WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Devin Cross rushed for a career-high 151 yards on 24 carries, and
Jalen March gained 115 yards on 19 carries as Midwestern State defeated Mississippi College in the Mustangs home opener at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night, 30-17.
The Mustangs appeared to be in trouble when senior defensive back Nick Grady picked off his second pass of the night at the Mississippi College 5-yard line after the Mustangs had gone 68 yards in eight plays.
Choctaws' running back Ron Craten took a handoff on a dive play and went 95 yards for a touchdown as Mississippi College took a short lived 17-13 lead with 06:35 remaining in the third quarter.
The MSU defense only allowed Mississippi College to gain 5 yards on its next three drives combined.
Meanwhile, the Mustang offense moved the ball effectively on the ground. A seven-play drive featuring five carries from March and two from Cross resulted in a touchdown. March vaulted into the end zone from 1 yard out, capping a seven-play, 55-yard drive that put MSU in front, 20-17.
The Midwestern State defense forced a punt after two short runs and an incomplete pass. Zach Keen, the junior transfer from Northern Michigan, guided the Mustangs on a four-play, 47-yard drive, and the strong-armed quarterback threw a 22-yard touchdown strike to
Tiquan Gilmore as MSU took a 27-17 lead.
After the Choctaws failed to convert on fourth down with 3:45 remaining, Midwestern State ran the ball three times before Ritze Vaes kicked a 35-yard field goal to cap the scoring.
Midwestern State took an early lead by moving the ball easily on its opening possession. Starting quarterback James Cooper hit March with a short pass, and the sophomore running back from Fort Worth, Texas, scored from 15 yards out, capping a seven play, 60-yard drive for the Mustangs, who took a 7-0 lead.
Mississippi College was able to tie the game as Grady returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown with 2:54 remaining in the first quarter.
A seven-play, 41-yard drive, capped by a 2-yard touchdown run from Cross, gave the Mustangs a 13-7 lead early in the second quarter. Vaes extra point was blocked by David Brown.
Cam Davis completed a 34-yard pass for Mississippi College as part of a nine-play, 57-yard drive that ended with a Ben Pledger 25-yard field goal. But the Mustangs held a 13-10 lead at halftime.
Cross, a sophomore from Pflugerville, Texas, rushed for more than 100 yards for the fifth time in his career and now has 1,044 yards as a Mustang. He is the 21st player to rush for more than 1,000 yards in his career at Midwestern State.
The Mustangs open conference play on Saturday at Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium in Canyon, Texas, as they face West Texas A&M at 7 p.m.
--MSUMustangs.com--
