ODESSA, Texas (September 27, 2024) – After falling in Lone Star Conference action for the first time in two seasons last time out, The University of Texas Permian Basin football team will look to get back into the win column on the road at Midwestern State University during "Week 4" of the regular season. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 28, from Wichita Falls, Texas.

It will be the first conference game on the road this season for UTPB. In 2023, the Falcons were 3-0 on the road in LSC play. It will also be the second year in a row the Falcons will play the Mustangs on the road. This Saturday will be Family Weekend for MSU inside Memorial Stadium.

Most recently, the Falcons fell 20-14 at home against Texas A&M University-Kingsville last Saturday night at Astound Broadband Stadium.

Both teams knew it would be a battle in the trenches that would decide the outcome, and Kingsville led 17-0 after scoring on each of its first three possessions of the game and used four seniors on its offensive line to put up a total of 125 rushing yards.

After accumulating just 13 rushing yards in the first half, UTPB finished the game with just 46 rushing yards and a 1.9 average per attempt. The Falcons were also 0-for-2 on field goal attempts and did not reach the redzone until their final possession of the game, which ended in an interception.

The Falcons' defense, led by sophomore linebacker Tristan Exline, limited the Javelinas to just three points in the second half. Exline finished the contest with 15 total tackles and 11 solo tackles, and had 4.0 tackles for loss.

Head Coach Kris McCullough has been adamant this week that his team "is staying together and is only mad at themselves, and not each other."

The Falcons will certainly need to play as one to have a chance on the road in a tough environment at Midwestern State.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP: UTPB AT MSU
Last season UTPB beat Midwestern State by eight points, 21-13, for the first road win at MSU in program history. 

UTPB scored twice in the first quarter on a two-yard run by Kory Harris and a nine-yard run by Nemier Herod and led 14-3 at halftime.

Then in the fourth quarter, the Mustangs hit a 40-yard field goal with 14:11 left in the game to make it a one-point game, 14-13.

On their next possession, UT Permian Basin took nearly five minutes off the clock. Herod scored from the four-yard line to push the lead to 21-13.

With 1:54 to go, Midwestern State had third-and-one on the UTPB 30-yard line. Malik Allen stopped the runner at the line and again on fourth-and-one to give the ball back to UTPB. On fourth-and-one from their own 39-yard line, Kenny Hrncir ran for three yards to get the first down and seal the game.

The Falcons finished with 381 yards in total offense. Herod ran for 81 yards and two touchdowns. Hrncir was 14-of-27 for 232 yards. Ben Patterson had four catches for 100 yards.

Defensively, UTPB held the Mustangs to just 85 yards in the air, the third lowest total in school history. Hayden Kelly had 14 tackles with two for a loss while Jalon Rocquemore had eight tackles.

MUSTANGS UNDER THE LENS
Midwestern State begins the Rich Renner era picked to finish fifth in the race for the 2024 Lone Star Conference football championship. The Mustangs return 42 letter winners and 11 starters from last season's squad which finished tied for fifth in the LSC with a 4-6 overall record. Junior defensive end Kaleb Manning enjoyed a breakout campaign and is the Mustangs' returning tackle leader. The Clute, Texas, native amassed 34 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss in 2023. Junior Devin Cross led the Mustangs with 713 rushing yards and scored five touchdowns, while topping the 100-yard mark in three games last season.

Midwestern State opened up conference play last weekend with a 36-15 win at Eastern New Mexico University as Cross and Jalen March combined to rush for 286 yards on 36 carries, and the Mustangs forced four turnovers. Ryan Melton, the LSC Defensive Player of the Week, had two interceptions and returned one 59 yards for a touchdown. MSU scored 20 points off turnovers, and placekicker Joseph Carlson, the LSC Special Teams Player of the Week, booted a school-record five field goals in the victory. Midwestern State was outgained by the Greyhounds, 416 yards to 379. Midwestern State improved to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the Lone Star Conference.

Before its bye week during "Week 2", Midwestern State rolled up 440 yards of total offense as quarterback Sean Jastrab had the fifth-best passing game in program history and completed 30 of 51 passes for 395 yards in a 38-33 loss to No. 15-ranked Western Colorado University at the Mountaineer Bowl. Jaiden Burnett sparked the Mustangs with a 98-yard touchdown return and was named the LSC Special Teams Player of the Week. The Mustangs shutout the Mountaineers in the fourth quarter. The Mustangs were held to 45 rushing yards on 19 carries.

MSU HEAD COACH
Midwestern State announced the elevation of longtime assistant Rich Renner to head football coach this season.

Renner becomes the 13th head football coach in the program's history and fifth since MSU re-instituted the program in 1988. 

The announcement comes on the heels of the retirement of Bill Maskill, who led the Mustangs to 160 victories and 19 winning seasons over the past 22 years.

Renner has played a huge role in many of those wins having served as the defensive line coach in 2006 and 2007 before become defensive coordinator in 2008. In all, Renner spent the last 18 years as a leader on Midwestern's coaching staff.

During that time, Renner mentored seven defensive All-Americans, 23 all-region selections, and 23 All-Lone Star Conference first-team performers.

Renner played an instrumental role in the development of Marqui Christian, who was selected as Cliff Harris Award as the best small college defensive player in the country following the 2015 season.

Christian was taken in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals and enjoyed a six-year professional career.

Under Renner's guidance, the MSU defensive has consistently ranked among the best in the Lone Star Conference. The Mustangs boasted the league's top defense in 2013 and 2015.

Renner helped guide the Mustangs to eight NCAA Division II postseason showings, a bowl appearance, and five Lone Star Conference titles since joining Maskill's staff in 2006.

Before moving to Wichita Falls, Renner served as a linebacker and defensive line coach and was the video coordinator at West Texas A&M University in Canyon.

His other coaching experience included a stop at Austin Peay State University in 1999 after serving as a graduate assistant at the University of Louisville from 1997-99 where he helped the Cardinals to a Motor City Bowl appearance in 1998.

Renner played as a walk-on linebacker at Louisville before earning a scholarship for his final two seasons.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Renner was a two-year letterman before earning his bachelor's degree in mathematics and later a master's degree in sports administration in 1999 at the University of Louisville.

CAREER RUSHING LEADER
With 41 rushing yards against Texas A&M University-Kingsville on Saturday, September 21, 2024, junior running back Kory Harris became the Falcons' new all-time leading rusher with 1,644 yards. After finishing with 865 rushing yards as a sophomore in 2023, Harris had accumulated 1,271 yards in his first two seasons, which ranked third in program history at the time. He then started his 2024 season with 82 rushing yards against Western New Mexico University (Aug. 31), 95 rushing yards at Colorado State University Pueblo (Sept. 7), and 155 yards against Adams State University (Sept. 14) to pull within striking distance of the record. Now second on the list behind Harris is Marquis Simmons (2016-19) with 1,625 yards while Brandon Infiesto (2016-17) is third with 1,322 yards in just two seasons.

GAME INFORMATION
To watch LSC football games all season long, tune in to FloSports (monthly and yearly subscriptions are available).

All UTPB home and away football games can be heard live on KQRX 95.1 FM, 95X, a West Texas Radio Group station" with the pre-game show beginning 30 minutes prior to kickoff. Monty Montgomery (Play-by-Play) and Ben Farmer (Color Commentary) return this season in the broadcast booth for the Falcons.

To follow the action for the Falcons all season long, please check out our Live Events page for all of the video and live stats details: https://utpbfalcons.com/coverage.
 
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