Texans clash with Bears in Waco on 1st full weekend of college football - Tarleton State University Athletics (2024)

The Teams: No. 21 Tarleton State Texans (1-0, 0-0 UAC) at Baylor Bears (0-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Where: Waco, Texas
Stadium: McLane Stadium (45,140)
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: Big 12 Now/ESPN+ (Pete Sousa, Brad Hopkins)
Radio: Tarleton Sports Network on 90.5 FM (Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Keltin Wiens, Ty Walker)

TEXAN FOOTBALL GAME DAY
For the third straight year, Tarleton State will battle against a Big 12 opponent on the road, this time making the short trip to Waco to take on the Baylor Bears.

Tarleton's game, set for 6 p.m. CT, will be broadcast on Big 12 Now and ESPN+, with Pete Sousa and Brad Hopkins 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 Ty Walker leading the broadcast.

GAME DAY FESTIVITIES
There will be a pregame tailgate at McLane Stadium for Texan Nation. From 3-5 p.m., the Tarleton Alumni Association welcomes any and all Texans to join the tailgate at Grant Teaff Plaza "Bear Lawn" on University Parks Blvd. There will be free food and drinks there, it is BYOB, there will be entertainment and more. If fans are struggling to find the location, it is between the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and the Mayborn Museum, look for the purple flags.

ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• This is the first official meeting, although Tarleton and Baylor have some football history. Led by the legendary head coach W.J. Wisdom, John Tarleton College faced the "Baylor Ineligibles" in 1920, winning 98-0, then faced the "Baylor Freshmen" six times from 1920-26, going 1-4-1. Baylor's records show just the 1921 matchup.
• Baylor lost four straight to end 2023, finishing the season 3-9. Last year, Baylor lost its first season opener since 2017, 42-31 to Texas State.
• Baylor has a total of 39 new players in 2024, 22 via the transfer portal.
• In 2023, Baylor averaged the 10th fewest penalties per game (4.1).

QUICK HITS

• The Texans played in one of just seven college football games during Week 0, beginning 1-0 for the third straight season. The game was broadcast on ESPN2, the first time Tarleton Football played on linear television.
• Tarleton State is enjoying its longest winning streak in its NCAA Division I era at five, last losing on Oct. 14, 2023. The Texans last won six in a row in 2019, when they started 11-0.
• The Texans are 2-2 in road openers in their D1 era. They won their road opener last year 52-34 at McNeese.
• This is the third straight year Tarleton has faced a Power Four conference opponent. The Texans lost 41-3 at Texas Tech last year and 59-17 at TCU in 2022, the same year TCU played in the national championship game.
• Tarleton State will be without starting QB Victor Gabalis on Saturday. He completed 11-of-18 for 140 yards and a touchdown in the first half against McNeese before injuring his thumb, seeing the Texans up 26-7 at halftime.
• Tarleton State was plus-4 in the turnover battle on Saturday and was penalized just once in the season opener.
• The Texans netted three player of the week awards after Week 0. Kayvon Britten and Adrian Guzman were UAC Offensive and Special Teams players of the week, respectively, while Kasyus Kurns was Co-Defensive POW.
• The Texans went 8-3 last year, their most wins in a single season since becoming an NCAA Division I program.
• Tarleton has rattled off six straight winning seasons. They are now 49-18 (.731) since 2018.

UNDER CENTER
Tarleton State will be without starting quarterback Victor Gabalis on Saturday. "Victor is in good shape -- as [good as] you can be I guess with a thumb injury like he has," head coach Todd Whitten said. "They repaired a ligament in his thumb (Tuesday), and we can think he's going to miss about the next three Saturdays. Luckily one of those is an open week. Everybody involved has felt really good, so he'll be back, he'll be back to full speed, and I think sooner rather than what we initially thought, so we got some really good news on Vic." Gabalis has started the last 12 games under center for the Texans, leading them to a 9-3 record.

Jaden Pete is listed atop the depth chart entering Saturday after playing the second half against McNeese. He transferred to Tarleton State in the spring from Tyler Junior College. He started five games for them in 2023, completing 103-of-165 (.624) for 1,329 yards and 12 touchdowns, compared to eight interceptions. He averaged 265.8 yards per game passing, and also rushed for three touchdowns and 322 yards (64.4 YPG) on 40 carries (8.1 YPC). In the first three games of 2023, he passed for more than 300 yards in each, his best game coming Sept. 9 at Georgia Military College, where he threw for a career-high five touchdowns and a career-high 365 yards on 25-of-33 (.758) passing. He accounted for six touchdowns in that game, adding a score on the ground.

RESPECT THAT!
In the two polls recognized by the NCAA for the FCS, Tarleton State was ranked No. 21 in both. First, Tarleton State was ranked No. 21 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Preseason Poll, then the Texans were ranked No. 21 in the AFCA FCS Coaches' Preseason Poll.

Last year, the Texans ended their regular season with a splash and found themselves in the conversation for being ranked for the first time at the NCAA Division I level. They were as high as No. 16 in the College Football Poll, and in the two NCAA recognized polls, they were No. 27 and No. 28, respectively.

This is the first Tarleton State has been ranked since becoming an NCAA Division I program. The Texans were ranked No. 3 nationally at the very end of their NCAA Division II days in November 2019.

LAST TIME OUT
All eyes were on the Tarleton State Texans nationwide on Saturday, and all eyes witnessed a Tarleton State Texan victory to start their season Won-and-0.

The Texans (1-0) staved off McNeese (0-1) 26-23 to win the second college football played nationally in 2024, the first on United States soil. The Week 0 contest was broadcast on ESPN2, the first time Tarleton State Football has played on linear television.

In Tarleton State's first full-fledged NCAA Division I season, the Texans started 2024 where they left off 2023, extending their winning streak to five straight, their longest winning streak at the D1 level. This is the first time Tarleton has won five straight since 2019.

"Winning's hard," head coach Todd Whitten said postgame. "We're 1-0, that's the good thing. There were some difficult conditions out there for both sides, and I thought both teams played really hard, I thought it was a really good college football game."

The Texans won their fifth season opener over the past seven seasons on the heels of a strong offensive first half and a defense that forced four turnovers.

Kayvon Britten showcased why he was a unanimous pick for UAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year by rushing for 164 yards on 25 attempts, averaging 6.6 yards per carry. Derrel Kelley III had 41 yards on 12 carries to go with his touchdown. Wide receiver Darius Cooper finished with six catches and 85 yards, and Keylan Johnson two catches for 37 yards and a score.

Defensively, Kasyus Kurns had two fumble recoveries, a fumble return touchdown, a forced fumble, and six total tackles. Caimyn Layne recorded a forced fumble and a sack, with four total tackles. Linebacker Caden Holt and defensive lineman Tramaine Chism each had a tied-team-high seven tackles. Ty Rawls had a sack and five total tackles. Bam Smith had one FF and five tackles, and Blake Smith had one FR and six tackles.

Adrian Guzman had a strong day punting, averaging 46.3 yards across his six boots, launching two 50-plus yards and two inside the 20.

SATURDAY'S STANDOUTS
Texan running back Kayvon Britten and punter Adrian Guzman were named the UAC Offensive and Special Teams players of the week, respectively, while defensive back Kasyus Kurns was named the UAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week.

Britten rushed for the second most yards across all of college football this past week, finishing with 164 yards on 25 carries, averaging 6.6 yards per carry. He was three yards short of the highest rushing total in the nation. Dating back to last season, Britten has logged five 100-plus yard rushing performances over his last six games, averaging 148.2 rushing yards per contest over the span.

