Midwestern State vs. UT-Permian Basin
Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016 | 7 p.m.
Memorial Stadium | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: Midwestern State (6-1, 5-1 LSC); UT-Permian Basin (2-6, 0-6 LSC)
Radio: ESPN 95.5
Watch: Mustangs Digital Network 
Listen: Mustangs Digital Network 
Live Stats: MSUMustangs.com 
 
SETTING THE STAGE
No. 13 Midwestern State plays host to UT-Permian Basin for Homecoming Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
 
HALL OF HONOR
- Midwestern State inducts three all-time greats into its Hall of Honor during Homecoming ceremonies at halftime Saturday night.
- Megan Dodson (2002-05/Women's Soccer) was a two-time All-Lone Star Conference selection and freshman of the year in 2002. She netted 20 goals and five assists during her sophomore campaign as her 45 points are still the single season standard for MSU.
- Dominic Rhodes (1999-00/Football) rushed for 2,541 yards in two seasons earning third-team Don Hansen Football Gazette All-America honors as a senior. He played nine seasons in the NFL primarily with the Indianapolis Colts where he ran for undrafted free agent rookie record 1,104 yard in just nine games. Rhodes rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown in helping the Colts to a 29-17 win over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.
- Brittany Willson (2004-06/Softball) is the cornerstone of the MSU softball program. The Lone Star Conference all-time wins leader (93) became the school first softball All-American leading Midwestern to three NCAA postseason appearances and its first conference title in 2006. Willson was twice named the LSC Pitcher of the Year and was a three-time all-league performer.
 
FOR STARTERS
- Midwestern State is out for its eight consecutive Homecoming win Saturday against UT-Permian Basin.
- The Mustangs have scored at least 30 points in each of its last eight Homecoming games.
- MSU hasn't lost consecutive regular season games since 2014.
- The Mustangs have won 34 of their last 37 regular season games at Memorial Stadium.
 
MSU'S HOMECOMING GAME FACE
- Midwestern State reeled off wins in each of its last seven Homecoming contests after taking a 37-16 loss to Tarleton State on Oct. 11, 2008.
- The Mustangs have won 12 out of 13 games on Homecoming dating back to the 2002 season and are 12-2 under head coach Bill Maskill.
- The Mustangs are scoring 40.6 points per game for Homecoming games since the start of the Bill Maskill era with an average margin of victory of 13.9 points.
- MSU has enjoyed two of the biggest blowouts in school history on Homecoming weekend beating Texas A&M-Kingsville 73-6 on Oct. 20, 2007 and Abilene Christian 70-28 on Oct. 22, 2011.
 
ABOUT THE SERIES
- Midwestern State meets UT-Permian Basin for the first time on the gridiron Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.
- UTPB announced its intent to add football for the 2016 season on Oct. 15, 2014.
- Football was added as the 16th sport for an athletic program which supports eight men's and eight women's programs.
- MSU and UTPB have competed in 13 of the 16 programs.
- The Mustangs own a 40-6-1 combined edge over UTPB in men's basketball (2-1), men's soccer (6-0), men's tennis (3-0), women's basketball (5-0), women's soccer (5-0-1), softball (6-0), women's tennis (3-1) and volleyball (10-4).
- The programs also compete in golf and cross country.
 
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
- UT-Permian Basin are on a six-game skid since opening the campaign with a pair of wins over non-NCAA competition with victories over Sul Ross State (27-6) and Arizona Christian (49-34).
- UT-Permian has suffered an average margin of defeat of 33.8 points during six Lone Star Conference losses, but were within four points of Oklahoma Panhandle State last week with less than five minutes to play.
- The Falcons show 15 of 22 starters on the 2-deep as freshmen.
- UT-Permian Basin is the least penalized team in the LSC drawing 5.25 penalties per game for 46 yards.
- UTPB ranks last in the LSC yielding 500.8 yards per game, but is second in the league and 14th nationally racking up 9.1 tackles for loss per game.
- The Falcons boast four of the Top 10 tacklers in the LSC including freshman linebacker Chris Hoad (11.4/2nd), freshman linebacker Emilio Solis (9.1/4th), freshman safety Diameon Brewer (8.6/6th) and freshman safety Montique Coles (7.5/10th).
- Freshman quarterback Kameron Mathis leads the offense passing for 1,181 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. He connected on 27-of-49 passes for 322 yards and four touchdowns last week against Oklahoma Panhandle State.
- Freshman Brandon Infiesto leads the rushing attack with 562 yards and four touchdowns. The 5-9, 185-pounder boasts a pair of 100-yard outings including a season-high 143 yards against Tarleton State.
- Former Midwestern State assistant coach Justin Carrigan guides the first-year program after also spending time at UTEP and Tarleton State. He played collegiately at Angelo State.
 
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 117-44 record (.727).  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 130-52 overall record (.714) and led Southeast Missouri State to a 1988 MIAA co-championship.
 
