#5 Midwestern State (10-0) vs. #1 Minnesota State (12-0)
NCAA Division II Playoffs (Second Round)
Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017 | Noon
Blakeslee Stadium | Mankato, Minn.
Live Stats: MSUMavericks.com |
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM |
Video: MSUMaverics.com |
Audio: Mustangs Digital Network
HONORING ROBERT GRAYS
- Midwestern State will honor teammate Robert Grays with helmet decals with No. 24. The coaches have embroidered patches with Grays' No. 24, as well.
- The Mustangs retired jersey No. 24 in honor of Robert Grays during halftime festivities of the Tarleton State game on Nov. 4, 2017.
- The MSU Football Letterman's Association purchased Grays' locker in his name. The locker was dedicated with a presentation to the Grays family during halftime against Tarleton State.
- Each of MSU athletic teams will honor Grays in a visual way throughout the 2017-18 academic year.
- The men's and women's soccer teams each intended to halt play in the 24th minute of games on Sept. 21nd and 22nd with a minute long cheer. In the first competition following the incident, MSU senior forward Scott Doney scored in the 24th minute against Rogers State after the crowd spontaneous cheered to halt the game between 24:59 and 24:00 (22nd minute) of the first half then repeated the cheer at the same time in the second half.
- The MSU volleyball squad honors Grays by holding up two fingers on the left hand and four on the right on every Mustangs set point.
- Texas State sophomore linebacker Clifton Lewis, Jr. wore No. 24 in honor of Grays against UTSA. Lewis and Grays were teammates at Hightower High in Missouri City.
- Grays suffered a severe neck injury with 3:24 to play in MSU's 31-13 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville on Sept. 16th and passed away on Sept. 19th.
- The appearance of 24. Grays' injury occurred in the second game in the fourth quarter. The Mustangs allowed 24 points in their first game since the injury in a 35-24 win over Western New Mexico. MSU scored 24 points in its first playoff win in 11 years in a 24-20 victory over Sioux Falls.
MUSTANGS IN THE PLAYOFFS
- Midwestern State makes its ninth overall postseason appearance and eighth since joining NCAA Division II in 1997.
- The Mustangs have advanced to the postseason in each of the last three and six of the last nine seasons. In addition, MSU earned selection to the Kanza Bowl in 2010 during the run.
- The Mustangs advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the fourth time in program history with last weekend's 24-20 win over No. 18 Sioux Falls (S.D.).
- Midwestern advanced to the second round on three previous times earning the top seed in 2011 and 2015 with their lone NCAA playoff win coming 28-26 over Missouri Western in 2006.
- In MSU's previous trips to the second round, the Mustangs fell to Colorado State-Pueblo (26-17) in 2015 at home and to Northwest Missouri State in 2011 (38-31/OT) in Wichita Falls and 2006 (27-0) in Maryville.
- The Mustangs are 2-7 overall in the postseason and 0-4 in playoff games on the road. The losses came at Colorado School of Mines (52-33) in 2004, at Northwest Missouri State (27-0) in 2006, at Indianapolis (31-14) in 2012 and at Ferris State (65-34) in 2016.
- The winner of the Midwestern State/Minnesota State game moves on to face the victor of the Central Washington/Texas A&M-Commerce contest at the site of the highest remaining seed. If Central Washington wins, the Wildcats will host next week. If 6th-seeded Texas A&M-Commerce upsets Central Washington, the Lions will head to either Mankato or Wichita Falls.
HOOF MARKS
- Midwestern State's enjoyed its second unbeaten regular season in program history at 9-0. The Mustangs make their eighth NCAA Division II postseason appearance.
- The Mustangs claimed their second overall NCAA Division II Playoff win by beating No. 18 Sioux Falls (S.D.) 24-20 last week at Memorial Stadium. It was the program's first playoff win since 2017 MSU Athletics Hall of Honor inductee Daniel Polk connected with DelJuan Lee on two scoring strikes over the final 3:41 for a 28-26 victory over No. 15 Missouri Western in the first round of the 2006 Playoffs. Both wins came on Nov. 18th.
