LSC FOOTBALL
The 2012 Lone Star Conference football season wraps up this week with four league contests and the final GSC-LSC First and Ten Challenge game. Midwestern State clinched a share of the LSC title with a four-point win over West Texas A&M last week. The Buffs would earn a share of the championship with a win over Texas A&M-Commerce.
The Angelo State at Tarleton State contest on Saturday will be web streamed live on FoxSportsSouthwest.com. The Rams and Texans sport identical 4-3 LSC marks, which has them tied with Texas A&M-Kingsville for third place.
The final GSC-LSC First and Ten Challenge matchup is this week with MSU hosting West Georgia. After nine of the 10 games, the LSC leads the series 5-4 and has outscored the GSC 280-267 for an average score of 31-30. The 10 contests include: Valdosta State at Angelo State (VSU 43-10); Abilene Christian at Delta State (ACU 34-28); Midwestern State at West Alabama (MSU 42-27); Delta State at Tarleton State (DSU 38-35); North Alabama at Texas A&M-Kingsville (UNA 21-16); West Texas A&M at West Georgia (WT 52-28); Texas A&M-Kingsville at Valdosta State (VSU 38-31); Tarleton State at North Alabama (TSU 38-28); West Alabama at Abilene Christian (ACU 22-16 (OT)); and West Georgia at Midwestern State (Sat, Nov. 10).
LSC football teams are 43-43 overall this season. The squads are 2-3 combined versus the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Great Lakes Valley Conference and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference teams, which are also in NCAA Super Regional Four.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Brandon Kelsey, Midwestern State University, SR, QB, Arlington, Texas, Arlington HS
Kelsey led the 10th ranked Mustangs to a share of their second consecutive Lone Star Conference Championship with a 52-48 victory over No. 12 West Texas A&M, the first time since 2004 that MSU has won in Canyon. The signal caller for the Mustangs’ Pony Express, Kelsey tallied 348 yards of total offense with his fourth career 200-100 game, going 14-of-22 passing for a career-high 248 yards and rushing 14 times for 100 yards. He rushed for three touchdowns and passed for a fourth in leading the Mustangs to 565 yards of total offense, the second-highest of the season for MSU and the team’s fifth 500-yard offensive performance of the year. His 348 yards was the second-best total offense game of his career as the Mustangs also claimed their third LSC title in the last four seasons.
DEFENSIVE
Matt Ellerbrock, Midwestern State University, SR, LB, Garland, Texas, North Garland HS
Ellerbrock helped lead the Mustangs defense as No. 10 Midwestern State downed No. 12 West Texas A&M 52-48 in Canyon to repeat as Lone Star Conference Champions. Ellerbrock was second on the MSU tackle chart with eight stops, but led the team with 2.5 tackles for losses of nine yards, including a sack of quarterback Dustin Vaughan for eight yards lost, recorded a quarterback hurry, recovered a fumble and led the team with three pass breakups. Ellerbrock’s sack of Vaughan was on the Buffs final drive of the game that helped MSU preserve the win for MSU’s third LSC Championship during Ellerbrock’s four seasons.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Marqui Christian, Midwestern State University, FR, Coverage, Spring, Texas, Spring HS
Christian, a safety and an outside rusher on the 10th ranked Mustangs punt return team, scooped a muffed punt snap and returned it 18 yards for the game winning touchdown with 55 seconds to play as Midwestern State defeated No. 12 West Texas A&M 52-48 to win a share of their second consecutive Lone Star Conference Championship. After both WT punter Kevin Van Voris and teammate Thomas Carper bobbled the ball after the bad snap, Christian scooped up the ball and led a parade of Mustangs into the end zone for MSU’s second touchdown in the final 2:09 to overcome a 10-point deficit for the win.