GAMEDAY INFORMATION

Tarleton vs. No. 13 Midwestern State

When: Saturday, Sept. 14 | 4 p.m. (CST)

Where: Arlington, Texas (AT&T Stadium)

Series: Tarleton leads 16-7

Last Meeting: Tarleton 20, #4 Midwestern State 17 (Sept. 8, 2012)

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

Web Stream: None

Social Media: Facebook | Twitter

Live Stats

Tickets

Full Release (PDF) | LSC Weekly Release (PDF)

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Up Next
Tarleton opens its fourth season under head coach Cary Fowler on Saturday when the Texans face 15th-ranked Midwestern State in the Lone Star Football Festival at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff between the Texans and Mustangs is set for 4 p.m.
 
Third Annual Lone Star Football Festival
This weekend marks the third-consecutive Lone Star Football Festival. The three-day event will open up on Thursday, Sept. 12 with No. 3-ranked West Texas A&M taking on No. 20-ranked Chadron State at 7 p.m. Friday's contests include Eastern New Mexico taking on Sul Ross State (1 p.m.), A&M-Commerce facing Delta State (5 p.m.) and Monterrey Tech Puebla against Monterrey Tech Mexico City (9 p.m.). Saturday's final slate of games include Texas A&M-Kingsville facing Monterrey Tech at noon before the Texans battle the Mustangs at 4 p.m. Angelo State and No. 8-ranked Colorado State-Pueblo will close-out the seven game affair.
 
For more fan and ticket information, log onto www.lonestarconference.org.
 
Texan's Ultimate Tailgate Party
The Tarleton Athletics Department will host a pregame tailgate party at Fish Bone Grill (conveniently located across the street from AT&T Stadium) from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. The cost of the tailgate party is just $35 and it includes a barbecue meal, beverages, a live DJ and door prizes. Tickets for the tailgate party can be purchased at the ticket office located inside Wisdom Gym until Friday at 4:30 p.m. or on location at Fish Bone Grill. For more information contact the ticket office at (254) 958-1832.
 
2012 Recap
The Texans went 6-4 overall and finished in a third-place tie in the LSC with a mark of 5-3. Tarleton opened the season with a 20-17 upset win over then No. 4-ranked Midwestern State, but then dropped a hard-fought battle to Abilene Christian, 34-31, in the Lone Star Football Classic at Cowboys Stadium. The Texans would pick up a 35-23 win over Eastern New Mexico before dropping its next two contests. Tarleton would close-out the regular-season winning four of its last five games, which included three road victories.
 
The Texans had 20 players named to the All-LSC team, including first team selection and Defensive Lineman of the Year, Rufus Johnson.
 
Johnson went on to earn a pair of First Team All-Super Region Four selections as well as All-American honors from three different publications. Dashaun Phillips and Blake Barnes were also tabbed All-Super Region Four selections in 2012.
 
Returning for the Texans
The Texans return 47 letterwinners from last season's squad that went 6-4 overall and 5-3 in LSC play. That number includes nine offensive starters returning as well as nine starters on defense.
 
The Texan Offense
The Texans have the luxury of returning a pair of quarterbacks on the roster with game experience heading into the 2013 season. Aaron Doyle (6-2, 215, Sr.) returns to the squad after throwing for a team-leading 1,579 yards in eight games for the Texans last year. Doyle completed 153 of his 244 passes for 10 touchdowns with nine interceptions on the year. Doyle was the primary starter for the Texans before an injury against Texas A&M-Kingsville sidelined him. He did however see action in the final game against Angelo State. Jake Fenske (6-4, 220, Sr.) was forced into the starting role following the injury to Doyle last season, and all he did was throw five touchdowns in his first career start and set three different school records over the final three games. Fenske tossed a school record 99-yard pass against North Alabama and then closed out the year with a 460-yard passing performance against the Rams at home. The 460 yards set a new single-game school record for most passing yards in a contest. He finished the season completing 102 of his 154 passes for 1,285 yards. His 66.2 completion percentage also set a new school record. He tallied 11 touchdowns and had just six picks on the season. Both quarterbacks are likely to see action in 2013.
 
