#5 Midwestern State at Eastern New Mexico
MSU Texas (4-0, 2-0 LSC), ENMU (1-3, 1-1 LSC)
Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018 | 8 p.m. (Central)
Greyhound Stadium | Portales, N.M.
Live Stats: GoEasternAthletics.com |
Radio: ESPN 95.5 FM |
Video: GoEasternAthletics.com |
Audio: Mustangs Digital Network
HOOF MARKS
- Midwestern State makes its second trip to Greyhound Stadium Saturday to take on Eastern New Mexico. The Mustangs clinched an outright Lone Star Conference title in their last trip to Portales, beating No. 20-ranked ENMU, 56-43, in the 2017 regular season finale.
- MSU Texas can start its fourth consecutive season with at least five straight wins with victory at Eastern New Mexico. That Mustangs have gone to 5-0 in seven of Bill Maskill's 16 seasons at the helm.
- Speaking of Maskill, Midwestern State's game against UT Permian Basin was his 200th as head ball coach. Maskill sports a 146-55 overall record (.726) including a 133-47 mark (.739) at MSU Texas. He was 13-8 in two seasons at Southeast Missouri State (1988-89).
- Midwestern State meets Eastern New Mexico for the 25th time on the gridiron Saturday night at Greyhound Stadium. The Mustangs own an 18-6 edge in the series which dates back to the 1949 season. MSU Texas claimed last season's meeting and four of the last five. The Mustangs are 7-1 in games played in Portales/Blackwater Draw and 15-2 overall against the Greyhounds during the Bill Maskill era (since 2002).
- Eastern New Mexico snapped a three-game slide claiming its first win of the season – 31-14 – at Texas A&M-Kingsville last week. The Greyhounds started the season with losses to Missouri S&T (31-14), Colorado Mesa (34-21) and Texas A&M-Commerce (21-11).
- The Mustangs moved up two spots to No. 5 in the latest American Football Coaches' Association Top 25. Midwestern received a first-place vote in the Sept. 10th edition of 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 40 reporting periods and has been ranked in at least one poll in each season dating back to 2006.
- The Mustangs are fourth in the D2Football.com Top 25.
- Midwestern State was won 22 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 147-55 (.728). The Mustangs are trailed by West Texas A&M (125-91, .579), Tarleton State (124-77, .617) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (103-95, .520). Eastern New Mexico, which vacated 15 wins from 2008-12 due to infractions, is 81-102 (.443) since the start of the 2000 season.
- Bill Maskill is in his 17th season at the helm of Midwestern State football. As the program's all-time wins leader, his 133 victories account for 55.4 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 146-55 (.726) through 18 seasons which includes a two-year run at Southeast Missouri State (1988-89). Maskill boasts a 133-47 overall mark (.739) 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).
24 STRONG
- Midwestern State cornerback Robert Grays passed away one year ago on Sept. 19, 2016 days after suffering a neck injury in the fourth quarter of a win against Texas A&M-Kingsville.
- The MSU Texas community joined the team on Wednesday, Sept. 19th at the practice field for 24 seconds of silence followed by team's traditional 24 push-ups and the release of 24 balloons in remembrance of Grays.
- Each of Midwestern State Athletic teams committed to performing 24 acts of kindness to carry on Robert Grays' memory during an annual 24 Strong week.
- Junior cornerback Jaydon Cunigan was presented as the first recipient of the Robert T. Grays Memorial Scholarship during spring drills.
- Midwestern State officially retired Robert Grays' jersey (24) in a halftime ceremony on Nov. 4, 2017 against Tarleton State.
- Robert Grays competed in 13 games at cornerback and return specialist during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. He made 34 tackles, defended five passes and recovered a fumble at cornerback. He also averaged 22.7 yards on 15 kick returns with a long of 73 yards. He also averaged 8.6 yards on seven punt returns.
- Grays was a general business major and a 2016 graduate of Hightower High School in Houston.
THIS SEASON
- Midwestern State goes for its 11th consecutive Lone Star Conference win Saturday at Eastern New Mexico. The Mustangs are 22-3 against league opponents since the start of the 2015 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 19 of its last 20 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 second in NCAA Division II rolling up 574.0 yards per game trailing only Ferris State (Mich.) which is churning out 583.3 yards per game.
- The Mustangs also possess the nation's No. 2 passing offense at 371.5 yards per game trailing only Shepherd (W. Va.) which averages 404.7 passing yards per game.
- The Mustangs rank third nationally while leading the LSC in scoring offense putting up 48.3 points per game. Valdosta State (Ga.) leads the way scoring 52.5 points per game followed by Ferris State at 49 points per game.
- MSU Texas put up huge numbers in last week's 57-36 win over Angelo State. The 654 yards of total offense rank as the third most in a single game in 2018 in all of NCAA Division II, while the 470 passing yards were also the third most.
