- Complete Game Notes (PDF)

THIS WEEK
        The Tarleton Texans (1-1, 1-0) return home to Tarleton Memorial Stadium to host the Eastern New Mexico (2-1, 1-0) Greyhounds in another Lone Star Conference battle. The contest in Stephenville is dedicated as “Family Weekend” and all family members of Tarleton students, facualty and alums are invited.
 
LAST WEEK
        The Texans took a 20-10 lead into the halftime break over then No. 20-ranked Abilene Christian, but the Wildcats outscored Tarleton 24-11 over the final two quarters en route to a 34-31 win at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.
        Aaron Doyle (QB, Jr, Evant) threw for a career-high 377 yards with a pair of touchdowns in the contest. He also had Tarleton's lone rushing touchdown on the day. Jerome Regal (RB, So, Garland) recorded his second 100+ rushing yards game of the season, netting 103 total yards on the ground. Rufus Johnson (DE, Sr, Dallas) led the defensive attack with three sacks for a total loss of -13 yards. Blake Barnes (K, Fr, Stephenville) remained perfect in his first year with the Texans, going 3-for-3 on the day with a career-long 41-yard field goal. He is 5-for-5 on the season.
 
SCOUTING THE GREYHOUNDS
        The Greyhounds opened up Lone Star Conference play with a win for the first time since the 2010 season and just the second time overall since 2005. ENMU downed Incarnate Word this past Friday, 34-24, at Cowboys Stadium in the second game of the LSC Football Festival. ENMU downed A&M-Commmerce, 44-21, to open up the LSC dockett back on Sept. 25, 2010. Prior to the 2010 season win, ENMU's last conference-opening win came against ACU - a 33-30 win over the Wildcats back on Sept. 24, 2005.
        ENMU was led offensively by De'Coreyon Thomas who finished the day with 115 rushing yards on 16 attempts with a touchdown. Wesley Wood passed for 129 yards and one touchdown, while rushing for 90 yards on 11 attempts and scoring twice on the ground as well. The Greyhounds had a pair of 50+ yard receivers in Adrian Horton (51 yds) and Jacob Johnson (54 yds). Johnson's total came on just one catch in the ball game. Linvel Mosby registered a team-high 10 tackles (five solo) on the day.
 
NO FRESHMAN JITTERS
        Blake Barnes (K, Fr, Stephenville), a true freshman for the Texans, is having no problems so far when it comes to getting the pigskin through the up-rights. The Stephenville native is a perfect 5-for-5 in field goal attempts, which included kicking a career-long 41-yard attempt last week at Cowboys Stadium. Barnes is a perfect 4-for-4 in extra-point attempts as well for the Texans.
 
TAKING OUT THE BLINDSIDE
        After collecting zero sacks against the predominately rushing team of Midwestern State, the Texan defense came right back to register four sacks against the ACU offense and LSC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Mitchell Gale. Rufus Johnson (DE, Sr, Dallas) took down the Wildcat quarterback on the first play from scrimmage for ACU's offense, and then collected two more in the second half for a combined loss of -13 yards. Tarleton's Ty Melton (DE, So, Sachse) collected the other sack for the Texans, which went for a seven-yard loss.
 
GIVE ME 5... HUNDRED
        The Texan offense accumulated over 500 yards of offense for the first time this season and the first time since doing it last season against Incarnate Word back on Oct. 29, 2011.
        Tarleton racked up 556 yards of total offense on the day, netting 179 rushing yards and 377 yards through the air.
        Meanwhile, ACU allowed 500+ yards of total offense for the second time in its previous four games (548 yds, Washburn, Nov. 19, 2011) and four out of the last eight contests.
 
CATCH THIS
        Tarleton's Jeken Frye (WR, JR, El Paso) led the Texans last week with 10 catches for a total of 92 yards. Clifton Rhodes (WR, So, Fort Worth) hauled in nine catches for a team-high 106 yards in the contest as well. Overall, Doyle connected with 10 different receivers in the game against ACU.
        For the season, Rhodes leads all receivers in both receptions (13) and yards (153). He is followed by Frye who has 12 catches for 127 yards. A pair of running backs, Regal and Vaughn Smith (RB, Jr, Menlo Park, Calif.), both have a receiving touchdown on the season.
 
HOW THEY RANK
        Tarleton's offense currently ranks 26th in the nation, with 455.00 yards per game average. The Texans have averaged 198.00 yards on the ground (30th) and 257.00 yards through the air (37th).
        Defensively, the Texans rank 51st in total defense as they allow 326.5 yards per game. Tarleton ranks 74th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 25.5 points per contest after just two games this season.
       
HOW THE PLAYERS RANK
        Regal heads into this weekend's game ranked 12th in the nation in rushing. He is averaging 127.5 yards per game. Barnes ranks 1st in the nation in field goals, with an average of 2.5 field goals made per game. Johnson currently ranks tied for eighth in sacks with 1.5 quarterback take downs per contest.
 
COMING OFF A LOSS
        The Texans went 2-3 following a loss last season, but are 10-7 when playing after a defeat since the 2007 season.
 
HONORED BY THE LSC
        Following Tarleton's first week of play, two Texan players earned Lone Star Conference Player of the Week accolades.  On the offensive side of the ball, Jerome Regal got the nod for his 33-carry, 152-yard and two touchdown perfomance.  Defensively, Marquis Wadley showed why he was the leading tackler in the LSC in 2011.  The junior from Mesquite had a game-high 12 tackles, seven of which were solo, and picked off Kelsey's pass with 47 seconds to go on the game-tying drive attempt.
 
HONORING A FALLEN BROTHER
        The Tarleton football team lost a fellow Texan in Zach Shaver in 2010.  Shaver was a freshman defensive lineman for Tarleton who suffered a head trauma on a routine play in practice on March 27.  He passed away two days later on March 29 in Fort Worth.  Shaver was a spark plug for the Texan defense and was expected to fight for playing time in only his second year.  No. 96 will always be a part of the Texan football program.
        In the second year of the honor, head coach Cary Fowler has chosen two players to wear the No. 96 jersey in memory of Shaver.  These players represent everything a Tarleton football player should be.  A good work ethic, integrity, spirit and teamwork are just a few of the ideals that Shaver represented to the Texans.  This year, the Texan coaching staff chose a pair of juniors and friends of Shaver.  Defensive tackle and high school teammate Cole Vitolo and defensive end Cory Jackson will share the No. 96 jersey in 2012.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE TEXANS
        Tarleton hits the road “officially” for the first time this season as the team travels to play West Texas A&M next weekend. The Texans and Buffs will kickoff at 6 p.m. at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium.