#7 Midwestern State at UT Permian Basin
MSU Texas 2-0, UTPB 0-2
Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 | 6 p.m.
Ratliff Stadium | Odessa, Texas
Live Stats: UTPBFalcons.com |
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM |
Video: UTPBFalcons.com |
Audio: Mustangs Digital Network
HOOF MARKS
- Midwestern State opens Lone Star Conference play Saturday at UT Permian Basin. It will be the Mustangs' first trip to Odessa to play in the famed Ratliff Stadium. It will, however be the second straight year, the Mustangs face UT Permian Basin on the road as MSU rolled to a 66-8 win last season at Grande Communications Stadium in Midland.
- MSU Texas can start its fifth consecutive season with at least three straight wins with victory over UT Permian Basin. That Mustangs have gone to 3-0 in 11 of Bill Maskill's 16 seasons at the helm.
- Speaking of Maskill, Midwestern State's game against UT Permian Basin will be his 200th as head ball coach. Maskill sports a 144-55 overall record (.724) including a 131-47 mark (.736) at MSU Texas. He was 13-8 in two seasons at Southeast Missouri State (1988-89).
- Midwestern State meets UT Permian Basin for the third time on the gridiron Saturday night Ratliff Stadium. The Mustangs rolled to a 76-21 win in the first meeting on Oct. 29, 2016 in Wichita Falls, then whipped the Falcons 66-8 on Oct. 27, 2017 at Grande Communications Stadium in Odessa. The composite first half score of the two games favored the Mustangs, 94-13.
- UT Permian Basin plays its home opener Saturday night against Midwestern State. The Falcons are coming off of a pair or road losses falling 26-16 at Texas Southern and 27-22 at Northern Michigan. Texas Southern (2-9) and Northern Michigan (1-9) combined for three wins in 2017.
- The Mustangs moved up to No. 7 in the latest American Football Coaches' Association Top 25 this week. Midwestern received a first-place vote in the AFCA Top 25 for the third time in program history. The other two occasions came in the final two weeks of the 2011 season. MSU Texas has carried a national ranking for the last 39 reporting periods and has been ranked in at least one poll in each season dating back to 2006.
- The Mustangs are sixth in the D2Football.com Top 25.
- Midwestern State was won 21 more games than any other LSC member since the start of the 2000 season. That's an average of 7.9 wins per season for an overall mark of 145-55 (.725). The Mustangs are trailed by West Texas A&M (124-90, .579), Tarleton State (122-77, .613) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (103-93, .526).
- Bill Maskill enters his 17th season at the helm of Midwestern State football. As the program's all-time wins leader, his 131 victories account for 55.0 percent of MSU's total wins as a four-year program. He earned Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2017. Maskill boasts a total career record of 144-55 (.724) through 18 seasons which includes a two-year run at Southeast Missouri State (1988-89). Maskill boasts a 131-47 overall mark (.736) at MSU Texas.
- The Mustangs have five graduate student-athletes on the roster including senior defensive end Alec DiValerio (Exercise Physiology), senior defensive end D.J. Doggett (Sport Administration), senior linebacker Jacob Sherrill (Respiratory Care), senior center A.J. Roland (General Business) and senior quarterback Layton Rabb (Accounting).
THIS SEASON
- Midwestern State claimed a win in its fifth straight season opener last week with a 55-12 victory over Humboldt State. It was their 14th consecutive home opening win as the Mustangs improved to 15-2 in lid lifters during the Bill Maskill era (since 2002).
- Midwestern State took on the No. 2 team in the American Football Coaches' Association Top 25 for the fourth time in program history and came away with a 38-17 win over West Florida on Sept. 8th. The Mustangs also claimed a 47-42 win over second-ranked Texas A&M-Commerce last season. 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. The lost to No. 1 Minnesota State (63-21) in the second round of the 2018 NCAA II Playoffs in its only try against a top-ranked team.
- MSU Texas improved to 14-2 against ranked opposition during the regular season since the start of the 2011 campaign. The Mustangs defeated then-No. 2 West Florida 38-17 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, No. 11 Texas A&M-Commerce (27-14) in 2015 and No. 2 Texas A&M-Commerce (47-42) in 2017.
- The Mustangs improved to 8-1 against ranked opponents at Memorial Stadium since the start of the 2011 season which includes victories over No. 16 Texas A&M-Kingsville (44-38), No. 9 Abilene Christian (70-28) and No. 20 West Texas A&M (35-21) in 2011; No. 8 West Alabama (45-21) in 2013; No. 22 Texas A&M-Commerce (40-37/OT) in 2014); No. 10 Humboldt State (35-10); No. 2 Texas A&M-Commerce (47-42) in 2017 and No. 2 West Florida (38-17) this season. The lone regular season home loss came against No. 25 West Texas A&M (19-12) in 2013.
- Midwestern State boasts a 24-game winning streak against Division II non-conference opponents dating back to Bill Maskill's first year at the helm of the program in 2002. The Mustangs are 24-3 overall in non-conference tilts in the Maskill era with two of the three losses coming to FCS Sam Houston State – 26-23 in 2002 and 30-9 in 2003.MSU Texas' lone Division II non-conference regular season loss came at Nebraska-Omaha (45-23) in 2002.
- Overall, Midwestern State has won 18 of its last 19 regular season home games dating back to the start of the 2015 season. The lone setback during the stretch came to Eastern New Mexico in the 2016 regular season finale. MSU Texas boasts a staunch 73-15 home record (.830) during the Bill Maskill era (since 2002). The Mustangs clinched their third unbeaten home season going 7-0 last season and have one or fewer losses at home in 14 out of 16 seasons under Maskill.