- Midwestern State's Layton Rabb and Zach Purcell combined to throw for a team record 470 yards on 25-of-40 passing against Angelo State to better the previous mark of 446 passing yards against West Texas A&M in 2002.
- Midwestern State's 654 yards of total offense matched the 10th most in a single game in program history and were the most since the Mustangs amassed 667 against UT Permian Basin in 2017.
- Three-time Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week Layton Rabb earned his latest honor by upping his own school single game passing yards record to 467 and five touchdowns in a 57-36 win over Angelo State on Sept. 22. The 467-yard day is the second best in NCAA D2 this season falling just shy of the 518 passing yards put up by Tyson Bagent of Shepherd (W. Va.) earlier this season against Notre Dame – of Ohio. Rabb's previous career-best game of 433 passing yards was set in last season's 45-42 overtime win over Tarleton State. BONUS POINT: Current MSU Texas President Dr. Suzanne Shipley served the same post at Shepherd (W. Va.) prior to her appointment in Wichita Falls.
- Rabb earned his second LSC Offensive Player of the Week honor after passing for 334 yards and three touchdowns – all in the second half – in a 38-17 win over No. 2 West Florida on Sept. 8th. He completed 17 of his last 19 passes going 27-for-43 for the game.
- Rabb snagged his first LSC Offensive Player of the Week honor by going 15-of-17 for 273 yards and five touchdowns leading MSU Texas to touchdowns on all six of his drives before exiting the team's 55-12 win over Humboldt State before halftime. His single-game passing rating of 320.2 against Humboldt State is a school record and stands as the best game NCAA Division II this season. The effort was only bested by Central Iowa's Blaine Hawkins (NCAA D3) who amassed a 392.1 rating completing 13-of-15 passes for 349 yards and five touchdowns against Luther on Sept. 15. Drake's Grant Kraemer (FCS) posted a 387.2 rating completing 14-of-16 passes for 359 yards with five touchdowns and an interception against Missouri S&T – also on Sept. 15.
- Rabb is the active career passing efficiency leader in all of NCAA scholarship football at 169.26. That is just ahead of Georgia's Jake Fromm (167.68) and West Virginia's Will Grier (166.23). The nearest NCAA Division II competitors are Indiana (Pa.)'s Lenny Williams (165.18) and UIndy's Jake Purichia (163.76).
- Rabb leads the Lone Star Conference in pass efficiency (192.0 // second in NCAA D2), passing touchdowns (16 TD // second in NCAA D2), passing yards (1,365 // third in NCAA D2), passing yards per game (341.3 // fourth in NCAA D2) and total offense per game (345.3 yards // fourth in NCAA D2).
- Rabb's 467-yard performance against Angelo State was his sixth 300-yard effort in 15 starts.
- Rabb became the fifth quarterback in MSU program history to throw for 4,000 career yards with his 291-yard, 3-touchdown performance at UT Permian Basin (9/15). Now with 4,659 passing yards, he ranks fourth on MSU's all-time passing list behind Zack Eskridge (6,953 yards // 2008-10), Phillip Boggs (5,592 yards // 1999-03) and Daniel Polk (4,686 yards // 2004-07). He needs 28 yards to pass Polk for third, 934 yards to pass Boggs for second and 2,295 to pass Eskridge to become the school's all-time passing leader.
- Senior running back Vincent Johnson tops the LSC and 11th nationally averaging 125.8 rushing yards per game.
- Vincent Johnson leads all of NCAA Division II averaging 8.98 yards per carry spurred by touchdown runs of 75 and 82 yards this season. He has carried the ball 56 times for 503 yards and six touchdowns this season. Other yards per carry leaders in NCAA including Darrell Henderson (Memphis // FBS // 12.22 ypc // 58-709), Ra'Quanne Dickens (Incarnate Word // FCS // 11.17 ypc // 42-469) and Jaquan Hemphill (Hardin-Simmons // D3 // 11.11 ypc // 57-633).
- Vincent Johnson earned Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors following a career-best 195-yard effort in a 43-21 win at UT Permian Basin on Sept. 15th. Johnson burst for a career long 82-yard score during MSU Texas' 22-point third quarter explosion to take control of the game. Johnson ran for 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 third on MSU's all-time rushing list with 2,558 yards moving past Ross Harrison (6th // 2,418 yards // 2004-06), Marcus Mathis (5th // 2,433 yards // 2007-10) and Dominic Rhodes (4th // 2,541 yards // 1999-00) with last week's 159-yard effort against Angelo State. He trails only Keidrick Jackson (1st // 4,004 yards // 2010-13) and Daniel Polk (2nd // 3,590 yards // 2004-07) at the top of the list.
- Johnson jumped Daniel Polk (44 TD // 2004-07) into second on the all-time rushing TDs list with his three-TD performance against Angelo State and now has 47 career rushing scores. He trails only Keidrick Jackson (61 TD // 2010-13).
