THE RUNDOWN
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Senior defensive back Paul Manus sacked West Texas A&M quarterback Mitch Hood on a two-point conversion attempt in overtime to clinch a 24-23 victory for No. 16 Midwestern State in the regular season finale at Memorial Stadium.
 
MSU Texas improves to 8-2 overall and 6-2 in Lone Star Conference play. The Mustangs learn their postseason fate Sunday afternoon when the NCAA Division II Football Committee releases the playoff field via video stream on NCAA.com at 4 p.m.
 
Senior quarterback Layton Rabb threw for 258 yards and a score on 20-of-35 passing. Vincent Johnson toted the ball 24 times for 138 yards and a touchdown while Adrian Seales added 74 yards on 14 carries and a score.
 
Sophomore wide receiver Juwan Johnson broke the MSU Texas single season receiving record, eclipsing Bryan Gilmore's mark of 1,139 set in 1999 on a 15-yard catch over the middle with 8:49 to go in the third quarter. Johnson finished with 97 yards on six catches.
 
The Mustangs made the most of their scoring opportunities in the first half. After forcing a three-and-out on WTs first possession, MSU Texas quickly found paydirt. Rabb connected with Jordan Carroll from seven yards out to cap a four-play, 60-yard drive to give the Maroon and Gold a 7-0 edge.
 
The Buffs responded by churning out a seven play, 45-yard drive to tie the game. Brandon Blair scampered around the right-side and broke the plane on a 19-yard tote.
 
MSU Texas rattled off 10 unanswered points to close out the first half. Jaron Imbriani drilled a 29-yard field goal with 4:20 to go in the first quarter before Seales dove into the end zone from a yard out at the 8:20 mark in the second quarter to stretch the lead to 17-7.
 
The Buffs took advantage of a pair of miscues by the Mustangs to pull even in the fourth quarter. Rabb threw an interception that bounced off the hands of the receiver before Weston Holdren returned the pick down to the 21.
 
WT's Michael Shipley converted on a 33-yard field goal with 10:20 to go in regulation to pull within a score, down 17-10.
 
A bad snap on a punt on the ensuing MSU Texas possession gave the Buffs the ball at the 30.
 
On fourth and three, WT quarterback Mitch Hood lobbed a jump ball to the back pylon that saw severely underthrown. Defensive back Jaydon Cunigan got two hands on the ball but tipped it straight up. Payton Gonzalez made a diving catch in the corner of the end zone to tie the game at 17.
 
Paul Manus' second interception of the day halted a WT drive with 24 seconds remaining in regulation.
 
Johnson broke into the secondary on a rush up the middle to move the ball to midfield with seven seconds left. Rabb found a streaking Xavier Land behind the defense for a 53-yard pitch and catch, but Land was caught from behind at the 2 as time expired.
 
In overtime, Vincent Johnson plowed into the end zone from three yards out to put all the pressure on the Buffs. Rabb went 3-for-3 in the extra period for 25 yards, connecting with Juwan Johnson twice for 16 yards and nine to Vincent Johnson before the senior bullied his way for the score.
 
West Texas A&M moved the ball down to the 12 before Hood found PJ Leonce over the middle. The Buffs elected to go for the win instead of a second overtime. On the two-point play, Manus drilled Hood on a blitz from the right side to blow up the play and clinch the win for the Maroon and Gold, 24-23.
 
UP NEXT
MSU Texas learns its fate regarding the postseason tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m.