ELLENSBURG, Washington – Midwestern State is on the road to face No. 13-ranked Central Washington at Tomlinson Stadium on Saturday night. The Mustangs are seeking a fourth straight win and their first-ever victory over the Wildcats.

The Mustangs improved to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play with a 44-32 win over Western Oregon at Memorial Stadium last week. 

Kaden Brown completed 30 of 42 passes for 436 yards and four touchdowns and added 55 rushing yards. Dexter Stigall IV caught four passes for 87 yards and a touchdown and added a 1-yard rushing touchdown. Joseph Dodds rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries while adding five catches for 69 yards. Tyler Cooks recorded eight tackles, while Nathanael Hall added five tackles and a sack.

The Mustangs lead the nation in total offense with 583.4 yards per game, and they are sixth in the country with 45.2 points per game. MSU boasts the most prolific passing offense in NCAA Division II with 415.6 yards per game. 

Brown is completing more than 70 percent of his passes (132 of 188), which is second in the conference and ninth in the nation. The junior from Midlothian, Texas, is completing 26.4 passes per game, which leads the Lone Star Conference and is second-most in D2. He has thrown for 1,883 yards, which leads the LSC and is third-most in the nation. He also leads the league with 14 touchdown passes, which is ninth-most in the nation. 

Dalton Bailey has caught four touchdown passes, and Fabian Baez has three touchdown receptions. Dominic Cox and Case Peacock have each caught two touchdown passes.

Baez is averaging 62.6 receiving yards per game. Cox and Bailey are both averaging 55 yards in receptions per outing, while Tyler Brown average 44.4 receiving yards per game. 

Dodds is the leading rusher for the Mustangs with 66.2 yards per game and has 551 total yards on the ground while rushing for four touchdowns. Brown and Kenji Johnson have each rushed for three touchdowns this season.

Midwestern State is rushing for 168 yards per game, which is sixth in the LSC, and the Stangs have scored touchdowns on 25 of their 32 trips into the red zone.
The Mustangs are excelling on third down this season. The offense is converting 57 percent of the time, which is fourth in the nation and leads the conference. The defense is the league's best, holding opponent to a 32 percent conversion rate.

Opponents are scoring 30 points a game against the Mustangs, who are 1-1 on the road this season.

Hall leads the team with 21 total tackles, including nine solo stops. CJ Anderson and Tyler Cooks have both made 18 tackles.  Oliver Jack leads the team with five tackles for loss, while Hornel Cloubou has made 4.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. 

Opposing quarterbacks have been sacked 11 times, and Ronald Manning leads the team with 3.5 sacks. Jack has recorded two sacks this season and hurried the quarterback four times. Jack, Coubou and Tre'Von Bates have each forced a fumble, but Brayden Durocher has the only fumble recovery.

The Mustangs have intercepted seven passes this season, led by Brycen Lewis, who has picked off three passes. Joe Hollis leads the secondary with four pass break ups. 

Jack has two of the three blocked kicks on special teams. Midwestern State leads the conference and is eighth in the nation with 27.2 yards per kickoff return this season. Louis Hickman is second in the LSC with 264 return yards this season. 

Midwestern State has lost its first five meetings with Central Washington and is 0-3 at Ellensburg, where the Wildcats won two years ago, 42-21. Last year, Central Washington earned its second victory at Memorial Stadium with a 56-13 triumph. 

Central Washington lost to Cal Poly of the Football Championship Subdivision on opening week, 24-17. No. 1-ranked Ferris State upended the Wildcats, 24-18, but Central Washington is 3-0 in the LSC following a 41-14 win at Angelo State last week. The Wildcats also have a 45-36 win over Western Oregon, and they routed Sul Ross State, 61-22.

The Wildcats are fourth in the league with 35.6 points per game, and they are second in the LSC in scoring defense, yielding 24.8 points per game. 

This season, Central Washington is second in the league and 12th in the nation with 458 yards of total offense per game. The Wildcats are passing for 240 yards per game and rushing for 218 per outing.

Senior quarterback Justin Brennan has completed 93 of 129 for 1,139 yards with 11 touchdowns and one interception. Mason Juergens is the leading receiver with 40 receptions for 472 yards. Isaac Torres has caught 18 passes for 335 yards and leads the team with three touchdown receptions. AJ Perez, Wiley Donnerberg and Samaje Featherstone have all caught two touchdown passes.

Ryder Bumgarner is the leading rusher for Central Washington with 476 yards and 5.7 yards per carry. Bumgarner has rushed for six touchdowns. Brennan has three of the 12 rushing touchdowns for the Wildcats, who have scored touchdowns on 11 of 16 trips into the red zone.

Central Washington is converting on third down 51.6 percent of the time this season, which is second in the LSC behind only MSU, and the Wildcats lead the league in time of possession at 32:03. By comparison, MSU is fourth in the league in time of possession at 30:22 per game.

Central Washington is fifth in the in total defense, allowing 400.4 yards per game and opponents are converting third down 45.2 percent of the time against the Wildcats defense.

Defensive back Omar Lazcano leads the team with 31 tackles, including 16 solo stops. Linebacker Brycen Indell is responsible for 30 tackles. Defensive back Joseph Jefferson II has made 20 solo tackles and has been on 29 tackles overall. 

The Wildcats have recorded three sacks and picked off five passes this season.

David Weber is 4-for-5 on field goal attempts. His only miss was a 47-yard attempt against Sul Ross State, and his longest made field goal also came against the Lobos as he hit a 39-yard effort.

Featherston leads the Wildcats with 25 yards per kick return and has a 75-yard return this season. 

Midwestern State returns home next week to hosts Angelo State at 8 p.m. on Oct. 17.