Kurns had one of the best defensive games a player can have, scoring a touchdown on a fumble recovery, recovering two fumbles in total, forcing one fumble, adding a tackle for loss and six total tackles. His scoop and score marked the first fumble return touchdown by a Texan since March 6, 2021, vs. Mississippi College (both Zech Hopkins and Benjie Franklin). He also became the first Tarleton State player since 2014 to come up with two takeaways and a touchdown in the same game (Devin Figures vs. McMurry on Oct. 25). Kurns leads all of college football with two fumble recoveries, owns the lone defensive touchdown scored by an FCS player this season, and has the tied-most forced fumbles across college football.

Guzman had a solid day punting, averaging 46.3 yards across his six boots, launching two 50-plus yards and two inside the 20. He's averaging the second highest yards per punt mark across all of college football.

OLD FRIENDS
Tarleton State will have a familiar face on the opposing sideline on Saturday. Baylor's offensive line coach Mason Miller was Tarleton State's offensive coordinator last season. Miller helped coach five players to offensive All-Conference honors in 2023, including two on the first team (RB Kayvon Britten, C Tuli Teuhema) and three on the second team (WR Darius Copper, OL Layton Ernst, OL Hunter Smith). With Miller's guidance, Tarleton ranked first in the conference in yards per play (6.4, 11th most nationally), first in rush yards per game (201.7, 12th nationally), first in rush touchdowns (25, 16th nationally), second in points per game (33.3, 13th nationally), second in yards per game (430.5, 14th nationally) and second in yards per rush (5.2, 17th nationally). Miller has spent four seasons in Stephenville (2023, 2014-16), two seasons spent under head coach Todd Whitten (2023, 2016).

TARLETON-WAC-BAYLOR ODDITIES
Playing as John Tarleton College, and before the Texans nickname was coined, Tarleton Football faced off against the "Baylor Ineligibles" in 1920, winning 98-0, then faced the "Baylor Freshmen" six times from 1920-26, going 1-4-1. Baylor's records show just the 1921 matchup, which the Bears won 35-0. Tarleton's records also show a Baylor Freshmen win 14-6 in 1920, a Tarleton win in 1921 20-6, a Baylor Freshmen 21-0 win in 1922, a 7-7 tie in 1925, and a Baylor Freshmen 12-6 win in 1926. Those Tarleton teams were coached by legendary head coach W.J. Wisdom.

Prior to 1925, Tarleton's athletic teams did not have an official nickname. Fearful that the teams might become struck with some sort of horrid derivative title like "Junior Aggies," Coach/AD Wisdom offered a $5 prize to the person who could come up with the best original nickname for Tarleton's teams. However, the contest was cut short when Wisdom came up with a nickname of his own. In an oft-repeated story, Wisdom was walking across campus one day when he suddenly hit on the name "Plowboys." Since the name was certainly distinctive and accurately reflected the rural backgrounds of the majority of Tarleton students, Wisdom declared the contest was over and kept the $5. Wisdom's "Plowboys" nickname served Tarleton's teams for 36 years (1925-61).

John Tarleton himself also had some Waco history. Based on records, a clerk in his store decided he needed Tarleton out of the way in order to hunt for the place where he believed his employer hid money. Accordingly, he had his younger sister offer Tarleton a bowl of poisoned berries and cream. Tarleton ate the berries and fell deathly ill, but he recovered before the clerk could find and make off with his money. Tarleton sold his interest in the store and left Waco in 1880.

IT'S A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT
After a season that felt a bit shorter than usual with no bye week, five home games and no playoff eligibility despite the Tarleton State football team going 8-3, that all changes this season. The Texans have six home games and 12 games overall with two bye weeks in the middle, making it their longest regular season in program history.

The 12 games mark the most regular season games in program history. Tarleton State has played 12 or more games in a season nine times, with each time featuring 10 or 11 regular season games plus playoff games or bowl games. They last played 12 games in 2019, their final NCAA Division II campaign in which they went 11-1, won the Lone Star Conference and made the playoffs.

