NO. 19 MIDWESTERN STATE at TARLETON STATE

Saturday, Oct. 23 -- 6 p.m.
Memorial Stadium (Stephenville, Texas)
All-Time Series: Tarleton leads 21-12

STEPHENVILLE, Texas -- No. 19 Midwestern State battles former Lone Star Conference foe Tarleton State Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.

The game is available on streaming video on ESPN+ and is accessible with a subscription service which carries ESPN. A free audio stream featuring the Voice of the Mustangs -- Pete Stein -- is also available at MSUMustangs.com/streaming.

GOING TO THE GAME? Individual game tickets are only available for purchase at TarletonSports.com/Tickets.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

1 |  Midwestern State faces a member of the Football Championship Subdivision for the eighth time since the start of the 1999 season. The Mustangs are 1-6 all-time against FCS opponents with their lone victory coming in a 33-7 win in the 2019 season opener at Northwestern State. MSU has lost twice to Texas State (45-3 in 1999, 34-13 in 2000), once to Missouri State (28-6 in 2001), twice to Sam Houston State (26-23 in 2002, 30-9 in 2003) and once to Tarleton (33-21 in 2020).

2 |  Tarleton State's mission is to draw 15,000 fans its homecoming game against Midwestern State. If the Texans are successful, it would be the largest crowd the Mustangs have played in front of since West Texas A&M drew 16,481 fans to Kimbrough Stadium on Oct. 7, 2006. It would be the fourth largest crowd any MSU team has faced behind 50,000 at Mexico City in 1954, 18,739 at West Texas A&M in 1988 and the previously mentioned contest in 2006.

3 |  Tarleton State is in its second transition season into NCAA Division I as a member of the Football Championship Division in the Western Athletic Conference. The Texans finished with a 5-3 mark in the pandemic shortened 2020 season peaking at No. 21 in the AFCA Coaches' Poll while also appearing in the Stats Perform FCS Poll. Tarleton owns a 3-3 record this season with two of its three wins coming against NCAA Division II members -- 54-7 over Fort Lewis (Colo.) and 40-21 over New Mexico Highlands. The Texans' lone FCS victory came last week against winless Dixie State (41-20).

4 |  Former Midwestern State offensive coordinator Adam Austin is in his first year as quarterback coach/pass game coordinator on Todd Whitten's Tarleton State staff. Austin coached under Bill Maskill for eight seasons including the last six from 2013 to 2018 as offensive coordinator. He departed MSU to serve as offensive coordinator at Eastern Kentucky for one season, spent 2020 at Garden City Community College and the spring of 2021 at Missouri Southern before taking the job in Stephenville.

5 |  Midwestern State has won 18 more games than any other active Lone Star Conference program since the start of the 2000 season. The Mustangs are 162-66 over the timeframe and are averaging nearly eight wins a season. MSU managed at least eight victories in 11 seasons since the start of the 2000 campaign. The Mustangs are trailed by West Texas A&M (144-103/.583), Texas A&M-Commerce (121-110/.524), Texas A&M-Kingsville (111-113/.496), Angelo State (110-118/.482) and Easter New Mexico (96-113/.495).

FIVE OFFENSIVE STORY LINES

1 |  Midwestern State boasts the No. 3 total offense in the Lone Star Conference ranking 48th in NCAA Division II at 406 yards per game. The Mustangs have accounted for at least 398 yards of total offense in five of their six games this season with a high output of 502 yards in a 48-27 season opening win at Quincy. MSU owns the top passing attack in the LSC ranking 38th in NCAA Division II at 255.2 yards per game. Fifteen of the Mustangs' 24 offensive touchdowns this season have come through the air.

2 |  Midwestern State had a string of 16 consecutive Red Zone scores snapped in its 30-13 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville. The Mustangs remain the most efficient Red Zone team in the Lone Star Conference and rank fifth nationally scoring at 95.2-percent clip. The Mustangs converted touchdowns on 16-of-21 penetrations beyond the opponents' 20-yard line (76 percent).

