MIDWESTERN STATE vs TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE

Saturday, September 11 -- 6 p.m.
Choctaw Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
All-Time Series: Texas A&M-Commerce leads 14-11

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Midwestern State battles rival Texas A&M-Commerce in its Lone Star Conference opener Saturday afternoon at Choctaw Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

The game is available on streaming video courtesy of LionAthletics.com or listen to the call of the Voice of the Mustangs -- Pete Stein -- via free streaming audio at MSUMustangs.com/streaming.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

1 |  Midwestern State was picked to finish fourth in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll. It was the Mustangs' lowest preseason prognostication since MSU was slated for fourth in 2014. Midwestern finished second at the close of the season.

2 |  Midwestern State starts the season with three consecutive games on the road with the last two coming against nationally ranked conference opponents. The Mustangs start with No. 7-ranked Texas A&M-Commerce in a neutral site game at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington before heading to San Angelo for a showdown with No. 22-ranked Angelo State next Saturday. MSU is receiving votes in the American Football Coaches' Association Division II Poll.

3 |  Midwestern State plays the first of two games against Texas A&M-Commerce Saturday afternoon at the former home of Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers. The teams return to the venue in 2022. MSU returns to the City of Arlington for a seventh time. The Mustangs are 4-2 in the previous six games which includes a 4-1 run in the Lone Star Football Festival played at AT&T Stadium from 2011-15. Of the four wins, two came against Texas A&M-Commerce. MSU beat the Lions 63-17 in 2011 and 65-14 in 2012. Other games in the Lone Star Football Festival included a 27-24 loss to Tarleton State in 2013 and wins over Eastern New Mexico in 2014 and 2015. MSU also played a neutral site game against Texas A&M-Kingsville at UTA Stadium in 1997.

4 |  Midwestern State has won 17 more games than any other active Lone Star Conference program since the start of the 2000 season. The Mustangs are 158-65 over the timeframe and are averaging nearly eight wins a season. MSU managed at least eight wins in 11 seasons since the start of the 2000 campaign. The Mustangs are trailed by West Texas A&M (115-100/.535), Texas A&M-Commerce (118-107/.524), Texas A&M-Kingsville (108-111/.493), Angelo State (106-116/.477) and Eastern New Mexico (93-110/.458).

5 |  Midwestern State boasts a 22-29 (.431) against nationally ranked opposition during the Bill Maskill era. The Mustangs, however, are 14-6 versus nationally ranked foes since the start of the 2011 season including a 4-3 run over the last seven games of its series with Texas A&M-Commerce as the Lions have been ranked heading into the game every season since 2014.

FIVE OFFENSIVE STORY LINES

1 |  Midwestern State rolled up 502 yards of total offense in a 48-27 season opening win last Saturday at Quincy. The output ranks second in the Lone Star Conference and 22nd in NCAA Division II. The Mustangs churned out 270 rushing yards which is also the second most in the league and ranks as the 15th best running attack in NCAA Division II.

2 |  Senior quarterback Dillon Sterling-Cole accounted for four touchdowns in his Midwestern State debut. He connected on 18-of-31 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for two more scores.  He saw action in 15 games over four seasons at Arizona State from 2016-19 serving a redshirt year in 2017. He played in 11 games in 2016 becoming just the fifth true freshman to start a game at quarterback for Sun Devils. He completed 21-of-38 passes for 302 yards with a touchdown while rushing for 23 yards and another TD against at Oregon on Oct. 29, 2016. Sterling-Cole rated as a four-star recruit by multiple publications coming out of Westfield High where he threw for 7,130 yards and 78 touchdowns during his career. He also rushed for 913 yards and 21 TDs.

3 |  Midwestern State's running back by committee approach is off to a quick start in 2021. Four different running backs posted at least six carries as the group averaged 7.1 yards per attempt. Junior Trenton Kennedy led the way with 81 yards on 15 carries, while freshman Jalen March added 70 yards on six carries with two touchdowns. Junior K'Vonte Jackson chipped in 66 yards on nine totes, while seniors Justin Jones (41 yards on four carries) and Jaden Watson (30 yards on seven carries) also enjoyed success in the season opener.

4 |  Senior Kylan Harrison led the receiving corps with 65 yards on two catches including a 37-yard score on the first possession of the game. Ja'Juan Mason (61 yards), Kandin Robertson (49 yards, one touchdown) and Ja'Marzeyea Arvie (24 yards) each posted four receptions.

5 |  Midwestern State boasts a veteran offensive line unit led by three senior starters in center Nick Gonzalez, left tackle Austan Davis and right tackle Caleb Brown. Two junior man the guard positions with Charles Hempstead III on the left side and Caleb Gill on the right. The unit did not allow a sack in the season opener.

