Game Notes in PDF Format

CANYON, Texas – The West Texas A&M football team returns to the road at No. 5 Midwestern State Saturday night at 8 p.m. in Wichita Falls, Texas.  The Buffs are 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Lone Star Conference play, while Midwestern State is 5-0 and 4-0 in conference play.
 
Fans can access links to live stats and audio/video streaming on www.gobuffsgo.com on the football schedule page.  The game will be broadcast throughout the Texas Panhandle on Lonestar FM 98.7 KPRF with Lucas Kinsey and Brice Sheets calling the game and Kent Johnson on the sideline. 
 
OPENING DRIVE NOTES

• The Buffs head on the road for the annual Highway 287 Challenge Cup matchup with No. 5 Midwestern State Saturday evening at 8 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas.
• WT is coming off a 17-14 win on Homecoming over Adams State last Saturday, snapping a three-game losing skid, while Midwestern State is a perfect 5-0 after a 41-27 victory at Angelo State.
• West Texas A&M leads the annual Highway 287 Challenge Cup 2-1 as WT has wins in women's soccer and volleyball so far, while MSU won in men's soccer.  WT leads the series 3-1 in terms of seasons dating back to the inaugural year in 2013.  Midwestern State's lone win came for the season came in 2015-16.  Saturday's game is worth a crucial two points in the Highway 287 Challenge and women's cross country competes with Midwestern State on Saturday in the LSC Cross Country Championship for two points as well, while volleyball plays at Midwestern State on Friday for one point for a total of five points up for grabs this weekend.  WT also led 2-1 in the Highway 287 Challenge Cup heading into last season's matchup with MSU.
• Midwestern State is one of 12 unbeaten teams in NCAA Division II and leads the Lone Star Conference with a 4-0 record.  The current five-game winning streak for MSU ranks tied for 15th nationally.
• Nationally speaking, these two teams are tops in fewest penalties in the LSC this season as WT ranks fifth nationally in fewest penalties with 25 and second nationally in fewest penalty yards with 188.  Midwestern State is 11th in fewest penalties with 32 and 33rd in penalty yards with 345.
• Midwestern State is looking for its third-straight 6-0 start and fifth time overall, while the Buffs are looking to play spoiler as WT handed then-No. 4 MSU its first loss of the season a year ago with a 35-27 victory in Canyon. MSU had its game at West Florida cancelled earlier this year due to Hurricane Irma so the Mustangs only have nine games this season.
• WT put together one of its better offensive performances of the season with 189 yards rushing and 171 passing for 360 for the game in the 17-14 win over Adams State last weekend.

 
INSIDE THE SERIES

• WT leads the all-time series 16-13 as the Buffs won last season 35-27 in Canyon on Oct. 22.
• The Buffs are 9-5 all-time in Wichita Falls and 7-8 in Canyon, while winning two of the past six meetings (2009).  Prior to that, WT had won four-straight since 2005.  The 2014 WT win was vacated.
• At least one team has been ranked for the game since 2005.
• In the Highway 287 Challenge, WT leads 2-1 in football since 2013-14 
• WT has outscored MSU in the season series 705-658 with the last two games in the series (2015 and 2013) being decided by seven points each.  WT won vacated game 34-13 in 2014.
• At least one team has been ranked for the game since 2005.

 
MEET THE COACHES

• WT head coach Hunter Hughes is in his first season at the helm of the Buffs as he was hired from Colorado State-Pueblo on Dec. 13, 2016 as the 28th head coach in WT history.
• Hughes spent 10 years as Defensive Coordinator at CSUP where he guided the ThunderWolves to the program's first national championship in 2014 with a 13-0 shutout of Minnesota State.  Hughes had a tremendous track record at CSUP as one of the top defensive units in the nation.
• He was named Footballscoop.com Division II Coordinator of the Year finalist in 2014 and his "D" led all of Division II in scoring defense (12.8 ppg) INT's (29), defensive touchdowns (7) and turnovers gained (43).
• Midwestern State head coach Bill Maskill is in his 16th season at the helm of the Mustangs and is 7-8 against West Texas A&M.  Maskill has a 124-46 record at MSU making him the winningest coach all-time in school history.  He has guided the Mustangs to the NCAA tournament in 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016.

 
A WIN OVER MIDWESTERN STATE WOULD . . .

• Give WT a 4-4 record on the year and a 2-3 mark in Lone Star Conference play
• Give Coach Hughes his fourth win at WT and first in the Highway 287 Challenge Cup
• Be the 508th win in program history (507-504-22)
• Hand Midwestern State its first loss of the season for the second-straight year
• Give WT two more points in the Highway 287 Challenge Cup
• Give WT its second win over a ranked team this season as the Buffs downed then-No. 7 Colorado State Pueblo, 24-21 in Canyon on Sept. 9
• Be the 111th win on Lone Star Conference play for the Buffs (110-104)
• Give WT a 5-4 record since 1946 on Oct. 21.

