Texan Football home opener set for Saturday evening at Memorial … – Tarleton State University Athletics

The Teams: Tarleton Texans (1-0, 0-0 UAC) vs. North Alabama Lions (1-1, 0-0 UAC)
Where: Stephenville, Texas
Stadium: Memorial Stadium (24,000)
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: ESPN+ (John Liddle, Hek’ma Harrison)
Radio: Tarleton Sports Network on 90.5 FM (Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Keltin Wiens, Laura Sadler)
 
TEXAN FOOTBALL GAME DAY
The Texans are ready to go in Stephenville on Saturday for the first ever conference game in the UAC’s short history, as Tarleton hosts North Alabama.
 
The game, set for 6 p.m. CT, will be broadcast on ESPN+, with John Liddle and Hek’ma Harrison on the call. The game can be heard on Tarleton Sports Network at 90.5 FM in Stephenville and surrounding areas, with Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Keltin Wiens and Laura Sadler leading the broadcast.
 
GAME DAY FESTIVITIES
Texan Alley opens at 8 a.m. for tailgaters, and all parking lots open at 2 p.m. The Pointe-du-Hoc rally will be at 2:45 p.m. at Rudder Way Statue. Gates will open at 4 p.m.
 
For this Saturday’s Texan Tunnel and Freshman Run, all participants should arrive to the stadium’s southwest gate at 5:15 p.m. to get organized. The Sounds and the Fury will perform at 5:45 p.m., the national anthem will begin at 5:51 p.m., and then the Freshman Run will follow on the field at 5:53 p.m.
 
It’s Purple Out, so all fans are encouraged to don the university’s signature color for the game. For maps of the area and complete tailgating policies, visit TarletonSports.com/TexanAlley.
 
ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• This is the fourth all-time matchup. Tarleton leads the series 2-1.
• The Texans beat the Lions in Florence last season 43-28, snapping North Alabama’s 16-game homecoming winning streak. Tarleton had 586 total yards in that game, 316 passing, 270 rushing.
• The Lions just snapped a 10-game losing streak, which began in 2022. They won 41-27 against Chattanooga on Saturday.
• UNA has lost six straight road games, last winning Nov. 20, 2021.
• The Texans and Lions are now members of the United Athletic Conference. This is the first conference game in UAC history.

 
QUICK HITS

• The Texans are looking to start 2-0 for the first time in their NCAA Division I era. They last started 2-0 in 2019.
• The Texans have won their last two home openers, a 29-13 pounding of Mississippi Valley State last season and a 54-7 rout of Fort Lewis in 2021. They’ve won five of their last six home openers, and under head coach Todd Whitten, Tarleton is 10-3 in home openers.
• Tarleton has finished .500 or better in each of the past six seasons. That’s the longest run since a 10-season streak from 2000-09 (Whitten coached the first four years of that).
• This past Saturday, the Texans scored their most points in a season opener in 21 years, scoring 35 unanswered to roll McNeese on the road 52-34. The Texans outgained McNeese 554-268 in total yardage, averaging 7.5 yards per play to the Cowboys’ 3.4. Tarleton passed for 344 yards and rushed for 210, earning 30 first downs to McNeese’s 18. The Texans scored seven touchdowns, six on offense and a late Patrick Jones pick-six.
• Over their past two games, Tarleton has averaged 50.5 points and 535.0 yards. Defensively, they’ve allowed just 212.0 yards on average, with 6.5 sacks per game and three interception returns for touchdowns.
• All inaugural UAC Players of the Week are in this matchup; Patrick Jones, Adrian Guzman, Takairee Kenebrew.

 
HOME COOKIN’
Memorial Stadium has served as a safe haven for the Texans, especially under head coach Todd Whitten. Besides his immaculate record in home openers in Stephenville (10-3), the Texans are 57-20 (.740) all-time at home under the winningest coach in program history. Last year the Texans went 4-2 at Memorial Stadium, posting an average difference in scoring of plus-13.8 points (plus-83 total points).
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
The last time North Alabama had lost a homecoming game was 2004 – that is, until Tarleton entered Florence in 2022. The Texans snapped North Alabama’s 16-game homecoming winning streak with a 43-28 win in Florence, Alabama.
 
Tarleton’s offense was clicking on all cylinders, finishing with a season-high 586 total yards (316 passing, 270 rushing). Jaden Smith scored twice, from 86 yards and 30 yards, finishing with five total receptions and 173 yards. Darius Cooper had four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown. Derrel Kelley III almost tripled his career-high at the time in rushing, going for 161 yards on 21 carries (7.7 yards per rush). 
 