- The Mustangs clinched at least a share of its fourth Lone Star Conference title with a 45-42 overtime win against Tarleton State on Nov. 4th then notched their second outright title with a perfect 8-0 run through the league with a 56-43 victory at No. 20 Eastern New Mexico on Nov 11th. MSU also claimed league titles in 2009, 2011 and 2012. Midwestern also ran the league for an outright championship in 2011.
- MSU rolled to a perfect 10-0 regular season mark in 2011 before falling 38-31 in overtime to Northwest Missouri State in the second round of the NCAA D2 Playoffs.
- At 10-0, Midwestern matched the 2011 squad for the best start in program history.
- The Mustangs improved to 4-1 all-time in overtime games with a 45-42 win over Tarleton State on Nov. 4. MSU is a perfect 4-0 in overtime games during the regular season taking wins over Incarnate Word (38-31) in 2010, Texas A&M-Commerce (40-37) in 2014 and at Colorado Mesa (16-13) in 2015. The Mustangs' lone OT loss came in the second round of the 2011 NCAA Division II Playoffs against Northwest Missouri State (38-31).
- Midwestern State's 58-point win over UT Permian Basin matched the fourth biggest victory margin since the start of the 1988 season. It was second-best margin of victory in a road game and biggest since MSU pounded Western New Mexico 82-6 on Oct. 13, 2001.
- It's the third time since Midwestern brought back football in 1988 that an MSU team posted three wins by 40-or-more points in the same season – 53-6 over Quincy (8/31), 45-3 over West Texas A&M (10/21) and 66-8 over UT Permian Basin (10/28). The 2011 Mustangs accomplished the task four times, while the 2009 squad won by 40 on three occasions.
- Midwestern State put up 40-or-more points in six consecutive games for the second time in program history including wins over Texas A&M-Commerce (47-42 on 10/7), Angelo State (41-27 on 10/14), West Texas A&M (45-3 on 10/21), UT Permian Basin (66-8 on 10/28), Tarleton State (45-42 on 11/4) and Eastern New Mexico (56-43 on 11/11). The run was snapped in MSU's 24-20 win over Sioux Falls in the opening round of the playoffs. The 2011 squad scored 40-or-more in the first eight games of the season.
- The Mustangs are one of five remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA Division II. Three of those are in Super Region Four including top-seed Central Washington (11-0), No. 2-seed Minnesota State (12-0) and MSU. The others? Fort Hays State (11-0) and Indiana (Pa.) (11-0).
- MSU improved to 104-33 (.759) against Lone Star Conference opponents since the start of the Bill Maskill era (2002) with last week's 56-43 win at Eastern New Mexico.
- MSU has started the season with at least five consecutive victories in six of the last 12 years dating back to the start of the 2006 season.
- Midwestern State used its home field dominance at Memorial Stadium to roll off four straight wins to start this season before beating Angelo State on the road. The Mustangs finished the 2017 regular season at 6-0 at home. The Mustangs own a 72-15 mark (.828) on the home field since the start of the Bill Maskill era in 2002 and are 17-2 (.895) since start of 2015 season.
- The Mustangs capped off a 3-0 September with a 35-24 win over Western New Mexico on Sept. 30th. MSU is 49-9 (.845) during the month of September during the Bill Maskill era (since 2002) and sport records of 50-21 (.704) in October and 25-15 (.625) in November.
- Midwestern played a nine-game regular season slate in 2017 after its Sept. 9th matchup at West Florida was cancelled due to the threat of Hurricane Irma. West Florida – the sixth seed in Super Region two – defeated Wingate (N.C.) 31-0 in the first round of the playoffs last week. The Argos are at No. 7 West Georgia in the second round.
- MSU finished the regular season ranked No. 5 in the American Football Coaches' Association Division II Poll. The No. 4 ranking over the previous three weeks matched the Mustangs' highest ranking since spending two weeks at No. 4 on Oct. 10 and 17, 2016. Midwestern reached No. 2 in the final poll of the 2011 season.
- The Mustangs were No. 5 in the final regular season D2Football.com rankings.
