STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton head football coach Cary Fowler has announced the release of the 2010 Texan football schedule that has five of the first seven games on the road, including a matchup at NCAA Division I Football Championship Division opponent, Northwestern State (La.).
“We are excited about the opportunity to play the first five of seven on the road,” Fowler said. “Of course, we want to play at home in front of our fans, but our team will have the opportunity to bond early while traveling. Playing on the road also presents challenges that we will have to overcome as a squad.”
Tarleton will open the 2010 season at home against Northeastern State on Thursday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. in a Lone Star Conference crossover game before the Texans hit the road for three straight weeks. Tarleton is 5-2 all-time against the RiverHawks, including a 6-0 win at NSU last season.
The Texans will then travel for 1,490 miles over the next three weeks – more than half of the 2,854 total miles the purple and white will bus throughout the regular season. Tarleton will play at Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Okla. on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. The Texans defeated the Bronchos 35-17 in 2009 in Edmond to move the program one win closer to tying the all-time series at five wins apiece.
Tarleton will then play Northwestern State on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. in Natchitoches, La.
“Our guys are excited about playing a FCS school,” Fowler said. “Anytime you can play up a level, you have to be excited about the opportunity. Even though they are Division I, you have to treat it like a normal game. You have to prepare to win and believe you can win.”
The Texans have played NLU on two previous occasions. In 1962, the Texans lost in Stephenville (31-6). The last time the two teams met on the gridiron was on Sept. 18, 1999 in Natchitoches. Tarleton lost 52-6 in front of a crowd of 14,450 people. However, the last time the Texans played an FCS school, Tarleton defeated Stephen F. Austin in overtime in Nacogdoches (27-24).
Tarleton will then open LSC South Division play with a trip to Abilene Christian. Kickoff in Abilene is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25.
“The four biggest teams we will have to battle with in the South Division are all road games this season,” Fowler said. “This is the toughest schedule I have seen since I’ve been in the league in 2000.”
The Texans downed then-No. 9 Abilene Christian in Tarleton’s Homecoming game last season, 13-6. The win got Tarleton one victory closer to tying the overall series at 10 games apiece.
The purple and white will return home for Family Weekend when it hosts Angelo State at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2. The Texans defeated ASU 21-14 on the road last season, and Tarleton trails the all-time series, 14-12.
On Saturday, Oct. 9, Tarleton will travel to Canyon to face West Texas A&M at 6 p.m. The Buffaloes have won the last five contests against the Texans, including a 49-35 game in 2009. The loss tied the series between the two teams at nine wins apiece.
The Texans will travel to Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday, Oct. 16. The kickoff time is to be announced in Commerce, but the game will be the first between the two teams since Sept. 22, 2007 when Tarleton won 24-7 in Stephenville. The Lions hold the all-time advantage, 10-6.
Tarleton will play three of its last four games at home in 2010, starting with a rematch of the first round of the NCAA playoffs from last season. Texas A&M-Kingsville will face the Texans at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23 for Tarleton’s Homecoming game. The two teams split last season with the Texans winning in dramatic fashion in the playoffs – 57-56 in double overtime. The Javelinas won the regular season matchup 34-20 in Kingsville. TAMUK holds the all-time series record at 18-4.
The Texans will play their final road game of the regular season at Midwestern State when the new head coach returns to his former employer of nine seasons. Tarleton defeated the Mustangs 31-28 in Stephenville last season to claim its seventh straight victory over MSU. Tarleton holds the all-time series lead, 14-5.
“Playing those four tough teams on the road all depends on how you approach it,” Fowler said. “We are going to have to be road warriors. You are going to have to play on the road for the playoffs at some point, so we will use this as a challenge to get ready for the postseason. If we can play and win in a hostile environment that will only prepare us for the playoffs.”
Incarnate Word becomes a member of the Lone Star Conference for the 2010-11 school year, and the Cardinals will bring their second-year program to town on Saturday, Nov. 6 for a 7 p.m. kickoff. UIW went 5-5 in its first year of competition in 2009, including loss to LSC members MSU (49-7) and Eastern New Mexico (35-30). The Cardinals, whose defensive coordinator is former Tarleton defensive line coach Todd Ivicic, defeated East Central, 38-20.
“Incarnate Word is going to be a tough team in this league,” Fowler said. “We are excited to eventually play in San Antonio because that will help us recruit more in the CenTex area. Allowing them in the conference is a win-win for everyone in the league.”
Tarleton will close its regular season at home against the Greyhounds of ENMU. The Greyhounds will move to the LSC North Division starting in 2010. The Hall of Fame game will kickoff at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13. The Texans defeated ENMU 30-20 in Portales in 2009 to claim their sixth straight win over the Greyhounds. However, ENMU holds the all-time series lead, 12-6.
“Playing three of the last four at home is good for our team,” Fowler said. “The best part is that there will be almost no travel, and it will allow us to rest more so than if we were on the road a lot.
“Our crowds at Tarleton are incredible,” Fowler said. “The energy they bring to the game, such as when we played ACU this last year, will hopefully help us finish out with wins. Playing at home rejuvenates our team, and having those home games at the end will hopefully help us in the win column as well. Those who finish best usually win the league.”
The Texans, who claimed a share of the LSC Championship and the LSC South Division title, will begin to defend their titles at home on Sept. 2.