STEPHENVILLE - The Texans will travel to Wichita Falls to take on the Mustangs of Midwestern State on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m.  Tarleton enters the game with a 1-4 record, while No. 18 MSU is 4-0 and atop the Lone Star Conference standings with a 3-0 league record.  The Texans lead the all-time series 13-6 and are winners of seven of the last eight.  MSU won the last meeting between the two teams 31-26 in Wichita Falls on Oct. 30, 2010.

TARLETON

LAST WEEK

                On Saturday, Oct. 1, Tarleton met up with the No. 20 team in the nation as the Buffaloes of West Texas A&M came into Stephenville for just the second home game for the Texans this season.  Tarleton fell to WTAMU 44-13 in front of 7,534 fans at Tarleton Memorial Stadium.  Nick Stephens hit Clifton Rhodes on the first play from scrimmage for a 70-yard touchdown pass, but that would be the only touchdown of the game for Tarleton.  The Buffs went on to score 44 points on six touchdowns and a safety.

                The Texans totaled 311 yards, 220 yards from passing and 91 yards from rushing, while allowing 530 yards to the No. 7 offense in the nation.  Stephens finished the game with 199 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-32 passing.  Rhodes recorded his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season with 112 yards on four catches.  Brandon Lowery and Courtney Vaughn shared rushing duties with 26 yards each.

SHOW US SOME OFFENSE

                Tarleton's offense has been successful despite the losses, racking up over 383 yards per game.  The Texans are averaging 291 yards per game through the air and 92.8 yards per game on the ground, all while scoring 26.8 points per game. 

                The “air-raid” attack has benefited senior quarterback Nick Stephens, who has a 119.2 passing efficiency rating while going 120-for-214 with eight touchdowns and four interceptions.  The Flower Mound native already has 1389 yards on the season and averages 277.8 yards per game.

                On the receiving end of Stephens' passes have been 15 different receivers, led by freshman wide out Clifton Rhodes.  Rhodes has 28 catches for 495 yards and two scores, while Roddy Green has 19 catches for 253 yards and two scores.

                For the ground game, Tarleton has used a committee of backs to supplement the passing attack.  Senior Evan Robertson has rushed the ball 44 times for 182 yards and a touchdown, but it has been sophomore Brandon Lowery who has reached the end zone most, with four touchdowns this season on just 23 touches.

DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE

                The Texan defense has had the tough challenge of trying to contain some of the most dominant offenses in the nation and a pair of ranked opponents.  Tarleton is giving up 35.8 points and 440 yards per game to opposing teams.  The Texans have been susceptible to the running game, giving up 160.4 yards each game on the ground.

                Sophomore Marquis Wadley has led the team all season in tackles, totaling 57 so far this year.  Wadley has four tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery to go along with those.  Desmond Jackson has contributed 31 tackles and a pick, while Dashaun Phillips has 29 tackles and a team-high four interceptions.  Logan Johnson has added four sacks to the Texan defense.

CONSISTENCY IN THE KICKING GAME

                Jerry Owens has taken over all kicking-punting duties for Tarleton, and has been effective in both aspects of the game.  Owens is averaging 39.4 yards per punt and 59.8 yards per kickoff, while hitting 8-of-10 field goals.  His long for the season is a 48-yarder that came against Eastern New Mexico, and is a perfect 12-for-12 on extra points.

RHODES SCHOLAR

                Texan receiver Clifton Rhodes continues to torch opposing defensive backs with four 100-yard games in five attempts this season.  The Fort Worth native added a 112-yard, four –catch performance against West Texas A&M last week.  Against the Buffs, Rhodes caught a bomb from Stephens and ran it in for a 70-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.  It would be the only touchdown for the Texans in the game.  Rhodes has games of 107, 147, 130 and 112 this year.  Expect the Mustangs to have difficulty separating the Rhodes-Stephens connection on Saturday.

 

MIDWESTERN ST.

LAST WEEK

                Midwestern State crushed Incarnate Word 45-14 in San Antonio last Saturday, as Brandon Kelsey passed for three touchdowns and rushed for 113 yards and another score.  Lester Bush also rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown, while David Little caught seven passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns.  MSU held the Cardinals to just 352 yards of offense and racked up 586 yards of their own.

NO. 18 FOR A REASON

                The undefeated Mustangs bring the Lone Star Conference's best offense, averaging 48.2 points per game, and the LSC's second best defense, holding opponents to just 17.2 points per game.  MSU averages an astounding 535.8 yards of offense per game, with 301 of those yards coming on the ground.  The host Mustangs have scored 20 of their league-high 27 touchdowns via the run.

                This season, MSU is led by quarterback Brandon Kelsey, who has a 170.5 passing efficiency rating, 70.1 completion percentage and six passing touchdowns.  Kelsey also has three rushing touchdowns and 282 yards.  Keidrick Jackson is the leading rusher with 321 yards and eight touchdowns on 44 carries, while Lester Bush has 303 yards and six scores on 55 carries.  David Little is the team's leading receiver with 328 yards and four touchdowns on 20 catches.

NOT JUST A GOOD OFFENSE

                The Mustang defense is overshadowed by MSU's high-powered offense, but they have been just as successful this year.  This year, the Mustangs are giving up just 17.2 points per game and 269.2 yards per game.  Opponents have struggled to run the ball against MSU's defense, only posting 73 yards per game rushing.  Penalties have been an issue however, with the Mustangs picking up 36 penalties for 352 total yards.

                Ty Duncan is the leading tackler for MSU, with 29 tackles, 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss in 2011.  Tyler Maner has added 22 tackles, with Kevin Birdow adding two sacks.  Neiko Conway has two of MSU's three interceptions.

KELSEY'S HIGH MARKS

                MSU's Kelsey is No. 2 in the nation in passing efficiency, trailing only Saginaw Valley's Johnathon Jennings, who has a 173.5 rating compared to Kelsey's 170.6.

Live stats can be found on Midwestern State's website, while the live radio feed is courtesy of KSTV 93.1 FM.

For more information regarding the 2011 Tarleton football season, check out TarletonSports.com.