WICHITA FALLS – Tarleton stood toe-to-toe with the top team in the Lone Star Conference and No. 4 team in the country Saturday afternoon before falling on an overtime field goal 45-42 to Midwestern State at Wichita Falls Memorial Stadium.
 
The Texans (6-4, 4-3 LSC) and Mustangs (8-0, 7-0 LSC) traded blows for the entire game and then some as Tarleton went into overtime for the first time since defeating NCAA Division I Abilene Christian at Toyota Stadium in Frisco in 2013.
 
After Midwestern State struck first with a touchdown at 9:38, the Texans answered right back with a nine-play, 70-yard drive that capitalized with Xavier Turner throwing his first career touchdown pass to Del'Michael High for a tie game. The 7-7 carried through the end of the opening quarter and Midwestern took the lead back 49 seconds into the new frame at 14-7.
 
Tarleton countered.
 
Zed Woerner orchestrated a nine-play, 75-yard drive over the next 4:55 to bring the game back to even at 14-14 after finding High for his second receiving touchdown of the afternoon on a five-yard pass. Tarleton was unable to capitalize on a Devin Hafford interception and the Mustangs scored with 2:28 left in the half to go into halftime leading 21-14.
 
Out of the break, Tarleton wasted no time in picking up where the game left off as Zed Woerner found Turner for a 78-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the half to tie things up. After MSU took a touchdown lead once again, Tarleton fought right back on the ensuing drive when Xavier Turner punched it in from 14 yards out to tie things at 28-28, which took things into a thrilling fourth quarter.
 
Midwestern State appeared to pull away with touchdowns on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter, but the Texans would not call it a day quite yet. Turner scored once again with a three-yard rush with 8:04 left and, after a defensive stop, Zed Woerner orchestrated an 11-play, 89-yard, game-tying drive that ended with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Baxter Kirven with just over two minutes to play.
 
The Tarleton defense kept Midwestern State out of the end zone to force overtime. Midwestern State won the toss and chose defense then forced a turnover on Tarleton's possession before kicking a 21-yard field goal to end the game.
 
Woerner topped the 300-yard mark in his third straight game as the senior quarterback went for 378 yards on 26-40 passing with three touchdowns and an interception while four receivers accounted for over 60 yards each: Kirven (94), Turner (92), Jeff Thomas (82), and High (65). Savon Rollison added 49 yards on four catches.
 
Turner led the ground game with a career-high 145 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. The junior running back had a hand in four of Tarleton's six total touchdowns as he threw for one, caught one, and rushed in two scores.
 
Andrew Blackshire led the Texan defense with 10 tackles and an interception while Hafford, Basil Jackson, and Elliott Hart all finished with six tackles each. Hafford added an interception.
 
Tarleton will return home for the season finale against Texas A&M-Commerce Saturday at 2 p.m. on Military Appreciation Day at Tarleton State University.