3 |  Midwestern State senior Kylan Harrison accounted for five receiving touchdowns in his first four games this season to move into a tie for third place on MSU's all-time receiving touchdowns list with 18. His total matches former NFL wide receiver/returner Bryan Gilmore (18 TDs from 1996-99). Harrison needs two more touchdowns to move past David Little (19 TDs from 2008-11) and three to move to the top of the list and past former All-American Andy Tanner (20 TDs from 2006-09). Harrison earned LSC Offensive Player of the Week honors earlier this season after making five catches for 116 yards with two touchdowns in a 31-24 win over Eastern New Mexico. Harrison ranks sixth in the LSC with 58.8 receiving yards per game and his five TD receptions rates fourth in the league.

4 |  Redshirt-freshman Ja'Juan Mason leads the MSU receiving corps with 375 yards on 16 receptions with two touchdowns. The big-play threat leads the LSC and ranks sixth in NCAA Division II averaging 23.4 yards per reception. Mason also rates fifth in the league with 62.5 receiving yards per game. The Allen High School product posted a career-high performance with 121 yards on four receptions including a 47-yard touchdown at Central Washington. Mason also accounted for 116 yards on three catches including a 76-yard TD reception in a 35-17 win at No. 17 Angelo State.

5 |  Midwestern State senior Dillon Sterling-Cole is the Lone Star Conference leader in total offense and passing yards per game. The transfer from Arizona State ranks 28th nationally with 252 passing yards per game and is 30th with 268 yards of total offense per game. He is also second in the league with 15 passing TDs. Sterling-Cole earned LSC Offensive Player of the Week honors after throwing for 391 yards and five touchdowns in a 35-17 win at Angelo State.

FIVE DEFENSIVE STORY LINES

1 |  Midwestern State leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks second in all of NCAA Division II with 10 tackles for loss per game. The Mustangs are one of just three defenses in the national averaging at last 10 tackles for loss per game joining FCS Jackson State (10.3) and NCAA Division II Bowie State (10.3). MSU has trapped ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage at a steady rate this season including two performances of 14 stops for loss against Quincy and Eastern New Mexico and twice posted nine tackles for loss against Angelo State and Central Washington. The Mustangs also made eight tackles for loss against Texas A&M-Commerce. Midwestern State boasts four players ranking in the top 10 in tackles for loss in the Lone Star Conference including Melik Owens (1.6 per game/second), Jaylon Abdul-Karim (1.2 per game/fifth), Rigoberto Carrillo (1.1 per game/seventh) and Justin Guillory (1.0 per game/ninth).

2 |  Senior defensive end Melik Owens ranks sixth in the LSC and 91st in NCAA Division II with 0.58 sacks per game. He has accounted for 3.5 total sacks this season to move into third on the program's all-time sacks list with 14.5. He needs a half-sack to match Stephen Turner (15.0 sacks from 2006-09) and is 17.5 sacks behind all-time leader Russ Grissom (32.0 sacks from 1989-91). Fortunately for Owens, he has another season of eligibility beyond the 2021 season. As a team, the Mustangs rank fifth in the Lone Star Conference and 70th nationally at 2.33 sacks per game.

3 |  Midwestern State ranks seventh in the Lone Star Conference and 93rd in NCAA Division II in total defense. The Mustangs yield 381.5 yards per game rating fifth in the league against the pass (232.8 yards per game) and seventh in the league versus the rush (150.8 yards per game). The Mustangs, however, have permitted an average of 302.6 yards per game in their last three games giving up 308 to Eastern New Mexico, 377 at Central Washington and 223 against Texas A&M-Kingsville.

4 |  Midwestern State ranks third in the Lone Star Conference with 12 takeaways this season. The Mustangs have accounted for seven interceptions including three by sophomore cornerback Dylon Davis, two by Malik Sonnier and one each by Tre Owens and Khalil Finley. MSU has also accounted for five fumble recoveries. Spurred by Davis' two interception returns for touchdowns, the Mustangs have accounted for 44 points off of the 12 takeaways.