Five different Texans recorded a sack on the day, including current Texans Patrick Jones and Jalen Carr. Jones’ was a strip sack in the end zone that resulted in a safety.
 
Tarleton scored three touchdowns on its first three drives to start the second half, beginning with an 86-yard score by Smith as he outran the defense.
 
HOT START TO ’23
This past Saturday, the Texans exploded for their most points in a season opener in 21 years, scoring 35 unanswered in the second half to roll McNeese on the road 52-34. Although the game was tight through the first three quarters, Tarleton State dominated in nearly every area of the game. The Texans outgained McNeese 554-268 in total yardage, averaging 7.5 yards per play to the Cowboys’ 3.4. Tarleton passed for 344 yards and rushed for 210, earning 30 first downs to McNeese’s 18. The Texans scored seven touchdowns total, six on offense and a late Patrick Jones pick-six to seal the deal. Their 52 points mark their most in a season-opener since 2002, when they blanked Southwest Assemblies of God 62-0. Their 52 points are their most scored overall since Nov. 9, 2019, a 58-3 win at William Jewell.
 
New Tarleton running back Kayvon Britten had a hat trick, scoring three touchdowns on the night, two on the ground (19 carries for 82 yards) and one receiving (two catches for 25 yards). Derrel Kelley III carried over his elite play from last season, rushing for 136 yards on 18 carries (7.6 yards per rush) and a touchdown.
 
New Tarleton quarterback Victor Gabalis completed 20-of-34 (.588) passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns, shaking off two interceptions and a lost fumble. He found three different receivers for scores; Britten, Dejuan Miller (two receptions, 81 yards) and Jaden Smith (two receptions, 37 yards). Darius Cooper led the receiving group with 96 yards on six catches, while Benjamin Omayebu recorded six catches for 54 yards and Keylan Johnson netted a 36-yard reception.
 
Defensively, the Texans had seven sacks between six players; Caimyn Layne (twice), Kyle Taylor, Devin Sterling, Brandon Tolvert, O’tay Baker, and Bryson Collins. Jones had a 71-yard interception return for a touchdown to go with a tied-team-high seven tackles. Collins had a tied-team-high seven tackles with his sack, and Tolvert had two tackles for loss. Tarleton forced nine McNeese plays for a loss.
 
This marked the first win by the Texans over McNeese in program history, snapping an 0-3 start to the series that began in 1949.
 
SACKSESS
After a stat correction, the Texans ended this past Saturday with seven sacks between six players; two by Caimyn Layne, one each by Bryson Collins, Brandon Tolvert, Devin Sterling, O’tay Baker and Kyle Taylor. That marks a new program record at the NCAA Division I level for sacks in a game, surpassing their six they had to end the 2022 season against Houston Christian. The Texans also had five sacks against North Alabama and Southwest Baptist last season. Although it’s just one game, Tarleton is averaging the tied-most sacks per game across all of FCS, and tied-second most across all of D1 (FBS and FCS).
 
NICE TO BE RECOGNIZED
The United Athletic Conference announced their first ever weekly award winners, and all three winners (outside of Freshman of the Week) will be playing in Stephenville on Saturday. Texan defensive back Patrick Jones was named the UAC Defensive Player of the Week, Texan kicker/punter Adrian Guzman was named the UAC Special Teams Player of the Week, and North Alabama wide receiver Takairee Kenebrew was named the UAC Offensive Player of the Week.
 
This marked Guzman’s fourth career weekly award, having been named Western Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week twice in 2022 and once in 2021. This was Jones’ first weekly award since joining the Purple and White last season.
 
Jones had a 71-yard interception return for a touchdown that sealed the game in the fourth quarter on Saturday. He also had a tied-team-high seven tackles and a pass breakup. Jones had the only interception return for a touchdown in the UAC this week. He also has the longest interception return for a touchdown this season across all of FCS, and the second longest interception return for a touchdown across all of NCAA Division I, across both FBS and FCS. Jones had the most tackles by a UAC player who also recorded an interception in a game this week, and he became the first Texan with a defensive touchdown scored in the season opener since 2018.
 
Guzman made all eight of his kicks, splitting the uprights on a 41-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, plus he went 7-of-7 on extra points. He also had three punts cover 118 yards (39.3 average), with a long of 45 yards and a punt inside the 20-yard line. Guzman’s 41-yard field goal make is his longest since Sept. 10, 2022, at TCU (47 yards).
 