- MSU moved up two spots to 13th in the Massey Rankings. This week's opponent – Minnesota State – is 20th. The Massey Rankings favor the Mustangs by 1.5 points in Saturday's game.
- MSU improved to 13-2 during the regular season versus opponents ranked in the AFCA Top 25 since the start of the 2011 season with a 56-43 win over No. 20 Eastern New Mexico on Nov. 11th. Eight of MSU's 13 wins over teams rated in the AFCA Top 25 were higher ranked. The Mustangs defeated then-No. 2 Texas A&M-Commerce 47-42 earlier this season. It was the highest ranked opponent MSU ever took down. Other top wins came against No. 9 Abilene Christian (70-28) in 2011, No. 8 West Alabama (45-21) in 2013, No. 6 Angelo State (29-20) in 2015 and No. 4 Texas A&M-Commerce (26-25) in 2016. The two losses came at the hands of No. 25 West Texas A&M (19-12) in 2013 and No. 11 Texas A&M-Commerce (27-14) in 2015.
- MSU's 47-42 win over No. 2 Texas A&M-Commerce came against the highest ranked opposition in program history. The Mustangs previously fell to No. 2 Northwest Missouri (27-0) in the 2006 NCAA playoffs and to No. 2 Abilene Christian (47-17) in 2008. Midwestern has never faced a team ranked No. 1.
- Midwestern State was picked to finish second in the Lone Star Conference heading into the 2017 season behind Texas A&M-Commerce. The Mustangs have finished second or better seven of the last nine seasons including this season with league titles in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2017.
- Bill Maskill is in his 18th season as a head coach and 16th 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, 2015 and 2016 seasons while amassing a 129-46 record (.737). He was named LSC Coach of the Year in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2017, and was the AFCA Regional Coach of the Year in 2011. In all, Maskill has coached 23 All-Americans, 51 all-region selections and 66 All-Lone Star Conference first teamers in his 16 seasons in Wichita Falls.
- Maskill's 129 wins account for 54.7 percent of MSU's all-time victories on the gridiron.
- Midwestern State clinched its 18th consecutive winning season with a 41-27 win at Angelo State on Oct. 14th. In the State of Texas, the streak is matched only by defending NCAA Division III national champion Mary Hardin Baylor, which also clinched its 18th straight winning ledger. The top-ranked Cru is also unbeaten at 11-0 this season after beating Chapman University 50-6 in the opening round of the playoff last week.
- Midwestern State was won 20 more games than any other LSC member since the start of the 2000 season. That's an average of 7.8 wins per season for an overall mark of 143-54 (.726). The Mustangs are trailed by West Texas A&M (123-89, .580), Tarleton State (121-76, .614), Texas A&M-Kingsville (102-92, .526), Texas A&M-Commerce (93-101, .479), Angelo State (89-104, .461) and Eastern New Mexico (80-99, .447). ENMU vacated 15 wins from 2008-12 due to infractions.
- Midwestern State boasts two alumni in the NFL as Amini Silatolu (taken by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft) and Marqui Christian (taken in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft) both made opening day rosters. Silatolu is a reserve lineman making his return with the Panthers this season. He was a consensus All-America pick for the Mustangs in 2011. Christian serves as a reserve safety for the Los Angeles Rams. He was a first-team All American claiming the Cliff Harris Award as the nation's top small college defender in 2015.
- The Mustangs' tradition of O-Line Pride has produced six of the last eight Lone Star Conference Offensive Linemen of the Year including Amini Silatolu (2010, 2011), Ken Van Heule (2012), Shadow Stokes (2014), Alfredo Moreno (2015) and D2 Rimington Award winner Akoakoa Paleka-Kennedy in 2016. Texas A&M-Commerce senior right tackle Jared Machorro was given the award this season.
- Senior left guard Islam Sbeih earned nomination for the Gene Upshaw Award which is presented to the best offensive or defensive lineman in NCAA Division II.
- Junior quarterback Layton Rabb gained nomination for the Harlon Hill Trophy presented to the nation's top Division II player.
- Midwestern State coach Bill Maskill earned Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year honors for the fifth time this season. He also claimed the league's top coaching honor in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015.
