MIDLAND, Texas – Midwestern State is on the road to face No. 11-ranked UT Permian Basin in a Lone Star Conference clash at Astound Broadband Stadium on Saturday night at 6 p.m.

Midwestern State (0-3, 0-1) has the seventh most prolific passing offense in NCAA Division II with 337 yards passing per game. Senior quarterback Jakolby Longino is 12th in the nation with 1,011 yards passing, and the transfer from Lamar has thrown five touchdown passes with two interceptions through three games this season. 

Longino completed 24-of-37 passes for 350 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in the 56-31 loss to Eastern New Mexico at Memorial Stadium last week. Longino completed passes to eight different receivers. 

The left-handed signal caller is second in the nation with 27.3 passes completed per game, and he is 23rd in the nation with 66.1 percent of his passes completed. Longino leads the LSC in both categories.

Demonte Green caught six passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns for the Mustangs in their conference opener last week.

Green leads the LSC and is fourth in the nation with 7.7 receptions per game, and he is second in the country with 136.3 yards receiving per game.

The sophomore from Dallas has 409 yards receiving through three games, which is the fifth-most yards among NCAA Division II receivers and second-most in the LSC.

Freshman running back Kenji Johnson had a breakout game on Saturday night, rushing for 139 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns. The Wichita Falls native also caught four passes for 34 yards. Johnson had a 27-yard run in the second quarter for his longest run of the night. 

The Mustangs' defense was unable to slow down the rushing game of the Greyhounds, who ran for 453 yards on 59 carries and averaged 7.7 yards per rushing attempt in win over Midwestern State.

Midwestern State is giving up 286.7 yards rushing per game this season.

Noah Bustard is the leading the Mustangs and is fourth in the LSC with 25 tackles this season. The transfer from Nebraska has recorded the only sack of the season for the MSU defense, which has recovered one fumble and intercepted one pass through the first three games.

Joseph Carlson is 2-for-4 on field goal attempts this season with a long of 30 yards. Kohen Maroney made his first field goal attempt for the Mustangs last week with a 44-yarder. Carlson is averaging 43.5 yards per punt, and Maroney has six touchbacks on 12 kickoffs this season. 

Midwestern State is the least penalized team in the NCAA Division II football. The Mustangs have only been penalized 10 times for 82 yards this season.

Midwestern State leads the all-time series with UTPB, 6-3, but the Falcons have won the last two meetings, including a 27-3 victory at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls last season.

The Mustangs escaped with a 24-23 victory the last time they visited UT Permian Basin in 2022.  The Mustangs overcame a 16-point deficit, and Ritse Vaes hit a game-winning 42-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining in Midland three years ago.

UT Permian Basin (3-0, 1-0) leads the conference with 39.3 points per game, and opponents are scoring just 17 points per game, which is the fewest allowed in LSC.

The Falcons are coming off a 43-30 victory at Texas A&M-Kingsville in their conference opener on Saturday night. 

Junior quarterback Kanon Gibson was named the LSC Offensive Player of the Week after completing 18-of-26 passes for 316 yards and rushing for a game-high 81 yards on 22 carries. The transfer from West Texas A&M completed three touchdown passes and rushed for two more touchdowns. 

Gibson is completing 62 percent of his passes (36-of-58) for 517 yards with five touchdown passes through the first three games this season. He is also the sixth leading rusher in the conference with 164 yards on 44 carries and is averaging 54.7 yards rushing per game.

Senior running back Kory Harris of UTPB is the eighth leading rusher in the LSC with 51 yards per game and a pair of rushing touchdowns. Traylen Suel is the leading receiver for the Falcons with 16 receptions for 191 yards and two touchdowns. 

Junior linebacker Tristan Exline is the third leading tackler in the conference with 26 in three games, and he has made 15 solo stops this season. The product of China Spring, Texas, is averaging 8.7 tackles per game for the Falcons, who have forced six turnovers this season.

Linebacker McKyle So'oto has recovered two fumbles for the Falcons, and defensive back Jamarion Ravenell has two interceptions with one returned for a touchdown. Ravnell and Caimon Mathis have combined to break up five passes and lead the conference in passes defended.

Sophomore kicker Angel Diaz made four field goals in a 34-14 win over Central Oklahoma in the season opener for UTPB, including a season-long 44-yarder. Diaz is 5-for-8 on field goal attempts this season. Jolon Cabello is averaging 41.2 yards per punt for the Falcons.

UTPB head coach Kris McCullough is in his fourth season as a head coach and his third year at UTPB. McCullough is 20-7 with the Falcons and 29-10 including a season at East Central.

Midwestern State returns home on Oct. 4 to host Texas A&M-Kingsville in a "blackout game" at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tailgating at the stadium begins at 3 p.m., and shuttle buses will begin taking students from the campus to Memorial Stadium at 3:30 p.m. The Mustang Walk is scheduled for 4:15 p.m.