WICHITA FALLS, Texas - - Midwestern State looks to remain undefeated in conference play as it hosts Western Oregon following a record-setting 41-31 at West Texas A&M last week. Kickoff at Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 2 p.m.

The first 250 fans will receive an MSU x Pepsi Reversible Bucket Hat as part of Maroon Week: Presented by All Star Ford Wichita Falls.

Junior quarterback Kaden Brown had a record-setting night as Midwestern State (3-1, 2-0) ended a six-game losing streak in its rivalry with West Texas A&M and earned its first-ever win in five visits to Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium. Brown threw for 474 yards and three touchdowns. MSU finished with 198 yards on the ground and three more scores in a 41-31 victory on Saturday night.

Brown set the MSU school record with 507 yards of total offense, the most for any NCAA Division II player this season. Quarterback Phillip Boggs held the school record since 2001 with 500 yards of total offense at East Central in 2001. Brown also surpassed Layton Rabb for the MSU single game passing record, completing 29 of 43 passes for 475 yards, which is the most passing yards in a game by any D2 quarterback this season.

The Mustangs boast the best passing offense in NCAA Division II with 410.5 yards per game this season, and leads the Lone Star Conference with 14.4 yards per completion. Brown is second in the nation with 1,447 yards passing, which leads the conference, and he is completing 69.9 percent of his passes, which is second-best in the LSC.

Brown is tied for the conference lead with 10 touchdown passes. Dalton Bailey and Fabian Baez have each caught three touchdown passes for the Mustangs. Fourteen different receivers have caught passes this season, and eight have caught touchdown passes.

Bailey leads MSU with 62.3 yards receiving per game, and Baez is averaging 57.5 yards receiving per game.

Midwestern State is also rushing for 165.8 yards per game, led by junior running back Joseph Dodds, who is rushing for 69.3 yards per game and has 277 yards on 59 carries through the first four games. Dodds, Brown and Kenji Johnson all have three rushing touchdowns this season.

Midwestern State converted 13 of 21 third downs against the Buffaloes and is third in the nation, converting on third down 59 percent of the time. The Mustangs lead the conference with 121 first downs, which is fifth-most among Division II programs. 

Opponents are only converting on third down 33 percent of the time, which is the second-best third-down defense in the conference.

Midwestern State is the fifth highest-scoring team in D2 and second in the conference with 45.5 points per game. The Mustangs have the fourth-best scoring defense in the league, allowing 29.8 points per game.

The Mustangs' defense is holding teams to 390.3 yards per game, which is third-best in the LSC. The rushing defense is seventh in the league, allowing 165.8 yards per game. Opponents are passing for 244 yards per game, which is sixth in the conference.

Freshman cornerback CJ Anderson leads the team with 18 tackles, including 10 solo stops, and sophomore linebacker Nathanael Hall has 16 tackles for the Mustangs. Sophomore Ronald Manning leads the Stangs with 3.5 sacks and four tackles for loss.

The defense has 25 tackles for loss — more than six per game — which is fourth most in the conference. Midwestern State has sacked the quarterback nine times this season, and 2.25 sacks per game is second-most in the LSC. 

Junior safety Brycen Lewis has intercepted three passes for the Mustangs. Sophomore safety Trevor Brooks and freshman defensive back Daniel Scarabino have each picked off one pass this season. MSU is fifth in the league with five interceptions. Senior defensive end Hornel Cloubou and sophomore defensive tackle Tre'von Bates have each forced a fumble, but the Mustangs do not have a fumble recovery this season.

Freshman Louis Hickman is third in the nation and second in the conference with 34.6 yards per kickoff return. 

Kohen Maroney has hit 22-of-24 extra points but is still seeking his first field goal of the season. A 46-yard field goal attempt late in the first half was blocked by Herschel Craig III of West Texas A&M.

The Mustangs lead the conference with three blocked kicks and have also blocked a punt this season.

Western Oregon (2-2, 0-2)

Midwestern State is 2-3 in the all-time series after losing the last two meetings with Western Oregon, including a 31-3 loss in Monmouth, Oregon, last year. The Wolves had 476 yards of total offense in a game that was scoreless at halftime. Jordan McCarty completed 13-of-22 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown, while Jermaine Land rushed for 94 yards on 15 carries. Western Oregon gained 199 yards on the ground last season.

The Wolves won their last visit to Memorial Stadium, 21-16, taking advantage of a shanked punt and an interception to score 14 first-quarter points. Midwestern State drove to the Western Oregon 18-yard line with less than a minute to play in the game but failed to convert on fourth down, and the Wolves ran out the final 52 seconds.

Western Oregon opened conference play with a 45-36 loss at Central Washington and lost an overtime decision to Angelo State at home last week, 29-28, as the Rams had a successful two-point conversion to cap their first overtime possession. Ashton Wolff missed a 30-yard field goal attempt with 36 seconds remaining in regulation that would have given the Wolves a 24-21 lead.

The Wolves lead the LSC and are 10th in the nation with 256.3 yards rushing per game. Senior running back Jermaine Land is averaging 56.3 yards rushing per game, and the senior quarterback, McCarty, is rushing for 55.3 yards per game. Wide receiver Tony McAdoo has 147 yards on three carries, including an 81-yard run, and he has rushed for two Western Oregon touchdowns.

McCarty is sixth in the conference with 245.8 yards of total offense per game. The LSC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year has completed 56-of-101 passes for 762 yards and 10 touchdowns, including three against Angelo State last week. He has rushed for 221 yards on 45 carries with one touchdown.

Junior wide receiver Erick Gonzalez-Bejar is the leading receiver with 10 receptions for 127 yards, including two touchdowns. Jaydan Burns leads Western Oregon with three touchdown receptions. 

The senior from Silverton, Oregon, has played 36 games in four seasons. He averaged 184.4 yards of total offense per game last year, when he passed for 1,521 yards and ran for 507.
The Wolves have the third highest scoring team in the LSC with 37.8 points per game but are allowing 32.3 points per game, which is sixth in the league.

Western Oregon ranks sixth among LSC schools in total defense, allowing 402 yards per game, Western Oregon has the best rushing defense in the league, holding teams to 99.3 yards on the ground per game, but opponents are passing for nearly 303 yards per game, which is ninth in the conference.

Sophomore linebacker Isaiah Mosley and senior defensive back Malik Ross lead the Wolves with 23 tackles apiece. Freshman defensive lineman Daniel Cooper has three of the eight sacks for the WOU defense. Senior LJ Imo leads the team with 3.5 tackles for loss, including two sacks. Senior Jayden Brannan has also recorded two sacks for the Wolves.

UP NEXT

Midwestern State travels to Central Washington next week for an 8 p.m. CT kickoff at Tomlinson Stadium in Ellensburg, Washington.