GREAT START OFFENSIVELY FOR…
THE TEAM
– 52 points scored, averaging tied-sixth most points per game in the FCS, had the tied-sixth most points scored in a game this season.
– Had 344 passing yards, the tied-seventh most passing yards per game in the FCS, first in the UAC.
– Had 210 rushing yards, the 22nd best average in the FCS, second in the UAC.
VICTOR GABALIS
– Completed 20-of-34 for 344 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
– His 344 yards passing mark the most in a Tarleton season-opener since Ben Holmes had 375 at Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 7, 2019.
– Earned his fourth career 300+ yard game.
– Has thrown for 684 yards and six touchdowns in his last two games, at McNeese and at BYU.
DERREL KELLEY III
– Rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries (7.6 yards per rush).
– Has five 100+ yard games on the ground over his past six contests.
– Has rushed for 375 yards and three touchdowns over his last two games.
– Has five rushing TD over his last three games.
KAYVON BRITTEN
– Scored three touchdowns, rushing for 82 yards and two scores on 19 carries (4.3 YPC) and going for 25 yards and a TD on two receptions.
– Has scored six touchdowns over his last two games, with 242 rushing yards.
THE OFFENSIVE LINE
– Allowed just one sack at McNeese.
 
GREAT START DEFENSIVELY FOR…
THE TEAM
– Had seven sacks and a turnover that was scored by the defense.
– Allowed just 79 yards rushing. Over the past six games, the Texans have forced their opponent under 100 rushing yards four times.
PATRICK JONES
– Was the UAC Defensive Player of the Week, had an interception returned for a touchdown and a tied-team-high seven tackles.
BRYSON COLLINS
– Had a tied-team-high seven tackles to go with a sack.
CAIMYN LAYNE
– Had two sacks, the most by a Texan in a game since 2021.
BRANDON TOLVERT
– Had five tackles and two tackles for loss, including a sack. This was his first game at Tarleton since 2021
 
BEST IN TEXAS
Since the start of the 2018 season, Tarleton has been one of the best scholarship football programs in the entire state of Texas. The Texans enter Saturday’s game with 41 wins since the start of 2018, the most wins in the state by an NCAA Division I or II program. They have a .732 winning percentage since the start of 2018, the highest mark across all of the NCAA Division I and II programs in the state.  Tarleton is one of two Texas D1 or D2 schools with all five winning seasons since 2018, only joined by Sam Houston. The list of the top scholarship programs in Texas over that span are as follows:
 

 
NEW CONFERENCE, WHO DIS?
Like most of the nation, you’ll almost never know which conference Tarleton Football is in year-to-year. For the fourth time in five seasons, the landscape has changed for the Texans, now members of the United Athletic Conference. The UAC is a brand-new, football-only conference that features both WAC and ASUN programs. There are nine participating teams in 2023-24, with a 10th program set to start in 2025; Tarleton State, Abilene Christian, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Utah Tech. Before the UAC, Tarleton was in the Western Athletic Conference in 2022 and 2021, independent in 2020, and in the Lone Star Conference in 2019.
 
FACILITY UPGRADES ON UPGRADES
Tarleton State’s fieldhouse underwent its final stage of renovation this summer to further enhance recruiting, as well as the student-athlete and coaching experience. Completed additions include a multi-purpose room, nutrition bar, film room, nine coach offices, an academic advisement office and a full service barber shop. In 2021, Tarleton opened its multi-million dollar field house and locker room. The facility also includes a unified locker room, training room, hydro room and equipment space. Memorial Stadium has also undergone major upgrades recently, including new north end zone seating to boost capacity to 24,000 last season. In 2019, a grandstand was built on the west side of the stadium, plus a video board was added on the south side, a $26 million renovation.
 
DYNAMIC DUOS
The Texans’ top two backs were both 1,000-yard rushers a season ago. Derrel Kelley III was Second Team All-WAC after rushing for 1,004 yards and eight touchdowns. He averaged 91.3 yards per game and 6.5 yards per carry, and saved his best for last, racing for 239 yards on 24 carries (10.0 yards per rush) and two touchdowns in the season finale against Houston Christian. His 239 yards in that game marked the fifth most rushing yards in a single-game in program history, just 30 short of the all-time mark. He ran for 100+ yards five times in the season, including four times over the last five games. Across the WAC, he had the tied-most rushing touchdowns and the second most rushing yards (25th in FCS). He also had the most yards per rush at 6.5, the 17th best average in the country. Behind Kelley is Arkansas-Pine Bluff transfer Kayvon Britten. Britten was First Team All-SWAC in 2022 after he rushed for 1,063 yards on 199 carries (5.3 yards per rush, 96.6 yards per game) and 16 touchdowns in 11 games. His 16 TD led the SWAC. He had five multi-TD games, including three 3+ TD performances and a four-touchdown game, part of a 277-yard night. In the season opener, Britten tallied 277 yards from scrimmage, rushing for 237 yards and three touchdowns. In the season finale, he scored three touchdowns, covering 160 yards.
 