Tarleton's Zach Henshaw (5-10, 200, So.), who rushed for 562 yards (62.4/game) with seven touchdowns as a true freshman, returns to the team, as does Jerome Regal (5-10, 195, So.) who looks to be the featured back after playing just two games before going out with a season-ending injury in 2012. Before the injury, Regal averaged 127.5 yards per game with a pair of touchdowns. He tallied 255 yards on 46 carries, losing just a total of two yards in two contests.
 
Clifton Rhodes III (6-1, 190, Jr.) and Jeken Frye (5-10, 185, Sr.), Tarleton's top two receivers from 2012, return to the offensive line-up for the Texans in 2013. Rhodes III led the way last year in both receptions (56) and yards (694). He also managed to find the end zone four times as well. Frye had 674 yards receiving on 46 receptions in 2012. He had a season-long pass reception of 75 yards and scored three touchdowns. Also returning to the squad are Andre Plata (5-10, 180, So.) and Le'Nard Meyers (6-0, 185, So.). Plata tallied 51 yards and one touchdown, while Meyers registered 60 yards.
 
Texan Head Coach Cary Fowler
Tarleton's Cary Fowler is entering his fourth season at the helm of the Texan football program and brings in an overall record of 15-17 following his first three seasons in Stephenville.
 
The Texans went just 4-13 in Fowler's first 17 games, but since then Tarleton has won 11 of the last 15 contests under him. Tarleton won the season's final five games in 2011 and then ended the 2012 campaign on a three-game winning streak. 
 
Scouting the Mustangs
The No. 15-ranked Midwestern State Mustangs will be making its 2013 debut this weekend at AT&T Stadium as well. MSU went 9-2 overall last season and were co-conference champions with West Texas A&M after going 7-1 in LSC play. MSU's lone defeat in conference play was a 20-17 loss to the Texans in the season-opener.
 
Following a nine-game winning streak to finish the regular-season in 2012, MSU fell 31-14 to Indianapolis in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
 
WHAT MSU BRINGS BACK
The Mustangs return 46 letterwinners from last season's team, including 23 players on offense and 21 from the defensive side of the ball. MSU has just three returning starters though on offense and seven on defense.
 
MSU's Statistical Leaders
MSU's Keidrick Jackson, a First Team All-LSC selection last year, is the team's most prolific returner on offense after gaining 1,382 yards on 195 carries in 2012. He led the conference in scoring (126 points) and touchdowns (21) last season.
 
Taiyon Jackson returns as the team's leading tackler after registering 71 total tackles (44 solo, 27 assists) in 2012. Donald Napoleon is the team-leading returner in sacks (2.0), while Neiko Conway returns after leading the Mustangs with four interceptions a year ago.
 
Head Coach Bill maskill
MSU's Bill Maskill enters his 13th season with the Mustangs and is 88-34 all-time during his tenor in Wichita Falls. Maskill is 101-42 overall in 14 seasons as a head coach.
 
Maskill was named one of three co-head coaches of the year in the LSC last season. He is the only coach returning to his squad in 2013 following the departure of both WT's Don Carthel and TAMUK's Bo Atterberry.
 
Tarleton in Season-Openers
Since becoming a senior college in 1961, the Texans are 24-28 overall in season-openers. Tarleton is just 9-10 in season-openers since joining NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference, but are 8-5 since 2000.
 
Last Five Season-Openers
 
Texans in AT&T Stadium
Saturday's contest will be just the second game that Tarleton has ever played inside AT&T Stadium. The Texans are 0-1 following last season's 34-31 loss to Abilene Christian.
 
Tarleton vs. MSU
Saturday's game will be the 24th meeting between the Texans and Mustangs with Tarleton leading the all-time series 16-7. The Texans won last season's contest 20-17 and have won eight of the previous 10 meetings between the two squads. This will be the first neutral-field meeting between Tarleton and MSU.
 
Texans against ranked Opponents
Tarleton is 11-22 against ranked opponents since 2000, but five of those wins came against a top-25 ranked MSU team. The Texans are 5-2 when the Mustangs are ranked, which includes last season's 20-17 win over then No. 4-ranked MSU.
 
Texans in LSC-Openers
The Texans are 1-2 in Lone Star Conference-opening games under head coach Cary Fowler. Since joining the league the Texans are 6-12 in conference-opening games.
 
