WICHITA FALLS, Texas — Midwestern State set a school record for points scored in a game and defeated Western New Mexico 84-17 on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.
MSU scored 42 unanswered points across six scoring drives from the first quarter into the second and finished with 708 yards of offense.
The Mustangs turned two interceptions and a turnover on downs into three rushing touchdowns, building a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.
WNMU reached MSU territory on its opening drive, but
Trevor Brooks intercepted a pass at the MSU 21, and
Kaden Brown completed passes to
Brock Temple and
Aanjay Feliciano before
Joseph Dodds rushed into the end zone from seven yards out.
The defense forced a turnover on downs on the next possession, with
Nathanael Hall recording the stop, and Dodds finished the short field with a 2-yard touchdown at 9:36.
Brycen Lewis added another interception at the WNMU 31, and Brown followed with completions of 11 and 18 yards to
Dominic Cox before scoring on a 2-yard keeper to make it 21-0. WNMU put together a longer late drive, but the Maroon & Gold kept Western Mustangs off the scoreboard and closed the quarter ahead 21-0.
MSU built on its lead with three
Kaden Brown touchdown passes in the second quarter, including two scoring connections with
Dalton Bailey, and closed the quarter ahead 42-3. Earlier, Brown found Bailey for a 48-yard touchdown at 13:21, and after
Oliver Jack blocked a WNMU punt that Dre Sanders recovered at the WNMU 21, Brown capped a two-play drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to
Ace Traylor. The Mustangs later went 99 yards in 12 plays from their own 1, converting fourth-and-6 when Brown hit Bailey for a 43-yard touchdown at 2:21. The defense added pressure throughout the quarter, with sacks involving
Ronald Manning,
Donnie Smith and
Hornel Cloubou, then held WNMU to a 22-yard field goal after the visitors reached the MSU 5.
Sean Jastrab moved the Maroon & Gold back into WNMU territory in the final seconds, completing passes to Cox and
Case Peacock before the quarter ended.
MSU scored touchdowns on three of its four third-quarter possessions and finished the quarter ahead 63-10, with Jastrab throwing two touchdown passes and
Kenji Johnson adding a late rushing score. Earlier,
Louis Hickman's 100-yard kickoff return was nullified by a holding penalty, but the Mustangs still started at the WNMU 35 and turned the field position into a 9-yard Jastrab touchdown pass to
Fabian Baez for a 49-3 lead. After WNMU reached the MSU 22,
Cooper Howard broke up a fourth-down pass at 10:09 to give the ball back to the Maroon & Gold, and
Jorge Mendoza later pinned WNMU at its 1 with a 42-yard punt. Jastrab capped a 58-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to
Lucas Mangham, and after WNMU answered with a 75-yard touchdown pass, Hickman's 37-yard kickoff return helped set up Johnson's 6-yard touchdown run with 30 seconds left.
MSU opened the fourth quarter by turning
Daniel Scarabino's interception and 27-yard return into
Alton Henderson's 9-yard touchdown run and
Kohen Maroney's PAT for a 70-10 lead. The defense forced a punt on the next WNMU possession, and the Mustangs followed with a 72-yard drive that included
Drayton Urbay's 22-yard completion to Mangham and ended with Urbay's 21-yard touchdown run. WNMU put together a 10-play scoring drive, but the Maroon & Gold responded from their own 37 with
Ryan Swirczynski runs of 12, 5 and 9 yards,
Canyon Evans' 27-yard carry and Swirczynski's 10-yard touchdown with 2:19 left. MSU rushed for 122 yards and three touchdowns in the quarter, and
Benjamin Sears' late tackle for loss helped force a final WNMU punt before the Mustangs closed out an 84-17 win.
Kaden Brown completed 15 of 19 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns and added 10 rushing yards with a touchdown. Bailey caught four passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Jastrab finished 10-of-17 passing for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Dodds scored two rushing touchdowns and added two receptions for 18 yards.
Kainan Manna completed 11 of 25 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. Demarion Postell caught two passes for 80 yards and a touchdown. Isaiah Abeyta added a team-high four receptions for 78 yards. Clayton Zentner recorded a team-high nine tackles.
Up next, MSU travels to Canyon, Texas, to face West Texas A&M on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m.
MSU is 2-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play. WNMU is 1-3 overall and 0-2 in conference play.
-- MSUMustangs.com --
