The No. 13 Midwestern State Mustangs had another explosive game Thursday night, as they trounced the No. 18 West Alabama Tigers 42-27 at Tiger Stadium.
“I felt like the team played the best football that they’ve played all year in this game,” Coach Bill Maskill said. “We practiced the way that we wanted to play, and it paid off.”
The Mustangs’ victory was their second win in five days, having played Incarnate Word the previous Saturday.
“Everything speeds up when you play a Thursday game,” Maskill said. “You have the time to rest during the traveling, but you lose a day of practice – it’s a trade off.”
Once again, the Mustangs’ running game was the catalyst to the offense, as they chalked up a total of 348 yards on 44 carries for six touchdowns. Keidrick Jackson posted 193 yards on the Tigers, along with three touchdowns.
“I’m not sure if that was his career best,” Maskill said. “But he’s been running the ball well the last few weeks and doing everything that’s asked of him. He’s breaking tackles and always keeps moving. It also helps that the line is making good blocks for him.”
Quarterback Brandon Kelsey also aided the Mustangs’ charge on the ground with 16 carries for 119 yards and three touchdowns.
Despite the dominating final score, the Mustangs did not get off to a great start in the first half.
The two teams traded blows throughout the first half, until a late drive for West Alabama ended in a 4-yard touchdown by Tyler O’Neal thrown by Gary Johnston to put the Tigers ahead 21-14.
The following kick return from Chauncey Harris ended in a fumble in Mustangs’ territory forced by the Tigers’ Keith Gibson. With 10 seconds left on the clock, Ryne Smith kicked a 40-yard field goal to give the Tigers a 24-14 lead. This was the first time all season the Mustangs went into half-time trailing their opponents.
“I told them that we still had two quarters left to play at half-time,” Maskill said. “We needed to go out there and play the way we knew we could play. They took on the challenge quarter-by-quarter and they won because of it.”
But the second half saw the Mustangs come out reinvigorated, as the defense held the Tigers to a lone field goal kicked in the fourth quarter, while Jackson led his offensive onslaught by scoring all three of his touchdowns in the second half.
The Mustangs now stand at 4-1 overall and 3-1 in Lone Star Conference play at the halfway mark for the season.
“Our goal is to take the rest of the season game-by-game and to always look for a win,” Maskill said. “This week, we’re looking to make sure we’re ready mentally and physically, as well as improving on a few things.”
While the Mustangs have had an impressive season so far, Maskill said he does believe there is still room for improvement.
“We’ve got to do a lot better with the passing game,” he said. “We also need to limit our turnovers and get a little stronger on defense.”
Saturday’s Homecoming game will kickoff at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium as they host the Angelo State Rams.