ODESSA, Texas (September 26, 2025) – With a record of 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the Lone Star Conference, The University of Texas Permian Basin football team returns home on Saturday, September 27, taking on Midwestern State University (0-3 overall, 0-1 LSC) with kickoff scheduled 6 p.m. from Midland, Texas. It will be Family Weekend inside Astound Broadband Stadium. The Falcons are also encouraging fans to wear as much orange as possible for the Orange Out.

It will be the first conference game at home this season for UTPB. In 2024, the Falcons were just 1-3 at home in LSC play, including losing their last three home conference games against Texas A&M University-Kingsville (20-14), Angelo State University (36-7) and Western Oregon University (30-27, OT).

This season, the Falcons have started 3-0 for the first time under Head Coach Kris McCullough, including earning the highest nationally-ranked win in program history (34-14 win over No. 5/No. 3 Central Oklahoma) and now the highest national-ranking in program history.

The Falcons remain ranked No. 7 in the D2Football.com Media Poll and No. 11 in the American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) Coaches' Poll. In addition, UTPB was ranked No. 9 in Wayne Cavadi's Week 3 DII football Power 10 rankings, its first-ever appearance in the rankings.

UT Permian Basin leads the conference with 39.3 points per game, and opponents are scoring just 17 points per game, which is the fewest allowed in LSC.

LAST TIME OUT
No. 11 UT Permian Basin broke open a tie game with three, fourth-quarter touchdowns to defeat Texas A&M-Kingsville 43-30 in its conference opener at Javelina Stadium. With a 23-23 tie with 13:32 remaining, UTPB got a 20-yard run from Kanon Gibson, who would go on to be named the LSC Offensive Player of the Week. The Falcons then used a pair of touchdown passes from Gibson (one for 70 yards to Jaylon Tillman and another for 34 yards to TJ McKenzie) to extend their lead with 8:10 to play. The game was also tied at 16-16 early in the third quarter. Gibson finished 18-of-26 for 316 yards and three touchdowns passing and also ran for 95 yards and two scores. UTPB's Tristan Exline had a game-high 10 tackles and McKyle So'oto had eight tackles, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

It was just the second-ever win for UTPB at Texas A&M-Kingsville.

In all, UTPB rushed 46 times for 175 yards, limited the Javelinas to 105 rushing yards, and outgained the Javelinas 491-375 overall while averaging 6.82 yards per play.

It was a major turnaround from last's year meeting between the two teams in Midland, Texas.

UTPB's 46 rushing yards in the matchup between the two teams last year as a major point of emphasis around the Falcons' facility.

On just the second play of the game, running back Kory Harris ripped off a 30-yard run, followed by an 11-yard run. In all on the opening drive, Harris rushed for 47 yards, surpassing last year's team total, while the Falcons totaled 60 rushing yards on the drive and saw Gibson punch it in with a rush from three yards out.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP: UTPB vs MSU
Last season, UTPB beat Midwestern State 27-3 on the road. Just the year before, the Falcons earned their first road win at MSU in program history with a 21-13 victory. 

Midwestern State leads the all-time series with UTPB, 6-3, but the Falcons have won the last two meetings. The Mustangs escaped with a 24-23 victory the last time they visited UT Permian Basin in 2022. The Mustangs overcame a 16-point deficit, and Ritse Vaes hit a game-winning 42-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining in Midland three years ago.

In the matchup last season, UTPB got on the scoreboard first just four plays into its first possession with a 58-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Graham to former Mustang Ja'Juan Mason.

The next MSU drive ended with an interception by Jalon Rocquemore at the UTPB 27-yard line, and after going 72 yards for a touchdown in just four plays on their first drive, the Falcons' next drive went 12 plays for 63 yards and took 4:52 off the clock before a 27-yard field goal by Angel Diaz to make it 10-0 with two minutes left in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, UTPB passed on a field goal opportunity and instead decided to keep the offense on the field on fourth-and-16 from the MSU 18-yard line, and the gamble paid off with a touchdown pass from Graham to La'Quan Wells to make it 17-0 with nine minutes left until halftime. The score was 17-3 at halftime.

In the end, UTPB finished with points in all four quarters and outgained MSU 441-253 overall.

It was a balanced attack for the Falcons, who threw for 242 yards and rushed for 199. In addition, the UTPB defense limited the Mustangs to 89 rushing yards, just one trip to the redzone, and a 3-for-12 rate on third down.

Graham completed 23-of-45 passes for 242 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Mason accounted for 104 of those receiving yards and did so on just three catches. It was his only 100-yard game as a Falcon after reaching the century mark twice as a Mustang in 2021. Kory Harris rushed 22 times for 147 yards and averaged 6.7 yards per rush.

As a team, the Falcons sacked the Mustangs four times for 36 yards.

MUSTANGS UNDER THE LENS
Second-year head coach Rich Renner is directing practically a brand-new cast in hopes of returning MSU to its winning ways. There are 96 new players on the roster for the Mustangs, who finished last season with a 4-7 record overall and a 3-6 mark in the Lone Star Conference. Among the new players is quarterback Jakolby Longino, a senior transfer from Lamar, who will be the Week 1 starter for Midwestern State. Renner begins the season with a new offensive coordinator. Kirk Bryant joins the staff after three seasons as a senior offensive analyst on the Texas Tech football staff. Blake Frazier, who led highly ranked defenses at junior colleges in Mississippi, begins his second season as the defensive coordinator for the Mustangs. Midwestern State finished last season seventh in the Lone Star Conference.

