GAMEDAY INFORMATION

No. 22 Tarleton State Texans (3-0, 2-0 LSC) at Eastern New Mexico (1-2, 0-0 LSC)

When: Saturday, Oct. 5 | 3 p.m. (CST)

Where: Blackwater Draw, N.M. (Greyhound Stadium)

Series: Greyhounds lead 13-8

Last Meeting: Tarleton 35, Eastern New Mexico 23 (Sept. 22, 2012)

Radio: KSTV (93.1 FM) | Listen Online | Mobile Apps

Web Stream: GoEasternAthletics

Social Media: Facebook | Twitter

Live Stats

Tickets

Game Notes

 The Game
The Tarleton State Texans (3-0, 2-0 LSC) return to Lone Star Conference play this weekend as the team travels to Blackwater Draw, N.M., to face the Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds (1-2, 0-0 LSC). This will be Tarleton's third conference game of the season, while the Greyhounds play a conference game for the first time this season.
 
Covering the Game
Saturday's contest returns to regular broacasting this weekend and will be broadcast live on KSTV (93.1 FM) with Casey Hogan calling play-by-play and Mike Young joining him for color commentary. Joanna Hensley will provide reports from the sideline for the broadcast team.
 
The game can be heard throughout the Cross Timbers area at 93.1 FM or via KSTV's "Listen Live" link that can be found at www.kstvfm.com.
 
Last Week
The Texans moved to 3-0 for the first time ever under head coach Cary Fowler and for the first time since 2009 with a 41-34 double overtime win over NCAA Division I FCS member Abilene Christian, this past Saturday at Toyota Stadium in Frisco.
 
Sophomore running back Jerome Regal rushed for a career-high 251 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including the game's deciding score in the second overtime period. Regal averaged more than 8.0 yards per carry and had a total loss of just two yards on the day.
 
Senior quarterback Jake Fenske moved to 5-0 all-time when making the start for the Texans at quarterback. He completed 17 of his 33 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns and now has six TD passes on the season.
 
Sophomore wide receiver Le'Nard Meyers led the receiving corps with 85 yards on a career-high nine catches, while Jeken Frye and Bubba Tandy both had a touchdown reception each.
 
Senior defensive back Desmond Jackson took ACU quarterback John David Baker's first interception of the season to the house for a pick-six, which gave Tarleton a 14-0 lead at the time. Jackson's interception return for a touchdown was the second of his career and his third touchdown of his career on defense.
 
Texans in The Polls
The Texans moved up to No. 22 in this week's American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top-25 Poll, moving up three spots from last week after making its season debut at No. 25.
 
The Texans remained out of the D2Football.com poll for this week.
 
AFCA Poll History
The Texans have been ranked inside the AFCA Top-25 for 79 different weeks since becoming a member of the NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference.
 
Tarleton's first-ever ranking inside the AFCA Top-25 Poll was a No. 24 national ranking on Nov. 6, 2001. The Texans went on to finish that season ranked No. 10 in the nation.
 
The Texans earned its highest ranking in school history in 2002, from Sept. 9-24, after earning the No. 6 spot for three consecutive weeks.
 
Tarleton has been ranked inside the AFCA Poll for two weeks this season.
 
Scouting the Greyhounds
Eastern New Mexico is just 1-2 on the season and have yet to play a Lone Star Conference game heading into this Saturday's match-up. The Greyhounds dropped a 33-26 contest with Incarnate Word last Saturday and its only win came at AT&T Stadium a few weeks ago in a 55-24 thumping over Sul Ross State.
 
Head coach Josh Lynn is in his second year with the Greyhounds and brings in a 4-9 overall record into Saturday's game. Lynn is 0-1 against the Texans following last season's 35-23 loss to Tarleton.
 
ENMU ranks third in the LSC averaging 36.3 points per game, while the team gives up 29.3 points to opposing teams which also ranks third in the league.
 
The Greyhound offense averages 438.3 total yards, with 257.0 yards coming on the ground and 181.3 yards coming through the air. ENMU's 438.3 total yards ranks 4th in the conference, while its 257.0  rushing yards is tied for second.
 
Defensively, the Greyhounds give up 383.7 yards of total offense to opponents so far this season - which ranks fifth in the LSC, but ENMU is first in the league as opposing teams rush for just 146.3 yards per contest.
 
ENMU is led by quarterback Jeremy Buurma, who has completed 34 of his 68 pass attempts this season with two touchdowns and just one interception. He has thrown for 525 yards, averaging 175.00 yards per contest.
 
Jordan Wells leads the ENMU rushing attack with 262 yards (87.3 ypg) on the ground with one touchdown this season. Right behind him is Andrew Lopez with 168 yards (84.5 ypg) and a team-high four touchdowns.
 
Jacob Johnson leads the receiving corps with eight catches for 136 yards. Aaron Johnson, Myles Johnson and Evan Tooley each have one TD reception on the season.
 
Series History
The Greyhounds lead the all-time series 13-8, but Tarleton has won two straight games against ENMU heading into Saturday's contest.
 
