per Red Zone trip at 3.7.
- The Mustangs have allowed touchdowns on 12 of 28 opponent Red Zone trips this season, but all permitted two to Angelo State in last week's 28-21 win.
 
REWIND: MSU 28, Angelo State 21
- Senior quarterback Quade Coward engineered his third game winning drive capping it off with a 10-yard TD to Jerryl Yarbrough with 16 seconds to play.
- It was just the second time this season the Mustangs never trailed, but squandered a 21-0 halftime lead.
- Coward notched his fifth 200-yard passing day of the season going 20-for-34 for 271 yards and three touchdowns.
- Junior wide receiver DeAndre Black caught three passes for 92 yards including an 18-yard touchdown in the first quarter and a 57-yard score in the second.
- Freshman wide receiver Bryce Martinez notched a season-high three receptions for 63 yards including consecutive catches of 22 and 37 yards on the game winning drive.
- Sophomore Vincent Johnson led the MSU rushing attack for the third straight week running for 62 yards on 16 carries.
- Johnson's 11-yard scoring run in the first quarter was his 14th touchdown of the season. He has accounted for points in each game this season.
- The Mustangs were held to a season-low 115 rushing yards.
- MSU converted just 2-of-16 third downs but were 4-of-4 on fourth down.
- The MSU defense held Angelo State to 94 total yards in the first half.
- ASU's Josh Stevens ran for 109 yards on 22 carries as the Mustangs allowed an opposing running back to go over the century mark for the fourth straight week.
- The MSU defense limited Angelo State to 129 passing which were the fewest since giving up 66 to Colorado State Pueblo in last season's playoffs.
- Sophomore safety Sir'Vell Ford led the defense with 11 tackles including seven solo stops.
- Senior rover Jordan Meyers logged a season-high seven tackles with a 1.5 for loss, two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry.
- Sophomore defensive end Cameron McEnturff recorded his team-best third sack.
 
OFFENSIVE TEAM NOTES
- Midwestern State boasts the No. 2 rushing attack in the Lone Star Conference and 38th in NCAA Division II with 194.7 yards per game on the ground.
-MSU had a string of four consecutive 200-yard rushing performances snapped against Angelo State last week.
- The Mustangs rank second in the league and 25th nationally in tackles for loss allowed at 4.83.
- MSU's passing attack has produced at least 200 yards in five of six outings this season, but is making big plays going for 13.93 yards per completion which ranks second in the LSC and 44th in NCAA II.
- MSU has produced 436.2 yards of total offense per game ranking 46th in NCAA Division II and third in the LSC.
- Three different rushers -- Vincent Johnson (2), Adrian Seales (1) and Quade Coward (1) have ran for 100 yards in a game for MSU this season.
 
DEFENSIVE TEAM NOTES
- Midwestern State boasts the top Red Zone defense in the Lone Star Conference as the Mustangs have permitted touchdowns on just 12-of-28 (42.9 percent) of opponent trips inside the 20-yard line yielding 3.7 points per trip.
- Three of MSU's five interceptions this season have come in the end zone.
- MSU has yielded 400-or-more yards of total offense in four games after holding Truman State to 255 yards in the season opener.
- The Mustangs have produced 42 points off of 13 turnovers this season, but has not scored a point off of a turnover in each of the last two weeks.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
- Midwestern State ranks seventh in the LSC and 107th in NCAA Division II in kickoff returns at 19.73 yards per return, while second in the LSC and ranking eighth nationally in kick return defense giving up 16.28 yards per return.
- MSU also leads the LSC with two blocked punts, but have also permitted two blocked punts to knock down the net punting average to 30.82 yards per punt.
 
UP NEXT
Midwestern State plays host to UT-Permian Basin for Homecoming next Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.