MIDLAND, Texas -- Kobe Robinson snagged a 2-point conversion in overtime to fuel a 22-21 win for UT  Permian Basin over Midwestern State Saturday afternoon at Grande Communications Stadium.
 
The play touched off a celebration generally reserved for national championships rather than five wins during a partial spring campaign.
 
The Mustangs (1-2) will maintain a very different memory of the game and outcome.
 
"We didn't deserve to win. For four quarters, we shot ourselves in the foot on offense, defense and even special teams," MSU coach Bill Maskill said. "When you have as many mental mistakes as we had today, then you have personal fouls and holding. When you are down at the 2-yard line, you have to have self-control and we didn't have it."
 
Midwestern State was flagged for 16 penalties for 151 yards with many coming at critical times.
 
Kylan Harrison had 58-yard, game-tying touchdown nullified when he taunted an opponent with 3:11 remaining heading into the end zone.
 
The Mustangs had to fight and get help in the form of a defensive holding call which eventually resulted in an 11-yard touchdown reception by Bryce Martinez from Derrick Ponder to send the game into overtime.
 
"We're not good enough to overcome all the mistakes we made," Maskill said. "We had a taunt that cost us a touchdown. That's major. It's discipline and that starts with me."
 
 The Mustangs appeared to tie the game at the 9-minute mark of the fourth quarter when Malik Sonnier blocked UTPB's 42-yard field goal attempt which was returned by Maison Sharp for a touchdown. However, MSU jumped offside to nullify that score.
 
"We return the blocked kick and it is over," Maskill said. "Our defense played well enough to win the game. We made mistake after mistake after mistake offensively. They were the better team today and they deserved to win. They wanted it more than we did."
 
Midwestern State got the better of the turnover exchange in the first quarter. The Mustangs erased Ja'Mazeyea Arvie's fumble in the red zone with a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown by senior linebacker Lance Hardman.
 
MSU appeared to be on way to posting a first-half shutout before the Falcons' offense awoke to go 87 yards on six plays in 48 seconds to knot the game at 7-7 on a 16-yard TD toss from Brayden Thomas to Robinson with five second to go.
 
The Mustangs proved charitable on UTPB's go-ahead scoring drive late in the third quarter by committing five penalties allowing the Falcons to go 55 yards on eight plays culminating on a 2-yard run by Garrett Loudermilk for 14-7 lead.
 
Midwestern State finally regained the lead by starting the overtime session with a 4-yard TD run by K'Vonte Jackson.
 
But Thomas connected with tight end Matt Zubiate on a 9-yard scoring toss on fourth down from the 10-yard line before connected with Robinson on the two-point conversion.
 
Ponder connected on 25-of-38 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown, while Arvie caught a career-high 11 passes for 95 yards. Jackson paced the ground attack with 65 yards on 18 totes including the TD in overtime.
 
Junior defensive end Melik Owens paced the defense with nine tackles with 3 1/2 sacks.
 
Midwestern State opens the 2021 season on Saturday, Sept. 4 at Quincy (Ill.).