- MSU placed five student-athletes on the All-Lone Star Conference first team which three from the No. 6 offense in all of Division II, one defensive player and a special teamer. Senior left guard Islam Sbeih and junior center A.J. Roland joined junior running back Adrian Seales as offensive honorees. Junior safety Josh Wydermyer earned defensive honors, while senior long snapper Bobby Joe Nielsen also garnered top honors.
- All-LSC second teamers include: junior guard Kevin Fisher; junior tackle John Rowell; senior tight end Dorian Johnson; senior wide receiver DeAndre Black; junior quarterback Layton Rabb; junior running back Vincent Johnson; junior defensive end Alec DiValerio; sophomore cornerback DaMarcus Wilson and junior safety Sir'Vell Ford.
- Redshirt-freshman offensive tackle Caleb Brown; senior wide receiver D.J. Myers; senior linebacker Jacob Sherrill and senior punter Mitchell Henton gained All-LSC honorable mention.
- Senior linebacker Jacob Sherrill became the first MSU football player since Tyler Maner in 2011 to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors with a 3.97 grade-point average in respiratory care.
- Sherrill and junior quarterback Layton Rabb earned Lone Star Conference All-Academic Team honors.
AGAINST THE MAVERICKS
- Midwestern State and Minnesota State meet for the first time on the gridiron Saturday afternoon at Blakeslee Stadium in Mankato, Minn.
- For the second straight week, the Mustangs take on an opponent from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Prior to this year's playoffs, MSU had never faced a Northern Sun opponent. Midwestern defeated Sioux Falls 24-20 in the first round of the playoffs last week
- This is the first year the two conferences competed in the same region as Lone Star Conference and NSIC were matched up with the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC).
- Minnesota State claimed Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship in five of the last seven seasons (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017).
- Making their sixth NCAA Division II playoff appearance, the Mavericks have posted a 6-5 record including a national semifinal run in 2012 before advancing to the 2014 national title game – a 13-0 loss to Colorado State-Pueblo.
- Minnesota State boasts a 78-19 record (.804) under eighth-year head coach Todd Hoffner.
- The Mavericks boast the nation's No. 5 total defense allowing 266.4 yards per game. Minnesota State 71.9 rushing yards per game (4th in NCAA D2) and 194.5 passing yards per game (62nd in NCAA D2).
- Minnesota State possesses the No. 3 rushing attack in NCAA D2 behind triple option attacks Harding (Ark.) and Eastern New Mexico rolling up 280.4 yards per game.
- The Mavericks are riding a 14-game winning streak dating back to a 24-14 loss to Sioux Falls on Oct. 29, 2016 at Blakeslee Field in Mankato.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
- Midwestern State bring the Lone Star Conference's top-ranked offense into Saturday's game against Minnesota State. MSU ranks sixth in NCAA Division II piling up 503.1 yards per game including 190.3 rushing yards (42nd in NCAA D2/2nd in the LSC) and 312.8 passing yards (10th in NCAA D2/3rd in the LSC).
- The Mustangs boast the top scoring offense in the Lone Star Conference averaging 44.7 points per game which rates seventh nationally.
- Midwestern State is second in NCAA Division II in fewest turnovers with eight through 10 games this season. The Mustangs had turned the ball over just one time in the previous five weeks before giving up two interceptions to Tarleton State on Nov. 4th. The Mustangs did not turn the ball over in its final game of the regular season at Eastern New Mexico on Nov. 11th before giving up one last week against Sioux Falls.
- The Mustangs have rolled up more than 500 yards of total offense in each of the last four weeks going for 521 in a weather-shortened game against West Texas A&M, 667 versus UT Permian Basin, 575 against Tarleton State and 560 at Eastern New Mexico.
- MSU put up back-to-back 400-yard passing games for the first time in program history throwing for 433 against Tarleton State on Nov. 4th and 424 at UT Permian Basin on Oct. 28th. That represents two of the four 400-yard days in program history. The others: 446 against West Texas A&M (10/12/02) and 414 versus Southwestern Oklahoma (11/10/01).