5 |  Junior linebacker Justin Guillory leads Midwestern State in tackles with 35 stops including six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Senior linebacker Rigoberto Carrillo is second with 34 tackles including 6.5 stops for loss and 1.5 sacks. Defensive ends Melik Owens (9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks) and Jaylon Abdul-Karim (7.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack) have accounted for 28 tackles.

THREE SPECIAL TEAMS STORY LINES

1 |  Sophomore Fernando Piedra ranks second in the Lone Star Conference and 40th in NCAA Division II at 39.4 yards per punt. He has placed 15 of his 33 punt attempts inside the 20-yard line, forced seven fair catches with four punts of 50-or-more yards with a long of 70. The kickoff specialist boasts nine touchbacks on 25 kickoffs. Piedra earned LSC Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 43.5 yards on eight punts against Angelo State placing four inside the 20-yard line including a long of 70 yards which was downed at the 1. He also produced touchbacks on five of his six kickoffs against the Rams.

2 |  Freshman Ritse Vaes' collegiate career is off to a stellar start. The Wichita Falls Hirschi High School product is nearly perfect since taking over place kicking duties in the second week of the season. Vaes has made each of his five field goal attempts including a pair of makes from beyond 40 yards. His is also 18-of-19 on his point-after attempts making his first 16 before having a PAT blocked against Texas A&M-Kingsville. Vaes earned LSC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after connected on a season-long 42-yard attempt and going 4-for-4 on his PAT efforts in a 31-30 win over No. 7 Texas A&M-Commerce on Sept. 18 at the former Ballpark in Arlington.

3 |  Midwestern State senior Kylan Harrison leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks 16th in NCAA Division II averaging 26.8 yards per kick return. Harrison turned in a season-long return of 37 yards at Central Washington and posted a 92-yard return for a touchdown last spring at Tarleton State. Redshirt-freshman Tre Owens is MSU's top punt returner averaging 13 yards on three returns, while Ja'Juan Mason is averaging 9.7 yards on three returns.

HEAD COACH BILL MASKILL is the dean of the Lone Star Conference football coaching fraternity and stands as the all-time winningest coach in program history boasting a 148-58 mark (.718) since taking over the reins of the Midwestern State program in 2002. During that time, Maskill coached the Mustangs to three Lone Star Conference titles (2011, 2012, 2017), eight playoff showings and one bowl appearance. Overall, Maskill sports a 161-66 career coaching record (.709) including a 13-8 run during two seasons at Southeast Missouri State in 1988 and 1989.

THE SERIES WITH THE TEXANS

Midwestern State meets Tarleton State for the 34th time on the gridiron Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Stephenville. The Texans own a 21-12 edge in the series that dates back to the 1946 season and claimed wins in each of the last three games. MSU is 4-12 against the Texans in Stephenville including a 2-6 mark since the start of the Bill Maskill era in 2002. The Mustangs claimed victories in 2014 (27-23) and 2016 (21-16), but Tarleton won the last two including a 66-7 win in 2019 and a 33-21 victory last spring.

A Mustangs win would...

- make Midwestern State 6-1 overall.
- make Midwestern State 13-21 all-time against Tarleton State.
- make Midwestern State 5-12 all-time against Tarleton State in Stephenville.
- snap MSU's three-game slide against Tarleton State and make the first win since the Mustangs claimed a 45-42 overtime win on Nov. 4, 2017.
- be Midwestern State's second all-time win against an FCS opponent and first since beating Northwestern State 33-7 in the 2019 season opener.
- improve Midwestern State to 2-6 all-time versus FCS opponents.
- make Midwestern State 54-27 in the month of October during the Bill Maskill era (since 2002).
- make Bill Maskill 149-58 at Midwestern State and 162-66 overall.

A Mustangs loss would...

- make Midwestern State 5-2 overall.
- make Midwestern State 12-22 all-time against Tarleton State.
- make Midwestern State 4-13 all-time against Tarleton State in Stephenville.
- be Tarleton State's fourth straight win over Midwestern State.
- make Midwestern State 1-7 all-time against FCS opponents.
- make Midwestern State 53-28 in the month of October during the Bill Maskill era (since 2002).
- make Bill Maskill 148-59 at Midwestern State and 161-67 overall.