Ford Excursion :: Misfires - Die After Rev - Noises - Poor Throttle Response?

Finally had a chance to pull the coils for inspection, and give the truck some very needed plugs. anyways, since i got it, the truck on initial start will rev itself up to about 3k rpms. it will almost always die after that rev. with the MAF sensor disconnected, it will rev to about 2k rpms, and the idle, if you can call it that, around 1k rpms. it will buck, jump, spit, burp, chug, pop, blow, and phew noises the whole time. I can rev the truck at this point but the throttle repsonse is poor. it does rev with a slight misfire, but no popping like what it does at idle. the exhaust has been dropped before the cat, so i know its not a plugged cat. i feel it could possibly be a sticking idle control valve allowing air past behind the MAF sensor causing this crazy scenerio