- MSU's 667 yards of total yards of offense against UT Permian Basin on Oct. 28th were ninth most in a single game in program history. It was the second time the Mustangs amassed 600 yards this season.
- Three quarterbacks combined for a school single-game record seven touchdown passes in MSU's 66-8 win over UT Permian Basin on Oct. 28th. Quarterbacks Layton Rabb, Javin Kilgo and Hagen Hutchinson combined for 424 passing yards -- the second most in a single game in program history and most since MSU put up 446 against West Texas A&M on Oct. 12, 2002.
- Senior signal caller Layton Rabb continued his impressive run as a starting quarterback for the Mustangs matching Zack Eskridge's single-game record of six touchdown passes while connecting on 29-of-47 passes for 393 yards in a 56-43 win at No. 20 Eastern New Mexico on Nov. 11th to earn his third Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week award.
- Rabb fought 30-40 mile-per-hour gust to connect on 23-of-40 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns in MSU's first playoff win in 11 years with a 24-20 victory over Sioux Falls on Nov. 18th.
- Rabb set a school record with 433 passing on yards on 26-of-45 throwing with three touchdowns in a 45-42 overtime win against Tarleton State on Nov. 4th.
- Rabb completed 16-of-23 passes for 280 yards and five touchdowns in two quarters and a possession in a 66-8 win over UT Permian Basin.
- Rabb became the third quarterback in school history to complete five touchdown passes in a single game against UTPB (10/28) joining Zack Eskridge, who had six against Eastern New Mexico on Nov. 1, 2008 and Phillip Boggs, who had five at Northeastern State on Sept. 28, 2002
- Rabb connected on 23-of-31 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-3 win over West Texas A&M on Oct. 21st.
- Rabb completed a career-high 32-of-45 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-27 win over Angelo State on Oct. 14th.
- Rabb had a career-best 332 yards of total offense in leading the Mustangs to a 47-42 win over No. 2 Texas A&M-Commerce on Oct. 7th. Rabb completed 16-of-28 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for a career-best 67 yards on nine carries.
- Rabb passed for a career-high 326 yards on 20-of-31 passing with two touchdowns in a 35-24 win over Western New Mexico on Sept. 30. It was Rabb's second consecutive game with at least 200 passing yards and it was the biggest passing day by an MSU quarterback since Zack Eskridge threw for 356 yards at Eastern New Mexico on Oct. 31, 2009.
- Rabb's 32 completions against Angelo State were tied for the third most in a season game in MSU program history and were the most since Zack Eskridge had 34 completions in a 38-33 loss at Central Oklahoma on Oct. 25, 2008.
- Rabb's 45 pass attempts versus Angelo State were the sixth most in program history and most since Eskridge threw the ball 47 times at Central Oklahoma in 2008. He also had 45 attempts against Tarleton State.
- Rabb ranks second in the LSC and is 10th nationally with a pass efficiency rating of 163.9. He is second in the league and 30th nationally in passing yards per completion (13.63) and third in the LSC and 15th in NCAA D2 with 284.9 passing yards per game. The 284.9 passing yards per game is the highest single season average in program history.
- Junior running back Adrian Seales ranks second in the LSC in rushing yards per game (92.2/47th in NCAA D2) and leads the league in rushing yards per carry (7.22/8th in NCAA D2). He is also sixth in the league and 141st nationally with 96.78 all-purpose yards per game.
- Seales has been stopped for a loss of yards four times in 115 rushing attempts this season.
- Seales notched the fourth best individual rushing game in school history finishing the night with 243 yards on 17 carries and one touchdown in the season opener against Quincy. Seales' performance stands as the fifth-best rushing day this season in NCAA II. The performance was his fourth 100-yard effort of his career. He followed with 83 yards on 13 carries against Texas A&M-Kingsville and 86 yards on 19 carries versus Western New Mexico.
- Former All-America quarterback Daniel Polk is the only player in program history to run for more yards in a game going for 290 against Abilene Christian in 2007, 259 versus Southeastern Oklahoma in 2006 and 244 at Eastern New Mexico in 2005. That means a runner wearing MSU's No. 5 jersey has accounted for the top four rushing efforts in program history as Polk also wore the number.