 
LOOKING AT MIDWESTERN STATE

• The Mustangs enter as one of the top teams in all of Division II ranked fifth nationally in the AFCA Coaches' Poll and seventh according to D2Football.com. 
• MSU is 20th nationally and second in the LSC in completion percentage at 0.644, led by quarterback Layton Rabb who is 17th nationally in passing efficiency (158.0), 36th in passing yards per game (242.8), ranking third in the LSC  He is 38th nationally and third in the league in total offense at 258.4 yards per game.  Rabb, brother of former WT quarterback Preston Rabb, is 15th nationally and second in the LSC in completion percentage at 0.652.
• Midwestern State had a tandem of outstanding running backs in Vincent Johnson and Adrian Seales.  Johnson is second nationally in rushing touchdowns with 13, while ranking fourth in the league in rushing yards per game at 83.0.  He is second nationally in scoring at 15.6 points per game and fourth in total points scored with 78.  Seales is fourth nationally in rushing yards per carry at an astonishing 8.0 per carry. Seales is fifth in the league in rushing yards (464) and second in rushing yards per game at 92.8.
• Saturday's game features the top two players in the LSC in interceptions per game as MSU's Kevin Hayes is second in the league at 0.4 per game, while WT sophomore Kevon Thomas leads the league at 0.4.  Thomas has three interceptions on the year, while Hayes has two.
• Return specialist Deandre Black is fourth in the LSC in combined kick returns for 283 yards, whil ranking third in the league in kickoff returns at 22.4 per return.  He is third in punt returns at 8.4. 
• Defensively, the Mustangs are led by Josh Wydermyer who ranks sixth in the LSC in total tackles at 8.2 per game.  Wydermyer has 41 tackles on the year with 22 solo stops and one fumble recovery.  Alex DiValerio leads the team with 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks as he ranks third in LSC in sacks per game at 0.8. Damarcus Wilson leads the team and is 13th nationally in passes defended at 1.6 per game, while Hayes is sixth in the LSC at 1.0 per contest.
• As a team, the Mustangs are 27th in defensive touchdowns with two, while ranking eighth nationally, allowing just two interceptions all season and two fumbles lost all year.  MSU leads the nation with the fewest turnovers on the season (4) and is seventh nationally in turnover margin at 1.40. 
• Once the Mustangs get into the red zone, they score as MSU is seventh nationally in red zone offense at 0.950, while holding teams to a 0.636 clip on red zone defense, ranking 13th nationally.  Interestingly, Midwestern State has attempted just one field goal all season and have not scored on just one possession in the red zone all year (19-20).
• MSU has allowed just four sacks all year, ranking 12th nationally in sacks allowed at 0.8, while ranking eighth nationally in scoring offense at 42.2 points per game.  MSU has allowed just 14 tackles behind the line of scrimmage this season, ranking second nationally at 2.8. 
• The Mustangs are 20th nationally and second in the league in total offense at 470.2 yards per game, while allowing 436.6 yards per game, ranking eighth in the LSC in total defense.

 
BUFF NEWS AND NOTES

• WT is coming off a Homecoming win over Adams State, where it forced five turnovers marking the first game WT has forced a turnover since Sept. 16.   Despite the five turnovers, the offense didn't turn any of the miscues into points.  WT has been outscored 42-30 in points off turnovers this season.
• Junior Warren Witherspoon had a career-high 160 yards rushing and a score in the win over Adams State as the Buffs had their first 100-yard rushing game since Sept. 23 at Tarleton State.  The Buffs had 189 yard rushing against Adams State.
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Justin Houghtaling passed for 171 yards and ran for a score in the win.
• Senior punter John Cummings posted a season-high 66-yard punt and had two punts over 60 yards turning field position in the game.  Cummings leads the LSC in punting at 42 yards per punt ranking 13th nationally.  WT is 17th nationally in net punting at 37.61 per punt.
• The Buffs are second nationally in kick return defense holding teams to 11.75 yards per kick return, while ranking 32nd in punt return defense at 4.83 per return, good for second in the LSC.
• WT is third in the LSC in tackles for loss allowed at 7.14, while MSU leads the league.  WT is third in the LSC in red zone offense at 0.783, while MSU leads the league at 0.950.
• The Buffs are third in the LSC in scoring defense, holding teams to 22.9 points per game.
• Individually, freshman kicker Alex Schrag is second in the LSC and 25th nationally in field goals per game at 1.14, while junior Chazz Slatinsky ranks 13th nationally in fumbles recovered with two both coming last weekend against Adams State.
• Sophomore Kevon Thomas leads the LSC and is 36th nationally in interceptions per game at 0.4 with three picks on the season, while senior Daelin Young leads the LSC in sacks at 1.00 per game and is ninth nationally.
• Young is 16th nationally and second in the LSC in solo tackles at 6.1 per game and is sixth in the LSC in tackles for loss per game at 1.3.
• Houghtaling is 63-130-4 for 829 yards and three passing touchdowns on the year, while Witherspoon leads the team in rushing with 376 yards on 80 carries and a score.  Sophomore Jordan Johnson is second in rushing with 139 yards and leads the team with three rushing touchdowns.  Houghtaling and freshman running back Brandon Blair each have two rushing touchdowns. 
• Junior Markel Steward leads the receivers with 235 yards on 15 receptions, while senior Ja"Quarius Daniels has two touchdown catches to lead the team.
• Senior Trevor Myklebust leads the team with 57 tackles and 30 solo stops.  He has 2.5 tackle for loss and 1.5 sacks, along with an interception and a forced fumble. 
• Young is second in tackles with 54 and has a team-high 43 solo stops.  He has a team-high 9.0 tackles for loss for 58 yards and seven sacks for 53 yards, along with ateam-high seven hurries and a forced fumble.
• Senior offensive lineman Dillon Vaughan was named to the AFCA Allstate Good Works Team and is a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Award and National Scholar-Athlete Team.