- 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 Juwan Johnson leads the Lone Star Conference in total receiving yards 428 (10th in NCAA D2) and receiving yards per game (107.0 // 16th in NCAA D2). He also leads the league making 6.8 catches per game to rate 18th nationally.
- Juwan Johnson became the first MSU Texas receiver to go over 100 yards since Andy Tanner turned the feat from Sept. 19-Oct. 3, 2009. That season, Tanner had over 100 receiving yards against Incarnate Word (5-146-3), Angelo State (6-109-0) and West Texas A&M (11-140-2) then went over the century mark against Central Oklahoma (4-118-2) and Eastern New Mexico (6-105-0). Tanner earned D2Football.com and Don Hansen Football Gazette honorable mention All-America honors making 75 catches for 1,186 yards as a senior in 2009. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the New Orleans Saints following the 2010 NFL Draft.
- Juwan Johnson's current streak of 100-yard receiving performances includes games against West Florida (7-100-0), UT Permian Basin (8-132-0) and Angelo State (6-106-1). He caught six passes for 90 yards with a touchdown playing just the first half of the opener against Humboldt State.
- Midwestern State boasts four of the top 11 receivers in the Lone Star Conference in terms of receiving yards per game. Juwan Johnson leads the way followed by junior Xavier Land (67.3 ypg // 5th in LSC // 102nd in NCAA D2), redshirt-freshman Anthony Tennison (56.3 ypg // 8th in LSC // 161st in NCAA D2) and redshirt freshman Kylan Harrison (51.0 ypg // 11th in LSC // 195th in NCAA D2).
- Tennison has scored touchdowns in each of his first four collegiate games at wide receiver including a three-TD effort at UT Permian Basin. He is tied with Vincent Johnson as not only the team's scoring leader but also the Lone Star Conference.
- Land has made at least four catches in each of his four games this season. Land erupted for a career-best performance with 10 receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown in a win over No. 2 West Florida (9/8).
- Harrison became the second MSU receiver to go over 100 yards in a game finishing his breakout effort with 116 yards on five catches including a pair of touchdowns against Angelo State (9/22).
- Senior center A.J. Roland earned preseason All-America honors and leads an experienced group up front. Roland is a returning first-team All-LSC performer, while senior guard Kevin Fisher, Jr. was a second-team performer. Sophomore tackle Caleb Brown garnered All-LSC honorable mention last season.
- Career starts by offensive linemen: LG Kevin Fisher (27), C A.J. Roland (18), RT Caleb Brown (15), LT Austan Davis (8), RG D'Andre Despanie (4).
GETTING DEFENSIVE
- Midwestern State ranks seventh in the Lone Star Conference and 114th in NCAA Division II in total defense allowing 413.0 yards per game. The Mustangs permit 271.0 passing yards (140th in NCAA D2 // 8th in LSC) and 142 rushing yards (70th in NCAA D2 // 3rd in LSC).
- The Mustangs lead the Lone Star Conference and rank 11th in NCAA D2 averaging 3.75 sacks per game. MSU Texas has amassed 15 sacks for a loss of 97 yards with no single play more than two. Senior Paul Manus, freshman A'quan Randolph and sophomore Michael Nash lead the way with 2.0 sacks each, while senior Alec Divalerio is at 1.5 sacks. Senior Sir'Vell Ford, junior Jaylon Abdul-Karim, redshirt-freshman Mason Montoya, junior Rigoberto Carrillo and junior Anthony Fields have 1.0 sack each, while senior Wensley Jacinthe and freshman Melik Owens have a half-sack apiece.
- The Mustangs have been superb in the Red Zone allowing six touchdowns in 13 opponent excursions inside the 20-yard line. MSU Texas has allowed just two field goals to lead the Lone Star Conference and rank 21st in NCAA D2 in allowing scores at a 62-percent clip.
- MSU Texas ranks third in the Lone Star Conference and 21st in NCAA D2 with six interceptions this season including three by Paul Manus and one each by Jaydon Cunigan, Josh Wydermyer and Sir'Vell Ford.
- Midwestern State made six sacks in a game last week at UT Permian Basin for the first time since the 2010 regular season finale – a 38-9 win over Northeastern State.
- Senior defensive back Paul Manus earned 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 10th in the Lone Star Conference and 133rd in NCAA Division II at 7.8 tackles per game. He had a season-high 15-tackle performance against West Florida.
- Ford's 233 tackles are just 62 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 23-for-23 on point-after attempts through the first four weeks of the season and knocked down a 31-yard field goal against West Florida. He is averaging 53.8 yards on his 26 kickoffs with 15 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 35.8 yards per punt placing six inside the 20-yard line. He launched his season long punt of 49 yards for a touchback against Angelo State.
- Midwestern State ranks second in the Lone Star Conference and ranks 11th nationally allowing 0.67 yards per punt return.
- Sophomore Juwan Johnson ranks third in the Lone Star Conference and 30th in NCAA Division II averaging 12.4 yards on seven returns this season. He posted a season-best 39-yard return against Angelo State.