- Seales moved to 14th on MSU's all-time rushing list in MSU's win over Sioux Falls (11/18) and now has 1,529 rushing yards. He needs 62 yards to pass Phillip Boggs (1,590 yards/1999-03) into 13th.
- Seales logged his fifth career 100-yard game going for 117 yards with two touchdowns including a career long jaunt of 81 yards against Eastern New Mexico on Nov. 11th.
- Junior running back Vincent Johnson ranks fifth in the LSC and 100th in NCAA D2 rushing with 71.7 rushing yards a game and continues to find the end zone at a record setting clip. He scored three touchdowns in the season opener against Quincy, had two more in a win over Texas A&M-Kingsville then scored another against Western New Mexico before rushing for three in a win over No. 2 Texas A&M-Commerce and going for four more against Angelo State. Johnson added another multiple-score game by rushing for two more touchdowns against Tarleton State.
- Johnson has accounted for multiple rushing touchdowns in 14 games in his career turning the task two times as a freshman in 2015, seven times in 2016 and five times this season.
- Johnson moved past former All-America Brandon Kelsey on MSU's all-time rushing touchdowns list with his touchdown against Western New Mexico and now has 41. He trails Keidrick Jackson (61 TD/2010-13) and Daniel Polk (44 TD/2004-07). With 246 points, Johnson stands fourth on MSU's all-time scoring list behind Keidrick Jackson (372/2010-13), Jose Martinez (291/2007-10) and Daniel Polk (266/2004-07).
- Johnson is 7th on MSU's all-time rushing list with 2,050 career rushing yards. He needs 107 yards to pass Brandon Kelsey (2,156 yards/2009-12) into sixth.
- Johnson has accounted for two 100-yard rushing games this season going for 136 yards on seven carries with three TDs in the season opener against Quincy. He ran for 133 yards and three more scores in a 47-42 victory over No. 2 Texas A&M-Commerce. Johnson has five career 100-yard rushing efforts.
- Sophomore wide receiver Tyrique Edwards exploded for the 10th-best receiving day in school history with 163 yards on eight receptions against Tarleton State.
- Edwards added his second 100-yard receiving day of the season snagging seven balls for 104 yards including 54-yard touchdown in MSU's 24-20 win over Sioux Falls on Nov. 18th.
- Edwards enjoyed a breakout performance catching a career-high seven passes for 94 yards including a 23-yard touchdown against Texas A&M-Commerce then had six catches for 55 yards and another score at Angelo State.
- Edwards leads the MSU receiving corps with 45 catches and 669 receiving yards ranking 5th in the LSC at 66.9 receiving yards per game (71st in NCAA D2). He also has a team-high six touchdown catches this year.
- Senior wide receiver DeAndre Black's career-high 177 receiving yards against UT Permian Basin are the sixth most in a single game in MSU history and the most since David Little had 181 receiving yards against Incarnate Word on Oct. 2, 2010.
- Each of Black's seven receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns against UT Permian Basin (10/28) all came in the first half.
- Black's 94-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against UT Permian Basin was the second longest reception in school history and the longest since Jake Glover connected with Vernon Johnson for 99 yards in a 70-28 win over No. 9 Abilene Christian on Oct. 22, 2011.
- Black boasts four consecutive 60-yard performance making five catches for 72 yards against Angelo State before going for four catches for 70 yards versus West Texas A&M. Following his big game versus UT Permian Basin, he had two catches for 64 yards including 53-yard TD.
- Black is second on the team with 26 receptions for 488 yards and four touchdowns. He ranks ninth in the LSC with 61 receiving yards per game.
- Senior D.J. Myers set career highs with eight receptions for 149 yards including a 72-yard touchdown in a 45-3 win over West Texas A&M on Oct. 21st. It was his second 100-yard receiving performance of the season.
- Myers exploded for four catches for 130 yards including a 54-yard TD reception against Western New Mexico then had six catches for 70 yards and a TD against Angelo State.