FIVE DEFENSIVE STORY LINES

1 |  The Midwestern State defensive unit surrendered 506 yards of total offense to Quincy in the season opener, but made great strides from the first half to the second. The Mustangs held the Hawks to 143 total yards after the break after yielding 363 in the first half.

2 |  Eight different Midwestern State players recorded at least a half-sack in the season opener against Quincy. The eight sacks match Angelo State for the conference lead and rank second in NCAA Division II behind Virginia-Wise (14 sacks). Alex Alvarado (1.5), Jaylon Abdul-Karim (1.0), Melik Owens (1.0), Justin Guillory (1.0), Zach Trevino (1.0), Zed Asowata (1.0), James Williams (1.0) and Konner Jones-Searcy (0.5) all recorded sacks for MSU.

3 |  Midwestern State also recorded 14 tackles for loss to once again match Angelo State for the LSC lead and rank second in NCAA Division II to Virginia-Wise (15.0). The Mustangs pushed the Hawks back 61 yards with the stops. Abdul-Karim made two stops for a loss of 12 yards, while Owens, Guillory, Alvarado and Lance Hardman each notched 1.5 tackles for loss.

4 |  Midwestern State proved opportunistic by forcing Quincy into four turnovers. Sophomore Dylon Davis returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter to continue his high school trend. He returned four of his 16 interceptions for touchdowns during his senior season at Abilene Cooper High in 2019. Senior Malik Sonnier also picked off a pass in the second half, while Zed Asowata and Alex Alvarado forced fumbles on strip sacks. The Mustangs scored 14 points off of turnovers against Quincy.

5 |  Senior defensive end Melik Owens was named to Dave Campbell's Texas Football's Preseason All-Texas Small College Team heading into the 2021 campaign. He garnered All-Lone Star Conference honorable mention in 2019 despite losing three games due to injury. Owens needed eight games to make 49 tackles in 2019 leading the team with 13.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He continued the strong play in the spring leading the Mustangs with 19 tackles including 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks -- all at UT Permian Basin. He had five tackles including 1.5 stops for loss with a sack in the season opener against Quincy.

THREE SPECIAL TEAMS STORY LINES

1 |  Senior punter Dylan Spears enjoyed a sensational spring averaging a career best 40.4 yards on 19 punts. He forced 10 fair catches while placing eight inside the 20-yard line booming two punts of 50-or-more yards. He missed the season opener due to illness. 

2 |  Senior Jacob Rowland averaged 57.8 yards on his eight kickoffs last week at Quincy recording a pair of touchbacks. He is now 1-of-3 on field goals during his career after attempting a 40-yard try last week. Rowland has hit 26 of his 30 PAT attempts during his collegiate career.

3 |  Senior Kylan Harrison was electrifying on kickoff returns this spring averaging 41.8 yards per return including a 92-yard touchdown at Tarleton State. He had one returns for 29 yards last week against Quincy.

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 144-57 mark 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 157-65 career coaching record (.707) including a 13-8 run during two seasons at Southeast Missouri State in 1988 and 1989.

THE SERIES WITH THE LIONS

Texas A&M-Commerce holds a 14-11 edges in the series against Midwestern State which dates back to the 1947 season. The Lions have won the last two games between the teams after MSU posted wins in seven of eight meetings between 2011 and 2017. Seven of the last eight meetings have been decided by less than a touchdown.

A Mustangs win would...

- make Midwestern State 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the Lone Star Conference.
- make Midwestern State 12-14 all-time against Texas A&M-Commerce.
- snap a two-game losing streak to Texas A&M-Commerce.
- make Midwestern State 14-10 all-time in Lone Star Conference openers.
- make Midwestern State 15-6 against nationally ranked opponents since 2014.
- make Midwestern State 59-10 in the month of September during the Bill Maskill era.
- make Midwestern State 5-2 in games played in Arlington, Texas.
- make Bill Maskill 145-57 at Midwestern State and 158-65 overall.

A Mustangs loss would...

- make Midwestern State 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the Lone Star Conference.
- make Midwestern State 11-15 all-time against Texas A&M-Commerce.
- extend Texas A&M-Commerce's win streak against Midwestern State to three games.
- make Midwestern State 13-11 all-time in Lone Star Conference openers.
- make Midwestern State 14-7 against nationally ranked opponents since 2014.
- make Midwestern State 58-11 in the month of September during the Bill Maskill era.
- make Midwestern State 4-3 in game played in Arlington, Texas.
- make Bill Maskill 144-58 at Midwestern State and 157-66 overall.