ENMU snapped a six-game losing streak to the Texans in 2010, but Tarleton has won the previous two games to regain the current win streak of the series.
 
The series is tied 4-4 when played at Greyhound Stadium, but the Texans have won four consecutive games in Blackwater Draw, N.M., since 2005. 2005's win was the first-ever win for the Texans at ENMU.
 
Coming Up for the Texans
The Texans will make its long-awaited home debut next Saturday, Oct. 12, as the team hosts No. 4-ranked West Texas A&M at Tarleton Memorial Stadium in Stephenville.
 
A large crowd is expected to be on hand next week to potentially see a clash of Top-25 teams as it will be "Family Weekend" on campus next Saturday. Kickoff between the Texans and Buffs is set for 7 p.m.
 
Wild Streaks
The Texans are 3-0 for the first time since 2009, but not only that, the team brings in a six-game winnings streak dating back to last season.
 
Tarleton has also won six consecutive games away from Tarleton Memorial Stadium, which dates back to Oct. 13, against A&M-Commerce last season.
 
The last time a Texan team won at least straight away from home came during the 2007 and 2008 seasons when Tarleton won eight straight from Sept. 1, 2007 to Sept. 27, 2008.
 
Long Way From Home
The Texans have never opened the season playing four straight games away from Tarleton Memorial Stadium. Tarleton has played no more than two games away from Stephenville dating back to 1961 - the first year that TSU became a senior college.
 
The last time a Texan team opened the season with two road games came back in 1992. The Texans played three out of four games away from Stephenville in 1989.
 
Texans under Fowler
The Texans improved to 18-17 under head coach Cary Fowler with Saturday's 41-34 double overtime win over Abilene Christian this past Saturday. It marks the first time the Texans have had a record over the .500 mark under Fowler.
 
The Texans were just 4-13 in Fowler's first 17 games, but since then the Texans have won 14 of the last 18 contests under him. Tarleton has won six straight games under Fowler dating back to last season.
 
Quarterbacking the Texans
Tarleton has implemented a two-quarterback system, which has worked well two games into the season. Quarterbacks Jake Fenske and Aaron Doyle have each split snaps for the Texans this season, combining to complete 47 of their 79 passes for 520 yards and six touchdowns. Fenske heads into Saturday's game having completed 58.5 percent (24-41) of his passes with four TD's, while Doyle has completed 60.5 percent (23-38) of his passes and two TD's.
 
Multiple TD's for Rhodes III
Tarleton junior wide receiver Clifton Rhodes III scored a career-high three touchdowns in the win over Angelo State this past Saturday.
 
Rhodes became the first Texan receiver to catch at least three touchdowns in one game since former Texan Devin Guinn scored three TD's against East Central back on Aug. 25, 2007.
 
Rhodes' three touchdown performance was his first multiple TD game of his career with the Texans.
 
Tandy Playing up a Level
Freshman wide receiver Bubba Tandy collected a career-high seven catches against ASU on Saturday, giving him 11 catches for 125 yards and one touchdown.
 
Coming up Sacks
The Texan defense has four sacks on the season with freshman Jake Blount leading the charge with two sacks on the season. Blount recorded both sacks in the late stages of the first half against the Rams last Saturday.
 
Julius Hurndon also collected a sack against ASU and teammate Jared Thames has Tarleton's other sack on the year.
 
Texans against ranked Opponents
Tarleton is now 12-22 against ranked opponents since 2000, with six of those wins coming against a top-25 ranked MSU team. The Texans are now 6-2 when the Mustangs are ranked.
 
Tarleton's next ranked opponent is likely to be West Texas A&M (3-0, 1-0 LSC) who enters this weekend's set of games ranked No. 4 in both the AFCA and D2Football.com Top-25 Polls.
 
Closing in on Win no. 450
The Texans are now just one vitory shy from picking up its 450th all-time win in school history. Tarleton brings in an all-time record of 449-453-22 (.497) to Saturday's contest. Since becoming a senior college in 1961, Tarleton is 258-279-3 all-time.
 
Texans in the LSC
The Texans are 95-133 (.416) all-time against opponents in the LSC. Tarleton has won four straight LSC games dating back to last season. The Texans are currently 2-0 in LSC play this season.
 
Tarleton's Scoring Streak
The Texans have now scored a touchdown in 31 straight games dating back to the 2010 season. The last time a Tarleton team did not score a TD came against Abilene Christian in a 65-3 loss back on Sept. 25, 2010.
 
Tarleton State has scored at least a one field goal or touchdown in 41 straight games heading into the weekend.
 
Texans From the Cross-Timbers
The 2013 Texan Football squad boasts seven players (Alex Sanchez, Blake Barnes, Chase Varnado, Brayden Coverdale, Kade Cole, Nick Perez and Kody Travis) from Stephenville, with a pair of players (Cody Burtscher and Jared Thames) from Glen Rose and one player (Tyler Wright) from Granbury.
 
Wearing No. 96
Sophomore defensive end Patrick Bettiol was awarded the Zach Shaver Award this past spring and he will honor the memory of the former Texan by donning the No. 96 this season.
 