- Myers' 149 receiving yards versus West Texas A&M were the 13th most in a single game in school history and most since David Little caught 14 passes for 181 yards against Incarnate Word on Oct. 2, 2010.
- Myers is the Mustangs' third leading receiver with 30 receptions for 493 yards and five touchdowns. Myers averages 16.4 yards per catch and ranks 10th in the LSC with 54.8 receiving yards per game.
- Sophomore wide receiver Xavier Land snagged his first collegiate touchdown on a 22-yard corner route against Texas A&M-Commerce and added another on a 14-yard crossing route against West Texas A&M. Land has made 33 catches for 298 yards and four touchdowns this season.
- Land grabbed a career-high nine receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns in a win at Eastern New Mexico on Nov. 11th.
- Land has logged 16 receptions over his past two games for 119 yards and three touchdowns.
- Land is second on the team with 40 catches for 334 yards and five touchdowns.
- Freshman Tyler Milliken caught five passes for 110 yards and three touchdowns -- all in the second half against UT Permian Basin (10/28). Milliken became just the sixth MSU receiver to catch three touchdowns in a single game and the first since Edgard Thelier had three TDs against Abilene Christian on Oct. 22, 2011. He added a third TD reception on a 24-yard catch against Tarleton State.
- Milliken added another 100-yard receiving performance in his first collegiate start at Eastern New Mexico on Nov. 11th. He snagged seven passes for 121 yards against the Greyhounds.
- Senior wide receiver Brandon Sampson caught a season-best eight balls for 64 yards against Angelo State.
- Six different Midwestern State receivers have at least 18 receptions this season and eight different receivers have scored touchdowns.
- The Mustangs have been great in the Red Zone scoring on 40 of their 42 excursions with 35 touchdowns. That's the third best Red Zone offense in NCAA Division II and tops in the Lone Star Conference.
- Behind the starting offensive line of John Rowell (LT), Islam Sbeih (LG), A.J. Roland (C), Kevin Fisher (RG) and Caleb Brown (RT), MSU have permitted a tops in the nation 2.90 tackles for loss through nine games this season. The group is 8th nationally and tops in the LSC allowing 0.70 quarterback sacks per game.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
- Midwestern State boasts the LSC's third-best scoring defense while ranking 53rd in NCAA Division II allowing 22.8 points per game.
- The Mustangs rate seventh in the LSC in total defense allowing 426.1 yards per game including 178 rushing yards (8th in LSC/107th in D2) and 248.1 passing yards (4th in LSC/140th in D2).
- MSU rates second in the LSC and 10th in NCAA D2 in the Red Zone allowing 22 touchdowns and 29 total scores in 44 opponent opportunities inside the 20 (66 percent).
- The Mustangs held two of their 10 opponents to fewer than 300 yards limiting Quincy (Ill.) to 246 yards in the opener on Aug. 31st and West Texas A&M to 228 yards on Oct. 21st.
- The 228 yards by West Texas A&M were the fewest allowed by an MSU defense since Truman State managed 171 yards on Sept. 5, 2015.
- Midwestern State ranks third in NCAA Division II in turnover margin at 15. The Mustangs have scored 102 points off of 23 turnovers while the opposition has scored just 7 points on eight MSU miscues.
- Senior safety Sir'Vell Ford became the third player in MSU program history to make 20 tackles in the Mustangs' 24-20 win over Sioux Falls in the opening round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. His even-total of 20 stops trails only Corby Walker (24 tackles vs. Southwestern (Kan.) in 1995) and matches former teammate Daniel Laudermilk, who had 20 against Eastern New Mexico in 2015.
- Ford, who had 16 tackles and five solo stops in the regular season finale at Eastern New Mexico, leads the Mustangs with 77 tackles this season.
- Junior linebacker Drew Bolin earned LSC Defensive Player of the Week honors making four tackles and a sack while playing 13 snaps in 45-3 win over West Texas A&M on Oct. 21st.
- Sophomore Kevin Hayes claimed Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors after making two interceptions, breaking up two more passes, forcing and recovering a fumble and had a season-high seven tackles in a 41-27 win at Angelo State on Oct. 14th.