With 91 days separating Tarleton's season opener and regular season finale, this is the longest regular season on record in program history. Tarleton's season opener serves as the earliest game played in a calendar year by the program since at least 1975 (not including the Spring 2021 pandemic season). The earliest date on record for Tarleton is Aug. 25, when the Texans hosted East Central in 2007, a 44-7 Tarleton win. Since at least 1975 when dates started being recorded, and not including the 2020 season played in spring 2021, Tarleton's Aug. 24 season opener is the seventh time they've started the season before September, and their Nov. 23 regular season finale is the latest Tarleton regular season game, a day beyond their previous known latest game of Nov. 22, 1975.

Like last year, all games will be on Saturdays again this season. All 12 of Tarleton's opponents are NCAA Division I programs, the most the Texans will have ever played against in a single-season in program history, surpassing their 10 played last year.

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 a .731 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 the only Texas D1 or D2 institution with all six winning seasons since 2018. They have 49 wins since the start of 2018, the tied-second most wins in the state by an NCAA Division I or II program, only behind Texas, who has played in nine more games. The list of the top scholarship programs in Texas over that span are as follows:

RECLASSIFICATION SUCCESS
There's no way around it, the Texans had one of the most impressive reclassification periods in NCAA history. The Texans posted a winning season in every year of reclassification, just the third team since 2004 to do so. The Texans also posted the third highest winning percentage in a reclassification period since 2004 at .610:
1. North Dakota State: .750 (33-11, 2005-08)
2. Central Arkansas: .630 (29-17, 2006-09)
3. Tarleton: .610 (25-16, 2020-23)

HIGH EXPECTATIONS
In the United Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, the Texans were picked to finish second out of nine teams in the UAC. The Texans slated narrowly behind the preseason favorite Central Arkansas. The Bears led the field with 77 points, earning five of nine first-place votes, while the Texans secured 74 points and three first-place votes. There was a large separation from the top-two teams and the rest of the field, with Southern Utah in third at 54 points. Austin Peay netted the other first-place vote, finishing fifth in the poll.

Running back Kayvon Britten was named the UAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, then named to the 2024 FCS Preseason All-America First Team by Stats Perform, and was one of 35 players in FCS to be named to the Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List. Britten was a UAC First Team All-Conference running back a season ago, also logging 2023 FCS Football Central All-American Third Team and Phil Steele FCS 2023 All-American Fourth Team accolades. He was one of the best running backs in the nation, finishing with 1,150 yards on 183 carries (6.3 yards per rush) and 16 rushing touchdowns. Britten scored in 10 of Tarleton's 11 games, averaging 104.6 rushing yards per contest, plus he added 106 receiving yards and a touchdown on 11 catches, finishing with 17 total touchdowns on the season. Conference-wise, Britten was first in rushing touchdowns (third in the FCS) and total touchdowns (tied-fifth in FCS), second in total rushing yards (ninth in FCS), second in rushing yards per game (tied-11th FCS) and second in yards per rush (21st in FCS). Across Texan Football program history, he had the sixth most rushing yards in a single-season and the eighth most rushing yards per game in a single-season. Since 1977, he finished with the tied-third most rushing touchdowns in a single-season in program history, tied with Gaylon Bowser's 16 rushing scores in 1987, only behind Xavier Turner's 22 touchdowns in 2018 and Derrick Ross' 22 touchdowns in 2004.

Britten was one of five Texans to earn a spot on the Preseason All-Conference teams. Wide receiver Darius Cooper and center Tuli Teuhema joined Britten on the Preseason All-Conference Offensive Team, defensive lineman Brandon Tolvert made the Preseason All-Conference Defensive Team, and return specialist Deangelo Rosemond was voted on the Preseason All-Conference Specialist Team. Britten, Cooper and Rosemond were unanimous selections. Cooper joined Britten as a 2024 FCS Preseason All-American by Stats Perform.

OFFENSIVE LOYALTY
Tarleton State has been a rare program in the modern college football era that hasn't been affected by the transfer portal much. In fact, the Texans had 10 of their 11 same offensive starters begin Saturday's game from a season ago. Tarleton State lost just one offensive starter to the transfer portal, wide receiver Jaden Smith, who went to Nevada. Keylan Johnson replaced Smith as a starter on Saturday.

