STEPHENVILLE - For the last three meetings, including Saturday's game between No. 15 Tarleton and No. 18 Midwestern State, both the Texans and the Mustangs have entered the contest ranked in the American Football Coaches Association poll.  And Tarleton hopes the outcomes of those games is duplicated tonight in Memorial Stadium.

Tarleton has claimed the last six meetings between the two schools on the gridiron, including a 36-16 victory last year in Wichita Falls between the then-No. 19 Texans and the then-No. 22 Mustangs.  Tarleton has been ranked four times in the last six meetings when the two teams have met, and when both teams are ranked, Tarleton is 2-0.
   
The Texans will be looking to rebound from a disappointing loss last Saturday at Texas A&M-Kingsville (34-20) where Tarleton turned the ball over six times, three of which led to 21 points for the Javelinas.  Two of those turnovers led to the last 14 points of the game that were tallied in the last four-plus minutes of the contest. 
   
The Texans gained 112 yards on the ground and 256 yards through the air for a total of 368 yards of offense.  The defense allowed the Javelinas to run for 228 yards and pass for 151 yards for a total of 379 yards.
   
Tarleton is 5-1 overall and 0-1 in the Lone Star Conference South Division after suffering the loss.  
   
Despite the loss, the Texans are still the top-ranked defense in the LSC, allowing just 233.5 yards per game to opponents.  The Texans are second in scoring defense after allowing just 12.0 points per game while leading the conference in pass defense with just 137.8 yards per outing for opponents.
   
Matt Knicky leads the Texans with 37 total tackles, including nine solo and 28 assisted stops.  He has one interception return for 33 yards, two pass breakups and two recovered fumbles.  Marcus Phillips has 18 solo and 17 assisted tackles for 35 total stops for second on the squad.  He has two interceptions for 16 yards of return, two breakups and three tackles for a loss of minus-nine yards.  Ben Taifane leads the team with seen tackles for a loss of minus-22 yards. 
   
The team has a total of 57 tackles for a loss of minus-199 yards.  Tarleton has nine sacks for minus-74 yards, eight interceptions for a return of 96 yards total and 21 pass breakups.
   
The Texan offense is averaging 386.5 yards per game, including 189.0 yards on the ground and 197.5 yards through the air this season.
   
Evan Robertson leads the Texans with 86.2 yards per game with 74 attempts for 517 yards and five touchdowns.  Roderick Smith, who has been playing limited time due to injury, has 66 carries for 430 yards and six touchdowns. 
   
Scott Grantham is 72-of-135 with eight touchdowns and six interceptions, three of which came against TAMUK on Saturday.  He is averaging 178.3 yards passing per outing. 
   
Devin Guinn leads the squad with 31 receptions for 473 yards and three touchdowns.  He is averaging 15.3 yards per catch and 78.8 yards per game. 
   
Garrett Lindholm is perfect in point-after attempts (24-24) and is seven-of-nine in field goals while leading the team with 45 points scored this season.  He has kicked off 42 times for 2,684 yards, an average of 63.9 yards per game. He has 12 touchbacks this season. 
   
Midwestern State is 5-1 overall and 1-1 in the South Division after claiming a 31-19 victory at home over West Texas A&M last week.  The Mustangs fell at Angelo State the previous weekend, 20-17.
   
MSU has the second-best scoring offense in the LSC this season, averaging 37.3 points per game, and the best scoring defense, allowing just 9.2 points per outing. 
   
Overall, the Mustangs' offense is averaging 408.5 yards per contest, including 279.3 yards passing and 129.2 yards rushing.  The defense is allowing a total of 262.3 yards per game this year, including just 108.0 yards rushing and 262.3 yards passing.
   
MSU is led by Marcus Mathis in rushing with 82 carries for 446 yards and two touchdowns.  He is averaging 74.3 yards rushing per game. 
   
Zack Eskridge is averaging 265.2 yards passing per game after completing 113-of-163 passes for 1,591 yards and 17 touchdowns.  He has thrown three interceptions this year.
   
Andy Tanner leads the receiving corps with 39 catches for 618 yards and seven touchdowns.  He is averaging 103.0 yards per game and 15.8 yards per catch.  Sheldon Galloway is second with 20 receptions for 229 yards and two scores.
   
The Mustang defense is led by Emmanuel Bagley with 41 total tackles, including 14 solo and 27 assisted stops.  Matt Ellerbrock lads the team with five and a half tackles for a loss of minus-18 yards.  The Mustangs have recorded 39 tackles for a loss of minus-172 yards, including 13 sacks for minus-73 yards.
   
Overall, the teams have met on 17 occasions, and the Texans have won 13 of those contests.  Tarleton head coach Sam McElroy is 4-0 against the Mustangs at the helm of the Texans, and he is 6-1 against MSU as both an assistant and head coach for Tarleton.
   
The last Midwestern State victory came on Oct. 4, 2000 when the Mustangs won 44-23 in Stephenville.  The Texans are 7-2 against MSU while playing in Tarleton's Memorial Stadium.
   
The game can be heard on the official station of the Tarleton Athletics Radio Network, 93.1 FM KSTV.