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STEPHENVILLE – Almost a month ago, the Lone Star Conference selected Tarleton senior running back
Roderick Smith as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, and the Mesquite native backed that choice up as he helped the Texans defeat Arkansas-Monticello Thursday, 45-16.
Smith scored the Texans first four touchdowns in the season opening win to tie the Tarleton single-game scoring and the single-game touchdown records. The Texan carried the ball 11 times for 80 yards and the four touchdowns. Smith did not play during most of the second half.
The Texans, who improved to 8-2 in home openers since the 2000 season, gained 429 yards while allowing the Boll Weevils just 317 yards, 82 of which came in the fourth quarter.
UAM quarterback Scott Buisson threw for over 2,000 yards and rushed for 1,300 yards in 2008, but the Texan defense held the Boll Weevil to just six yards on the ground and 176 yards through the air, including a 46-yard pass in the second quarter to put the visitors on the scoreboard for the first time.
Tarleton quarterback
Scott Grantham was perfect on the night, going 8-for-14 for 160 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite target was
Devin Guinn who led the team with five catches for 104 yards while
Lester Hundley had two receptions for 52 yards and two touchdowns.
The Texans got the scoring going after stopping the visitors' first drive. Tarleton drove 72 yards on four plays, capped by a 32-yard touchdown run by Smith at the 11:12-mark.
Garrett Lindholm's kick put the Texans up 7-0.
Smith added a 13-yard touchdown run to close a seven-play, 65-yard drive that took 3:23. The score, which came with 10:25 remaining in the second quarter, was followed by another Lindholm kick to make it 14-0.
Arkansas-Monticello got its first score came when Buisson hit Spencer Garrison for the 46-yard touchdown. Joe Lamoureux hit the point after attempt to cut the lead in half with 9:20 remaining in the second period.
Smith then capped a 60-yard drive on the third snap when he rushed 10 yards for the score with 4:39 left in the first half. Grantham found Guinn for a 49-yard attempt when the quarterback hit the receiver on the outside shoulder down the home sideline. Lindholm's kick put the Texans ahead 21-7.
The Texan defense, which tallied nine tackles for a loss of minus-51 yards with three sacks for minus-31 yards, held the Boll Weevils to just two yards on their next drive, and Tarleton took over at the 50-yardline.
Evan Robertson carried the ball 18 yards on first down before he got the nod on second down as well. While carrying the ball and gaining 12 yards, UAM's Vincent Jackson forced a fumble, but
Jahmeel Hobson picked the ball up at the 14 and was pushed out of bounds at the two. Smith punched it in from there with 1:49 remaining in the period to tie the school record with his fourth touchdown as well as his 24 points. Lindholm nailed the extra point attempt to put the Texans up 28-7 at the break.
Tarleton got the ball first in the second half and wasted little time scoring. On the first play, the Texans ran a play-action pass and Grantham found Hundley for a 47-yard touchdown pass. The Texans got the ball on the UAM 47-yardline after Robertson returned the opening kickoff of the second half 44 yards. Lindholm's kick put Tarleton ahead 35-7.
Hundley then caught a five-yard pass from Grantham with 6:41 left in the third quarter. The drive, which took eight plays over 29 yards, was set up when UAM tried to fake a punt on its own 30-yardline.
Stephen Arnold hit the extra point to make it a 42-7 lead.
The Boll Weevils used 17 plays and 87 yards on their next scoring drive to get on the board again after a 22-yard field goal by Derek Jambon. With 12:48 left in the game, Tarleton led 42-10.
A 44-yard field goal by Lindholm closed a 10-play, 45-yard drive that took 4:57 and gave the Texans a 45-10 lead with 7:44 remaining in the contest.
The Boll Weevils put the last points on the board in the game when Nate Jones caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from Casey Cathcart to cap a six-play, 80-yard drive with 4:33 left in the game. The two-point conversion pass failed and Tarleton won, 45-16.
Robertson led the Texans in rushing with eight carries for 85 yards while playing most of the second half in the backfield for the Texans.
The Texan defense held the Boll Weevils to just 82 yards total rushing and 235 yards passing in the season opener. Tarleton was also effective on stopping third down conversions as UAM was just six-of-17 in third-down conversions.
Tarleton gained 245 yards on the ground and 184 yards through the air as the Texans racked up 429 yards total.
Buisson was 17-for-27 for 176 yards and a score while Johnny Polite had 19 carries for 54 yards.
The Texans will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 5 at Northeastern State. Kickoff in Tahlequah, Okla. is set for 7 p.m.