GOOD WORK GETS NOTICED
In July, head coach Todd Whitten announced that defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix had been promoted to Assistant Head Coach. In addition to helping the Texans to their best record as an NCAA Division I institution in 2023 at 8-3, Nix's defense led the United Athletic Conference in yards per play allowed (4.76), defensive touchdowns (four, tied-fourth in FCS) and fumbles recovered (11, tied-ninth in FCS). The Texans held four opponents to 17 points or fewer and had three defensive players named to All-UAC honors under Nix last season. Nix is the first Assistant Head Coach under Whitten since the head coach returned to the helm in Stephenville in 2016.

COORDINATE TOGETHER
Ahead of the spring football season, the Texans promoted Adam Austin to offensive coordinator and Scott Carey to co-offensive coordinator. Austin will be the Texans' offensive play caller in 2024. He has served as the quarterbacks coach, a role he will maintain, the last three seasons. Over the past three seasons, Austin's quarterbacks have consistently put up elite performances. Victor Gabalis ranked first in yards per completion in the conference, as well as fourth in overall passing efficiency last season. His best game was in Tarleton's 59-17 romping of Stephen F. Austin, where he threw for 389 yards and four touchdowns on 15-of-19 passing. In Austin's first two seasons at Tarleton, his quarterbacks produced seven 300-plus yard performances, including the most in the Western Athletic Conference in 2022 with five. Also that season, the Texans finished third in the WAC with 24 passing touchdowns, throwing for 2,883 yards across 11 games, averaging 262.1 passing yards per contest.

Carey was also promoted to co-offensive coordinator, in charge of the run game. Carey has been on the Tarleton coaching staff the past six seasons, leading the offensive line, a role he will maintain. The offensive line has powered a run game that has been a staple with Carey at the helm, posting the best rushing offense in the conference last season with 201.7 rushing yards per game (12th in the FCS) and 25 rushing touchdowns (16th in the FCS). Carey's OL played a part in the Texans' best year of total offense at the D1 level in 2022 as the Texans averaged 436.8 yards per game and 6.1 yards per play, with both marks being tops in the Western Athletic Conference. Over the past six seasons, the Texans have had eight First Team All-Conference offensive linemen, five on Second Team All-Conference, and five honorable mentions.

NATIONAL LEADER
Across the country, only 11 NCAA Division I teams (eight FBS, three FCS) have a better winning percentage than Tarleton since 2018 (Cincinnati, Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Appalachian State, North Dakota State, James Madison, Princeton). 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.

9: The Texans have won nine straight games when wearing their purple helmets. They won Saturday, went 7-0 in 2023 and won the last game of 2022. They last lost in their purple helmets on Nov. 12, 2022, at Utah Tech.

10: Offensive lineman Kariem Al Soufi brings a unique background to Tarleton coming from Germany. Al Soufi is one of just 10 players in FCS who is from Germany, and he is one of three international football players in the United Athletic Conference. He is the only UAC player from Germany, and he is just one of three German FCS players playing for a Texas School (two from Stephen F. Austin).

1: Whitten is the only coach at any NCAA level actively coaching in his third stint at his current school. He is just one of 37 coaches at any NCAA level to have three non-consecutive tenures at one school and he is the second coach in with three stints at Tarleton State (W.J. Wisdom, 1920-22, 1924-28, 1930-35).

53: With his first kick in the first quarter of his first game at Tarleton, kicker Michael James split the uprights on a 53-yard field goal. It marked Tarleton's first 50+ yard field goal make in 15 years. The last 50+ yard field goal make by Tarleton State was from 64 yards out on Nov. 14, 2009, by Garrett Lindholm at Texas A&M-Kingsville.

UP NEXT
Tarleton State will stay on the road with a Saturday, Sept. 7, matchup at Houston Christian at 6 p.m. at Husky Stadium.