At receiver, Tarleton is led by Darius Cooper and Jaden Smith. Cooper was All-WAC First Team, finishing with 54 receptions for 1,063 yards and nine touchdowns. He had the most receiving yards on the team and marked the most by a Texan since 2019. Across the WAC, he had the third most receiving yards (ninth in FCS), the third most receiving touchdowns (tied-21st in FCS), and the fourth most receptions. He had five 100+ yard games, the tied-second most in the WAC. He posted a career-high 191 yards on nine catches, with two touchdowns, vs. Sam Houston. He scored a TD in seven of Tarleton’s 11 games, including two multi-TD performances (at Southern Utah, vs. Sam Houston). He ended the year with three 150+ yard games in the final four weeks. Smith was Second Team All-WAC, finishing with 48 receptions for 822 yards and 10 touchdowns. Across the conference, he had the second most receiving TD’s (tied-14th in FCS), the fourth most receiving yards and the fifth most receptions. His 10 receiving TD are the most by a Texan since 2019 and tied-sixth most in a single-season in team history. In the season opener, he caught three TD, hauling in 11 receptions for 95 yards. His first TD grab was an OBJ-like skying one-hander, No. 4 on SportsCenter’s Top-10 Plays.
 
Tarleton is led by the tackling machine duo of Qua’Shawn Washington and D.J. Harris at linebacker. Washington was Second Team All-WAC, playing in nine games, leading the team in total tackles with 75 (37 solo). He also had a team-high 13.5 tackles for loss, plus 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries and a pass breakup. He led the WAC in average tackles per loss (1.5, tied-11th in FCS) and tackles per game (8.2). Harris recorded 68 total tackles (35 solo), 5.5 TFL, a sack and two quarterback hurries. He had the second most tackles on the team, the second most tackles per game on the team (6.8) and the eighth most in the WAC. He had the most tackles in a single-game by a Texan in 2022, going for 13 tackles in the season opener against Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 1. He had four games with 10+ tackles, including an 11-tackle game at TCU on Sept. 10. He had a season-best performance at Stephen F. Austin on Oct. 15, recording 12 tackles and a season-high 3.0 TFL.
 
BYE-BYE SCHEDULE
The Texans’ 11-game slate alternates between road and home games the entire season, and features no bye week until the final week. This is the first time since 2009 that Tarleton has no consecutive home games or road games. The Texans went 10-3 that year and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. Of Tarleton’s 11 opponents, 10 are NCAA Division I programs, the most they will have ever played against in a single season in program history.
 
With no bye week throughout the season, it’s curious to check out when Tarleton’s opponents have open weeks. Of Tarleton’s 11 opponents, four don’t have a game scheduled the week before taking on the Texans. Three of those four have their bye weeks ahead of a matchup with Tarleton; Eastern Kentucky, Central Arkansas and Stephen F. Austin. McNeese counts as the fourth, with the game being the season-opener for both teams.
 
NATIONAL LEADER
Across the country, only 13 NCAA Division I teams (eight FBS, five FCS) have a better winning percentage than Tarleton since 2018 (Cincinnati, Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Appalachian State, Kennesaw State, North Dakota State, James Madison, Princeton, Dartmouth). So among some of the other elite programs, Tarleton has a higher W% than the likes of Michigan, Oklahoma State, Michigan State, Oregon, Iowa, USC, LSU, etc.
 

 
4: Since 2004, only four reclassifying programs have started the period with three straight winning seasons; Tarleton (2020-22), North Dakota State (2005-08),  South Dakota State (2005-08) and Central Arkansas (2006-08).
 
5: Through three years of reclassification by teams since 2004, Tarleton posted the fifth highest winning percentage at .567. Only North Dakota State (.750), Central Arkansas (.630), South Dakota State (.600), and Bryant (.591) had better winning percentages.
 
21: Tarleton, at 52.0 PPG, is the top scoring team in the conference by a wide margin, averaging 21 points more than the next closest team in the league (Abilene Christian at 31.0 PPG). UNA is fourth at 24.0 PPG.
 
UP NEXT
The Texans will face their second ever Power Five conference opponent, the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 6 p.m. in Lubbock, Texas.