In its most recent matchup, MSU allowed the Greyhounds of Eastern New Mexico to run past them by a score of 56-31.

The Greyhounds went on eight touchdown drives and dominated with their ground game as they rushed for 453 of its 638 yards of total offense; and Chad Ragle completed all four passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns, complementing his 84 rushing yards on 12 carries.

The Mustangs' offense was effective as quarterback Jakolby Longino completed 24-of-37 passes for 350 yards and added two touchdowns, and freshman running back Kenji Johnson rushed for 139 yards and reached the endzone twice. Demonte Greene caught six passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns, including a 65-yard strike.

MSU PLAYERS TO WATCH
Midwestern State All-Lone Star Conference wide receiver Demonte Greene is back for his sophomore campaign. Greene tied for the team lead with 35 receptions, and he led the team with 550 yards receiving last season. Greene also had a team-leading five touchdown catches and was named the Lone Star Conference Freshman of the Year in 2024.

Junior defensive end Kam'rin Devault, who had four solo tackles and one tackle for loss in the win over Missouri Southern last year, returns to the Mustangs this season. Devault scored the first points of the Rich Renner era with a safety in the first quarter against Missouri Southern last year.

Jakolby Longino is expected to start at quarterback in the season opener for Midwestern State. The left-handed senior from Houston transferred to MSU from Lamar after appearing in nine games last season, completing 30-of-53 passes (.566) for 370 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for 83 yards on 29 carries with a touchdown.

Joseph Carlson returns for his second season as the placekicker for the Mustangs. The graduate student from Frisco, Texas, was second team Associated Press DII All-American Kicker last season, hitting a school-record 17 field goals. Carlson led the Mustangs with 73 points last season, and he was the NCAA Division II statistical champion for field goals made per game.

STATS TO KNOW
Junior quarterback Kanon Gibson is completing 62 percent of his passes (36-of-58) for 517 yards with five touchdown passes through the first three games this season. He is also the sixth leading rusher in the conference with 164 yards on 44 carries and is averaging 54.7 yards rushing per game.

Senior running back Kory Harris of UTPB is the eighth leading rusher in the LSC with 51 yards per game and a pair of rushing touchdowns. Traylen Suel is the leading receiver for the Falcons with 16 receptions for 191 yards and two touchdowns.
 
Junior linebacker Tristan Exline is the third leading tackler in the conference with 26 in three games, and he has made 15 solo stops this season. The product of China Spring, Texas, is averaging 8.7 tackles per game for the Falcons, who have forced six turnovers this season.

Linebacker McKyle So'oto has recovered two fumbles for the Falcons, and defensive back Jamarion Ravenell has two interceptions with one returned for a touchdown. Ravnell and Caimon Mathis have combined to break up five passes and lead the conference in passes defended.

Sophomore kicker Angel Diaz made four field goals in a 34-14 win over Central Oklahoma in the season opener for UTPB, including a season-long 44-yarder. Diaz is 5-for-8 on field goal attempts this season. Jolon Cabello is averaging 41.2 yards per punt for the Falcons.

UTPB head coach Kris McCullough is in his fourth season as a head coach and his third year at UTPB. McCullough is 20-7 with the Falcons and 29-10 including a season at East Central. He is looking to earn 30 wins as a college football head coach before turning 30 years old.

Midwestern State has the seventh most prolific passing offense in NCAA Division II with 337 yards passing per game. Senior quarterback Jakolby Longino is 12th in the nation with 1,011 yards passing, and the transfer from Lamar has thrown five touchdown passes with two interceptions through three games this season. The left-handed signal caller is second in the nation with 27.3 passes completed per game, and he is 23rd in the nation with 66.1 percent of his passes completed. Longino leads the LSC in both categories.

Demonte Green leads the LSC and is fourth in the nation with 7.7 receptions per game, and he is second in the country with 136.3 yards receiving per game. The sophomore from Dallas has 409 yards receiving through three games, which is the fifth-most yards among NCAA Division II receivers and second-most in the LSC.

Midwestern State is giving up 286.7 yards rushing per game this season.

Noah Bustard is the leading the Mustangs and is fourth in the LSC with 25 tackles this season. The transfer from Nebraska has recorded the only sack of the season for the MSU defense.

Joseph Carlson is 2-for-4 on field goal attempts this season with a long of 30 yards. Kohen Maroney made his first field goal attempt for the Mustangs last week with a 44-yarder.

Midwestern State is the least penalized team in the NCAA Division II football. The Mustangs have only been penalized 10 times for 82 yards this season.

MSU HEAD COACH
Midwestern State announced the elevation of longtime assistant Rich Renner to head football coach in December 2023.

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.

LIVE COVERAGE
Saturday night's contest will be broadcasted on FloCollege. The LSC and FloCollege reached a historic agreement in August 2024 for the largest streaming rights deal in NCAA Division II history. Fans have two different subscription options: $19.99 per month or $107.88 per year ($8.99/month).

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.

In addition, 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 Chad Kelly (Color Commentary) begin their first season together in the broadcast booth.