- For the third consecutive season, the Mustangs were picked to finish second in the Lone Star Conference behind Texas A&M-Commerce. Midwestern claimed its fourth LSC title last season rolling through the league with an unbeaten 8-0 mark. The title came on the heels of three consecutive runner-up showings in the LSC which includes a LSC Playoff title in 2015. MSU Texas boasted three LSC titles in four seasons taking the crown in 2009, 2011 and 2012.
- Midwestern State completed its 18th consecutive winning ledger with a 10-1 mark in 2017. 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 season in 2017.
OFFENSIVELY SPEAKING
- Midwestern State boasts the Lone Star Conference's top offensive attack ranking seventh in NCAA Division II rolling up 539 yards per game. The Mustangs carry the same rankings in scoring offense putting up 46.5 points per game.
- MSU Texas also rates sixth nationally and best in the LSC throwing for 356.5 yards per game with a team pass efficiency of 190.52 – ninth in NCAA Division II and first in the LSC.
- Reigning Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week Layton Rabb threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns – all in the second half – in last week's 38-17 win over No. 2 West Florida. He completed 17 of his last 19 passes going 27-for-43 for the game.
- Rabb leads the Lone Star Conference in completion percentage (70 percent // 10th in NCAA D2), pass efficiency (199.0 // 7th in NCAA D2), passing touchdowns (8 TD // leads NCAA D2), passing yards (607 // 13th in NCAA D2), passing yards per game (303.5 // 15th in NCAA D2) and total offense per game (308.5 yards // 18th in NCAA D2).
- Rabb's 334-yard performance against West Florida was his fifth 300-yard effort in 13 starts.
- Rabb is 99 passing yards away from becoming the fifth quarterback in MSU program history to throw for 4,000 career yards. He is in striking range of going by Quade Coward (3,984 yards // 2013-16) and Rahsaan Bell (4,097 yards // 2003-06) to move into fourth on MSU's all-time passing list.
- Senior running back Vincent Johnson ranks fourth in the LSC and 92nd nationally averaging 74.5 rushing yards per game. He ran for a season-high 102 yards on seven carries in the season opener against Humboldt State and needed 10 carries to run for 47 yards against West Florida. Johnson is sixth on MSU's all-time rushing list with 2,204 yards. He needs two rushing touchdowns to match Daniel Polk (44 TD // 2004-07) for second on the all-time rushing TDs list.
- Senior running back Adrian Seales ran for 96 yards on 18 carries in last week's win over No. 2 West Florida. Seales ranks 13th on the program's all-time rushing list but needs 157 yards to move past Dante Taylor (12th // 1766 yards // 2013-16), Derrick Waggoner (11th // 1781 yards // 1991-92) and Chauncey Harris (10th // 1790 yards // 2010, 12-14) to move into the Top 10.
- Sophomore wide receiver Juwan Johnson leads the Lone Star Conference in total receiving yards (190) and is second in the league at 95 yards per game. He delivered his first 100-yard effort for the Maroon & Gold last week going for 100 yards on seven catches against West Florida.
- Junior wideout Xavier Land made a career-high 10 receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown last week against West Florida. He is second in the LSC and 23rd in NCAA Division II pulling in seven catches per game.
- Redshirt freshman Anthony Tennison (4 receptions, 109 yards) ranks second in the LSC and 16th nationally averaging 27.25 yards per reception.
- Fourteen different receivers have caught passes for the Mustangs this season and seven have scored touchdowns led by Bryce Martinez, Land and Tennison with two each.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
- Midwestern State ranks fifth in the Lone Star Conference and 66th in NCAA Division II in total defense allowing 351.5 yards per game. The Mustangs permit 221.5 passing yards (94th in NCAA D2 // 4th in LSC) and 130 rushing yards (63rd in NCAA D2 // 5th in LSC).
- The Mustangs have been superb in the Red Zone allowing no touchdowns in five opponent excursions inside the 20-yard line. MSU Texas has allowed just two field goals to lead the LSC and rank seventh in NCAA D2 allowing scores at a 40-percent clip.
- Senior defensive back Paul Manus is the reigning LSC Defensive Player of the Week after making two interceptions returning one for 59-yard touchdown in MSU's 38-17 win over No. 2 West Florida. He finished the game with seven tackles including a key stop on a fake punt attempt in the fourth quarter.
- Senior safety Sir'Vell Ford is fourth in the Lone Star Conference and 74th in NCAA Division II at 9.5 tackles per game. He is coming off of a 15-tackle performance against West Florida.
- Ford's 221 tackles are just 74 behind the program's all-time leader Marqui Christian (295 tackles // 2011-15). Christian is a reserve safety for the Los Angeles Rams.
- Senior defensive Alec DiValerio has accounted for a sack in each of MSU's first two games this season and now at 12.0 career sacks. He needs three to match Stephen Turner (15.0 sacks // 2006-09) for the most by a Mustang during the NCAA Division II era.
ON SPECIAL TEAMS
- Junior Jaron Imbriani is a perfect 11-for-11 on point-after attempts through the opening two weeks of the season and knocked down a 31-yard field goal last week against West Florida. He is averaging 51.5 yards on his 11 kickoffs with five touchbacks.
- Sophomore Jacob Rowland averaged 52.2 yards on his five kickoff efforts with a touchback while connecting on one of his two point-after attempts.
- Freshman Dylan Spears averages 40 yards per punt placing two inside the 20-yard line. He launched his season long punt of 46 yards for a touchback against Humboldt State.
