Nov. 16 will mark the inaugural game for the Highway 287 Challenge Cup between the No. 21 WTAMU Buffalo football team and the Mustangs of Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Buffs and Mustangs first played each other in 1947, with WT leading the all-time series 14-12.

Despite having a winning record versus Midwestern, the Buffs have lost three of the last four against the Mustangs including a current two-game losing streak. WT had won four-straight in the series before the skid. The Buffs own a 6-8 record in the series at Kimbrough, but own an 8-4 record in Wichita Falls where this year’s game will be played.

The two teams met seven times from the first game in 1947 until 1956, with WT winning five of the seven games. The two teams did not play each other again after 1956 until 1993, and the two teams have met every year, with the exception of 1995, since.

In 2012, MSU finished the season No. 16 in the nation with a 9-2 overall record and a 7-1 mark in the Lone Star Conference, earning the Mustangs a share of the LSC title with the Buffs. MSU defeated WT 52-48 last season after Marqui Christian recovered a fumbled snap on a punt a returned it for a touchdown. The Buffs held a 41-24 lead going into the fourth quarter before being outscored 21-7 in the final frame.

WT is 8-2 so far this season with a 3-2 mark in the LSC and are coming off a 63-23 win over West Georgia on Senior Night at Kimbrough. The Mustangs, however, are 7-2 overall with a matching 3-2 LSC record, but MSU is coming off a 40-21 loss at Eastern New Mexico. Both teams’ playoff hopes ride on winning this game and getting a little help in the rankings.