Shaver passed away from a traumatic brain injury on Mar. 29, 2010. As a memorial to Shaver, each year a Texan player is chosen to wear the No. 96 jersey because of their dedication, their attitude, their heart and their love for the game of football.
 
Texans in the National Spotlight
Tarleton had a handful of former players in the national spotlight this offseason and it began with former defensive end Rufus Johnson (2011-12) going to the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Johnson recorded four tackles in four preseason games with the Saints and will serve on New Orleans' practice squad to start the 2013 NFL season.
 
Former Texan quarterback Nick Stephens (2010-11) played in two preseason games for the Dallas Cowboys, which included the national televised Hall of Fame Game on NBC.
 
Former running back Derrick Ross (2004-05) and former kicker Garrett Lindholm (2006-09) squared off against each other in the Arena Football League's Arena Bowl this past August. Lindholm was named the AFL's Kicker of the Year, while Ross became the AFL's career leader in rushing yards.
 
Texans in LSC-Openers
The Texans are now 2-2 in Lone Star Conference-opening games under head coach Cary Fowler. Since joining the league the Texans are 7-12 in conference-opening games after last week's win over MSU.
 
When the Texans score First
Tarleton went 5-2 last season when the team put up the first points of the game. The two losses came to West Texas A&M and Texas A&M-Kingsville in 2012. The Texans are 14-8 overall when scoring the game's first points under head coach Cary Fowler.
 
Starting Strong on Offense
The Texans went 4-0 last season when scoring on its first offensive possession. Tarleton is 8-6 overall under head coach Cary Fowler when scoring on the first offensive possession.
 
Texans in September
The Texans are now 6-9 overall in September games since 2010, and the team moved to 32-11 overall during the month of September since 2000 following last weekend's victory over ACU. The Texans improved to 7-1 all-time when facing MSU during the month of September and are now 3-2 against Angelo State in September contests. Tarleton improved to 3-4 in September games played against ACU.
 
Putting up a 30-Spot
The Texans are 15-3 overall when putting up 30 points or more under head coach Cary Fowler. That record includes an 8-0 mark when scoring 40 points or more. Tarleton was 5-2 last season when eclipsing the 30-point barrier.
 
Winning the Ground Attack
Under head coach Cary Fowler, the Texans are now 12-5 when out-rushing the opposition. Tarleton is just 5-12 over the past four seasons when the opposing team out-gains the Texans in rushing yardage.
 
Turnovers are Key
Over the past four seasons, Tarleton is a combined 11-2 when winning the turnover battle. The Texans are 4-4 when they have tied its opponent in turnovers and just 2-11 when coughing up more turnovers.
 
Passing Precision
Jake Fenske notched a 91.7 passing percentage in week two against Midwestern State after completing 11 of his 12 passes in the game. His only incompletion of the contest was an interception that came deep into the end zone at the beginning of the second quarter.
 
Fenske set a single-season school record in 2012 with a 66.2 pass-completion percentage. After taking over at quarterback in the final five games last season, Fenske completed 102 of his 154 passes.
 
Aaron Doyle finished the season with a 62.7 completion percentage, which rank third best in a single-season. He connected with 153 of his 244 passes last year.
 
Doyle's Record-Breaking Game
Quarterback Aaron Doyle set a single-game school record with 39 pass completions against Abilene Christian last season. He broke the previous record of 33 completions that was set by Chase Sugarek, which was set against Northeastern State back on Oct. 26, 2002.
 
The Offense is Back
The Texan offense gained 4,625 total yards of total offense in 2012, which ranks fifth most in school history. It was Tarleton's best offensive production since the 2009 squad racked up 5,021 total yards.
 
Last season's 286.4 passing yards per game ranks fourth all-time in school history and was just a little under four yards shy of 2011's output of 290.6 passing yards per game.
 
Texans in AT&T Stadium
Tarleton State improved to 1-1 overall in games played at AT&T Stadium. The Texans are averaging 29.0 points inside the home of the Dallas Cowboys and average more than 188 yards on the ground. Defensively the Texans have limited its two opponents to just 67.0 yards on the ground after holding MSU to just 79 rushing yards back on Sept. 14.
 
Texans picked 3rd in LSC Poll
Tarleton State was picked to finish third in the Lone Star Conference after receiving one first-place vote for a total of 99 points. West Texas A&M was the top choice to repeat as the LSC football champion according to the preseason poll.
 
Preseason honors
The Texans had nine different players earn preseason All-American honors prior to the 2013 campaign.
 
Dashaun Phillips (1st Team) and Blake Barnes (3rd Team) were each tabbed D2Football.com Preseason All-Americans, while Jerome Regal (2nd Team), Marquis Wadley (2nd Team), Barnes (2nd Team), Zach Henshaw (3rd Team), Lucas Love (HM), Nick Perez (HM), Clifton Rhodes III (HM), Desmond Jackson (HM) and Phillips (HM) were all named to the USA College Football Preseason All-American Team.