MSU rallies past East Central 42-31

            WICHITA FALLS, Texas - The Midwestern State University football team won consecutive games for the first time this season as they dispatched of East Central University (Okla.) 42-31 for Homecoming Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

            MSU improved to 4-4 overall and 3-4 in all Lone Star Conference play after the divisional crossover win.  East Central fell to 3-6 overall, 2-6 in all LSC play.

            Midwestern capitalized on five ECU turnovers, while suffering three itself.

            The Indians were paced by the play of quarterback Daniel Polk.  The 6-2 sophomore signal caller from Dallas/South Oak Cliff came off the bench with 301 total yards,  rushing for 194 yards on 20 carries, and throwing for 107 yards on 6-of-9 passing with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

            Running back Ross Harrison of Petrolia rushed for 56 yards with a touchdown.

            East Central was led by the powerful rushing of senior King Bennett who rushed for 175 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.  ECU quarterback Akeem Leviston hit only 9-of-24 passes for 156 yards with a touchdown, but suffered four interceptions.

            MSU chalked up 425 yards of total offense, the fifth time this season the Indians have collected more than 400 yards of offense.  ECU tallied 353 yards offensively as well.

            The game was best summed up in a pair of plays for MSU.

            On the first East Central punt of the game, punter Curtis Lilly booted a beautiful 42-yarder that was taken by MSU senior Gary Elliott on his own 23.

            Elliott got through the middle of the first defenders unscathed, then kicked into overdrive to outrace the Tigers to the endzone for a 77-yard punt return, the first non-blocked punt returned this season.

            The next play came late in the third quarter after ECU returned a fumble by MSU starting quarterback Ryan Roberts for a touchdown to take a 24-21 lead.

            ECU had the ball on its own 11 when Leviston dropped back to pass and under heavy pressure tried to pass as Indian senior Jessie Lewis hit him from behind.  The throw went right into the hands of lineman Marcel Moses who was tackled at the ECU 4.

            The next play, Harrison takes it in to give Midwestern a lead it wouldn't relinquish 28-24.

            Lewis recorded eight total tackles in the game with two tackles for losses and a quarterback sack.  Strong safety Jerome Jefferson tallied seven stops, six unassisted with a fumble return for 12 yards and an interception.

            Midwestern State hits the road for the final time this season next Saturday as it visits Blackwater Draw, N.M., to face regionally-ranked Eastern New Mexico in a 6 p.m. Mountain time LSC South contest.

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