MASTERFUL AT MEMORIAL
- Since Bill Maskill took over the reins of the MSU football program in 2002, the Mustangs have compiled a 63-14 record at Memorial Stadium - good for an impressive .818 winning percentage.
- MSU has a 97-51 overall record in its 26th season playing home contests at Memorial Stadium.
- The Mustangs are 70-16 (.814) at home since 2000.
- MSU has won 34 of its last 37 regular season games at Memorial Stadium dating back to the 2008 season.
 
ABOUT THE STREAK
- MSU had its six-game winning streak snapped at West Texas A&M last week. It matched the seventh longest streak in program history.
- 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).
 
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 are at Sul Ross State on 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 slipped nine spots to No. 13 in this week's AFCA Division II Top 25.
- The Mustangs have carried a national ranking for each of the last 18 polls dating back to last season.
- The Mustangs fell to No. 11 in this week's D2Football.com rankings.
- MSU is ranked 15th in the Massey Ratings while UT-Permian Basin is 144th.
- The Mustangs are 18th in the Hero Sports Bennett Rankings compared to UT-Permian Basin which is 85th.
- 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 14 games since the start of the 2015 season.
- The Mustangs fell to 11-3 in those games after taking a 35-27 loss at West Texas A&M (10/22). MSU overcame a 21-0 deficit to take a brief 24-21 lead in the third quarter.
- 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 seven 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.
 
THE DEAD ZONE
- Midwestern State ranks fifth in the LSC in Red Zone defense per the NCAA allowing the opponent to score 74.2 percent of the time.
- The Mustangs are second in the LSC in points yielded per Red Zone trip at 4.0.
- The Mustangs have allowed touchdowns on 15 of 31 opponent Red Zone trips this season, but permitted touchdowns one each of West Texas A&M's three trips last week.
 
REWIND: WTAMU 35, MSU 27
- Midwestern State had its six-game winning streak snapped. The streak was the seventh longest in program history.
- It was the fourth time in school history the Mustangs started the season with at least six consecutive wins.
- The 21-point deficit matched the largest MSU has faced in the past two seasons as MSU trailed Texas A&M-Commerce at halftime last season before falling 27-14. The Mustangs are now 6-3 in games in which they trailed by double figures since the start of last season.
- Senior quarterback Quade Coward was limited to 141 passing yards but had three completion nullified by penalty including strikes of 48, 18 and 36 yards totaling 104 yards.
- DeAndre Black's 104 punt return yards were the fourth best in MSU history and the most since BeeJay Mathis rolled up 142 yards on punt returns against Northeastern State (Okla.) in 2007.
* Black's 59-yard punt return in the second quarter was the 10th longest in program history and the longest since Dominique Williams went 60 yards at Texas A&M-Commerce in 2013.
* Senior defensive lineman Darian Childers finished with three tackles for loss including a quarterback sack.
* Sophomore safety Sir'Vell Ford led the defense with nine tackles for the second straight week.
* Sophomore running back Vincent Johnson logged a team-high 81 yards on 17 carries, but did not score a touchdown for the first time this season. It was the fourth consecutive week he led the MSU rushing attack.
* Senior wideout Breion Evans made four receptions for 77 yards.
* Senior place kicker Tanner Graeber connected on field goals of 35 and 26 yards. They were his first makes since hitting the game winner in the second week of the season at Texas A&M-Kingsville.
 
OFFENSIVE TEAM NOTES
- Midwestern State boasts the No. 2 rushing attack in the Lone Star Conference and 35th in NCAA Division II with 194.3 yards per game on the ground.
-MSU had a string of four consecutive 200-yard rushing performances snapped against Angelo State on Oct. 15.
- The Mustangs lead the LSC and rank 21st nationally in tackles for loss allowed at 4.71.
- MSU's passing attack has produced at least 200 yards in five of seven outings this season, but is making big plays going for 13.40 yards per completion which ranks third in the LSC and 57th in NCAA II.
- MSU has produced 422.1 yards of total offense per game ranking 58th in NCAA Division II and fourth 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 15-of-31 (48.4 percent) of opponent trips inside the 20-yard line yielding 4.0 points per trip.
- Three of MSU's six 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 a season low 255 yards in the season opener.
- The Mustangs have produced 49 points off of 12 turnovers this season.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
- Midwestern State ranks seventh in the LSC and 95th in NCAA Division II in kickoff returns at 19.91 yards per return, while second in the LSC and ranking eighth nationally in kick return defense giving up 15.91 yards per return.
- MSU ranks third in the LSC and 25th in NCAA Division II with a 13.80 yards per punt return average, while ranking fourth in the LSC and 52nd nationally allowing 7.2 yards per return.
 
UP NEXT
Midwestern State heads to Stephenville for its final regular season road test against Tarleton State. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.