Metroplex Texans
Thirty players on the current Tarleton roster hail from the D/FW metroplex, which includes six players from the local Arlington (Desmond Jackson, Jeff Azubuike, Juan Gonzalez) and Mansfield (Dan Jackson, Trent Gow, Brian Ngwa) areas.
 
So Frosh and So Clean
The Texans have a total of 25 classified freshmen on the current roster heading into the first game of the season. Tarleton has 10 red-shirt freshmen returning from last year's squad to go along with 15 true freshmen. The Texan practice squad has 21 true freshmen on it as well.
 
Texans picked 3rd in LSC Poll
Tarleton State was picked to finish third in the LSC 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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Two-Headed Quarterback Monster
The Texans will enter the 2013 season with a plan to play both senior quarterbacks, Aaron Doyle and Jake Fenske. Doyle started the first six games for the Texans last season, but Fenske was forced into action after Doyle was sidelined with an injury. Both quarterbacks combined to throw for 2,864 yards and 21 touchdowns last season.
 
Regal back in action
Sophomore running back Jerome Regal returns to the field after sustaining a season-ending injury in 2012. Regal broke his jaw in last season's game against Abilene Christian and was awarded a medical redshirt season. Prior to his injury the Dallas native tallied 255 yards on the ground with a pair of touchdowns. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry and was well on pace to rush for over 1,000 yards after gaining 127.5 yards per game.
 
Frye Leads the Way
Senior wide receiver Jeken Frye returns for this third season with the Texans in 2013 after leading the team with a 14.7 yards per catch average last season. Frye caught 46 passes for 674 yards and had three touchdowns. He had a season-long 75-yard touchdown catch last season.
 
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.
 
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 13-8 overall when scoring the game's first points under head coach Cary Fowler.
 
Closing in on Win no. 450
The Texans are just four wins shy from picking up its 450th all-time win in school history. Tarleton brings in an all-time record of 446-453-22 (.496) to Saturday's contest. Since becoming a senior college in 1961, Tarleton is 255-279-3 all-time.
 
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 just 3-9 overall in September games the past three seasons, but Tarleton is 29-11 overall during the month of September since 2000. The Texans are 5-1 all-time when facing Midwestern State during the month of September.
 
On the Rhodes Again
Junior wide-out Clifton Rhodes III enters the 2013 season having eclipsed 100-yards or more receiving in seven games. He tallied four 100-plus yard games in 2012. His career-high was a 147-yard effort against West Alabama back on Sept. 10, 2011.
 
Putting up a 30-Spot
The Texans are 13-3 overall when putting up 30 points or more under head coach Cary Fowler. That record includes a 7-0 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 11-5 when out-rushing the opposition. Tarleton is just 4-12 under Fowler when the opposing team out-gains the Texans in rushing yardage.
 
Turnovers are Key
Over the past three seasons, Tarleton is a combined 10-2 when winning the turnover battle. The Texas are 4-4 when they have tied its opponent in turnovers and just 1-11 when coughing up more turnovers.
 
Passing Precision
Jake 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.
 
Barnes Nation's Best in FG's
Freshman kicker Blake Barnes led the nation in field goals last season, averaging 1.8 field goals made per game. His .900 field goal percentage ranked fifth best among all NCAA D-II players and first in the Lone Star Conference.
 
Wadley is a One-Man Wrecking Crew
Senior linebacker Marquis Wadley has led the Texans in tackles the past two seasons after registering 83 total tackles in 2012 and 119 total tackles in 2011. Wadley recorded 6.5 tackles-for-loss last year and had one interception as well. The Dallas native has 115 solo tackles and 13.5 tackles-for-loss in his two seasons donning the Purple and White.
 
Up Next
The Texans will head to San Angelo next weekend to face the Angelo State Rams. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. next Saturday, Sept. 21 at San Angelo Stadium.
 
The Rams are coming off a 38-26 season-opening win in San Angelo over Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference member Black Hills State. ASU recorded 594 yards of total offense and scored five touchdowns on gains of 30 yards or more. Kyle Washington threw and rushed for a touchdown and added 201 yards of total offense, while Jermie Calhoun ran for a career-high 140 yards and two scores.