KINGSVILLE, Texas -- Midwestern State takes on Texas A&M-Kingsville in a Lone Star Conference game Saturday night at Pepsi Field at Javelina Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
 

MIDWESTERN STATE (5-4, 4-3 LSC)
at TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE (7-2, 5-2 LSC)

Saturday, Nov. 5 | 7 p.m.
Pepsi Field at Javelina Stadium | Kingsville, Texas

SERIES HISTORY | Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Kingsville meet for the 24th time on the gridiron Saturday night at Javelina Stadium. The Mustangs owns a 17-6 edge in the series which dates back to the 1997 season. MSU has won the last 11 meetings and 16 of the last 17 in a run started by the Mustangs' landmark 41-14 win over No. 6-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville on Oct. 15, 2005. TAMUK's only win during the run came in 2010 by a score of 27-7.

THE DEAN OF THE LSC | Bill Maskill became the first six-time Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year while leading the Mustangs to their fifth league title. Maskill's 167 career coaching victories are the fourth most by active NCAA Division II head coach and ninth most amongst all active NCAA football coaches. His 155 wins as a head coach at a Lone Star Conference institution are the second most in league history. Ron Harms won 172 games at Texas A&M-Kingsville in 21 seasons from 1979-99.

A TOUCHDOWN FOR YOU, A TOUCHDOWN FOR YOU, AND... | Neiko Hollins and Isaiah Grant became the 19th and 20th Midwestern State players to score touchdowns this season during last week 26-21 win over Western Oregon. The Mustangs are just one away matching the school record of 21 set during the 2015 season. MSU has also had the most players score touchdowns in the Lone Star Conference this season just ahead of Angelo State (18), Texas A&M-Kingsville (14), and Western New Mexico (13).

HOLDING THE LINE | Midwestern State's offensive line has permitted eight sacks this season with one coming on a bobbled flea flicker against Simon Fraser. The Mustangs also lead the LSC and rank 10th in NCAA Division II allowing 4.11 tackles for loss per game.

SEE YOU AT THE CROSSROADS | Freshman running back Devin Cross boasts 100-yard rushing performances in three games this season including a high of 139 at Eastern New Mexico (9/10), 111 against Simon Fraser (9/24), and 110 at Western New Mexico (10/1). Cross ranks third in the Lone Star Conference and 41st in NCAA Division II with 749 rushing yards, while leading the league and ranking 29th nationally at 5.90 yards per carry. Cross has the most rushing yards during a freshman season in MSU program history. Teammate Jalen March, who is sitting out this season with an injury, ran for 635 yards and six touchdowns as a freshman last season.

OPPORTUNISTIC DEFENSE | Midwestern State ranks second in NCAA Division II scoring five defensive touchdowns this season. The Mustangs produced pick sixes in each of the first three games with Justin Guillory going 63 yards against Colorado State-Pueblo, Dylon Davis going 43 yards at Eastern New Mexico, and Melik Owens went 52 yards versus Michigan Tech. MSU also scored a pair of touchdowns in opponent punting mishaps. Peyton Shaw scored on a 2-yard blocked punt recovery against Simon Fraser and Isaiah Grant landed on an errant punt snap for a score against Western Oregon. Only Virginia Union has scored more defensive touchdowns with seven.

RITSE RAISING BAR | Sophomore kicker Ritse Vaes leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks second in NCAA Division II by converting 10 of his 11 field goals this season (90.9 percent). Only Delta State's Nick Herber has been more successful knocking through 13 of his 14 attempts (92.9 percent). Vaes has converted all 29 of his point-after attempts this season and is 10-of-11 in field goal attempts with a long of 40 yards at Western New Mexico. Vaes converted a school single-game record of 11 point-after attempts against Simon Fraser. Vaes has connected on his last 43 PAT efforts and has been successful on 59-of-60 PAT attempts in his career with his lone miss being blocked last season against Texas A&M-Kingsville.

CALLING KYLAN | Midwestern State senior wide receiver/return man Kylan Harrison leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks 11th in NCAA Division II averaging 30.1 yards per kick return. Harrison ranks fifth on MSU's all-time list with 885 kick return yards and needs 42 yards to move past Henry Johnson (926 kick return yards from 1992-95/4th) and 55 to pass BeeJay Mathis (939 kick return yards from 2007-09)... Harrison is the only player in MSU history to return two kicks for touchdowns during his career. Harrison became the 10th player in program history to amass 100 career receptions against Simon Fraser and is eighth with 110 career receptions... Harrison is closing in on Andre Kelsick (113 receptions from 2001-05/7th), Tyrique Edwards (114 receptions from 2015-19/6th), Statron Jones (115 receptions from 2013-16/5th), and Andy Tanner (120 receptions from 2006-09/4th). Harrison, who is MSU's all-time leader with 22 career TD receptions, ranks third in all-time receiving yards at 1,887. Harrison needs 336 receiving yards to move past David Little (2,222 yards from 2008-11) to move into second place.

MUSTANGS TRACKS | Senior quarterback Dillon Sterling-Cole moved into ninth place on MSU's all-time passing yards list on Oct. 29 against Western Oregon and now has 3,143... Sterling-Cole is sixth with 28 touchdown passes and is in range of Quade Coward (30 TDs/5th)... Senior defensive end Melik Owens is MSU's all-time leader with 41.0 tackles for loss and yards from tackles for loss (185)... Owens is second all-time with 17.5 quarterback sacks and trails Russ Grissom, who had 32.0 sacks from 1989-91...

CLINCHING A WINNING SEASON | Midwestern State can clinch its 19th winning ledger in 20 complete seasons under Bill Maskill with one more win this season. Maskill's teams which struggled early on have shown an ability to improve throughout the year which has led to greater success the following season. The Mustangs went 6-4 in 2005, 2008, and 2014 then made the playoffs in each of the succeeding seasons.

UP NEXT | Midwestern State closes the season with a showdown against No. 2 Angelo State next Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.