- Sophomore Marcus Wilkerson ripped the ball away from Carandal Hale in the third quarter and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown in a 47-42 win over Texas A&M-Commerce on Oct. 7th. It was his second defensive score of the season to go along with a 49-yard interception return in the season opener against Quincy (Ill.).
- Sophomore DaMarcus Wilson made a season-high seven tackles with an interception and a pass breakup against Texas A&M-Commerce. Wilson is second in the Lone Star Conference and is 81st in NCAA D2 with three interceptions this season (0.3 per game). Wilson leads the LSC and 11th nationally with 1.6 passes defended a contest.
- Junior safety Josh Wydermyer amassed a career high with 14 tackles in a win at Eastern New Mexico on Nov. 11th to better previous best he matched with 13 tackles earlier this season at Angelo State. He ranks second on the Mustangs with 73 tackles this season including 35 solo stops.
- Up front, the Mustangs rank fourth in the LSC and 53rd in NCAA D2 in quarterback sacks at 2.40 per game getting 4.0 from junior Alec DiValerio and senior Deandra Stevenson, 3.5 by senior Semaj Robinson and 2.0 from senior Jacob Sherrill and sophomores Tristan Shearman and Travon Ransom. Freshman A.J. Gulley has 1.5 sacks, while juniors Paul Manus, Drew Bolin and Nathaniel Nicolas along with sophomore Zach Edwards have one each.
- Through 10 games, seven different defenders have recorded at least 40 tackles for MSU led by junior safety Sir'Vell Ford with 77. Other players with at least 40 tackles include junior safety Josh Wydermyer (73), sophomore linebacker Tristan Shearman (50), senior linebacker Jacob Sherrill (48), senior rover Steven Rogers (45), sophomore cornerback DaMarcus Wilson (41) and junior defensive lineman Alec DiValerio (40)).
- The MSU defense ranks sixth in the LSC and 89th nationally with 6.2 tackles for loss a game led by junior Alec DiValerio (8.0/39 yards), senior Semaj Robinson (6.5/29 yards) and senior defensive lineman Deandra Stevenson (5.0/18 yards).
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
- Senior Mitchell Henton ranks third in the Lone Star Conference and 40th in NCAA Division II averaging 39.9 yards on 36 punts this season. He boasts seven punts of 50-or-more yards including a career-best 71-yard effort against Sioux Falls. Henton has placed 10 punts inside the 20 and forced 10 fair catches.
- Behind Henton's efforts, the Mustangs rate fourth in the Lone Star Conference and 45th in NCAA Division II in net punting at 35.14 yards per attempt.
- Henton was 15-for-17 on point-after tries over the last two games since taking over for the injured Jaron Imbriani.
- Sophomore kicker Jaron Imbriani missed three games due to injury. He has connected on 37-of-40 point-after tries and is 5-for-6 on field goal tries this season including a 30-yarder against Quincy (Ill.) in the season opener, a 21-yarder against West Texas A&M on Oct. 21st, a 29-yard make at UT Permian Basin on Oct. 28th and a 24-yarder against Sioux Falls on Nov. 18th.
- Imbriani booted a game-winning 21-yard field goal in overtime to lift MSU to a 45-42 win over Tarleton State on Nov. 4th.
- Imbriani was a perfect 9-for-9 on PATs in MSU's 66-8 win over UT Permian Basin (10/28) which was one shy of the most in a single game of 10 held by Kristian Foster at Northeastern State in 2006 and Tanner Graeber last season against UT Permian Basin.
- Imbriani's 12 kicking points against UT Permian Basin -- nine extra points and a 29-yard field goal -- are tied for the sixth most in a single game in program history and most since Greg Saladino had 14 at Angelo State on Oct. 15, 2011.
- Imbriani is averaging 52.0 yards on 49 kickoffs with 11 touchbacks over seven games this season.
- Sophomore Tyrique Edwards has taken over punt returning duties in the last two weeks. He averages 11.7 yards on three returns including a team-long 32 yards against Eastern New Mexico.
-- MSUMustangs.com --
