WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State opens its 2022 campaign against Colorado State-Pueblo Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

THE OPPONENT | Colorado State-Pueblo posted a 6-5 overall record going 6-3 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play in 2021. The Thunderwolves were slated to finish second in the RMAC preseason poll and will be tested early. CSU-Pueblo opens with games against No. 24 Midwestern State, No. 5 Grand Valley State, No. 17 Western Colorado, and No. 4 Colorado School of Mines.

SERIES HISTORY | Midwestern State and Colorado State-Pueblo meet for just the second time on the gridiron Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. The No. 4-ranked Thunderwolves claimed a 26-17 win over No. 9 MSU in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Division II Playoffs on Nov. 28 at Memorial Stadium.

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 163 career coaching victories are the fourth most by active NCAA Division II head coach and ninth most amongst all active NCAA football coaches. His 150 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.

MUSTANGS IN THE PRESEASON POLLS | Midwestern State was picked to finish second in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll. The Mustangs are ranked 24th in the American Football Coaches' Association Division II Preseason Poll. MSU has received votes at some point in each of the last 16 seasons dating back to 2006 with the exception of 2020 when the AFCA did not release a poll.

LID LIFTERS | Midwestern State is 32-12 all-time in season openers since becoming a four-year institution in 1947. The Mustangs have played two eras of football during that time including a run from 1946-56 before placing a moratorium on the program. The school brought back football in 1988. Since that time, the Mustangs are 24-10 in season openers including a 18-2 mark since Bill Maskill took over as head coach for the 2002 season. Midwestern has won their last eight lid lifters.

FAST STARTS | Midwestern State has started 13 of its last 21 season (under coach Bill Maskill) with at least three wins. The Mustangs have started eight of those campaigns by going at least 5-0, and have experienced program-best 10-0 starts in 2011 and 2017.

MUSTANGS IN NON-CONFERENCE TILTS | Midwestern State is 24-3 against non-conference NCAA Division II opponents during the regular season since the start of the 2002 campaign. The Mustangs had a 22-game winning streak against non-LSC foes snapped at Western Oregon in 2019, then fell at Central Washington last season. The only other non-league loss came at Nebraska-Omaha in 2002.

NO SEPTEMBER SURPRISES | Midwestern State owns a 61-10 mark in games played in September since the start of the Bill Maskill era in 2002. The Mustangs are 25-1 in September games since the start of the 2014 season with the lone loss coming at Angelo State in 2019.

HOME SWEET HOME | Midwestern State has owned Joe Golding Field by posting an 83-18 record (.822) during the Bill Maskill era (since 2002). The Mustangs have won the last seven games in Wichita Falls dating back to the 2019 season and are 28-4 since the start of the 2015 campaign.