THE GAME
No. 4 Tarleton will travel to Odessa to take on UT Permian Basin on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at Ratliff Stadium. The Texans enter the game atop the Lone Star Conference at 3-0 overall and 1-0 in LSC play. The Texans will put their 13-game regular season winning streak to the test against the Falcons. UTPB has already matched its win total from each of the last three seasons with a 2-1 record and 0-1 in the LSC.
 
GAME COVERAGE
A complete broadcast of the game can be heard on the Tarleton Sports Network presented by
the North Texas Ford Dealers. The Tarleton Sports Network team of Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Jarrett Bopp, and Keltin Wiens have the call on the flagship station of Tarleton Athletics – KTRL 90.5 FM in Stephenville – and worldwide at TarletonSports.com/ListenLive. A link to live Stats can be found on the football schedule of TarletonSports.com. A video broadcast of the game can be seen on the Lone Star Conference Network at lonestarconferencenetwork.com.
 
TICKET INFORMATION
UT Permian Basin football ticket prices are $15 for reserved seats and $12 for general admission. Tickets are available on game days at the stadium ticket office beginning at 3 p.m. and online at utpbfalcons.com. The Wagner-Noël Box Office is open Monday - Friday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. or by phone at 432-552-4437.
 
ABOUT THE TEXANS
Tarleton enters week four as the No. 4 ranked team in the nation after a 3-0 start. The Texans received a first-place vote in the AFCA poll this week for the first time in program history. The Texans rank in the top five in the nation in four major categories: Total Offense: 2nd, 567.3 yards; Total Defense: 4th, 205 yards; Rushing Offense: 4th, 292.3 yards; and Scoring Offense: 5th, 50.3 points per game. The Texan offense has accounted for at least 420 yards in all three games, including a pair of 600-yard games in wins over SFA (school-record 673 yards) and the following week against Doane (609 yards). The Texan defense is also coming off an all-time performance against West Texas A&M where they led 51-0 at halftime and held the Buffs to only 12 total yards at the break. Defensively, the Texans have posted first-half shutouts in back-to-back weeks. The Texans enter week four with a 13-game regular season winning streak and have won five straight regular season road games dating back to 2018. The Texans haven't lost a regular season road game since 2017. The Texans are averaging 50.3 points and holding teams to 19 points while out-gaining teams in total yards 567-205 per game. Ben Holmes comes in ranked third in the LSC with 772 passing yards and eight TD's, despite playing only the first half in the last two lopsided wins. Holmes' top targets have been J.F. Thomas (299 yards, 3 TD) and Zimari Manning (267 yards, 3 TD). Daniel McCants, Khalil Banks, Ryheem Skinner and Thomas McDonald lead a four-headed rushing attack with all four backs over 100 yards. McCants leads the way with 296 yards, 3 TD's while Banks has 244 yards at a team-high 4 TD's. Skinner (118 yards) and McDonald (100 yards, TD) have also been weapons out of the backfield. Defensively, B.J. Jefferson leads the team with 23 tackles and 5 for a loss. Jefferson also has a team-high 2 sacks. Ronnell Wilson and Tank Morgan are right behind with 17 tackles apiece, with Morgan also recording an interception. Tre Johnson leads the secondary with five pass breakups and Benjie Franklin has an interception returned for a touchdown. Sean Walton is tied for the national lead with two fumble recoveries in three games.
 
ABOUT UT PERMIAN BASIN
The Falcons enter the game 2-1 overall and 0-1 in the Lone Star Conference. UTPB is coming off a 14-8 loss at No. 16 Midwestern State. The Falcons are averaging 36 points and holding teams to 15 points while posting 431 yards per game. Quarterback Taylor Null leads the offense with 527 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. His top target has been Kyle McBride, who has 314 yards on 21 catches and two TD's.  The leading running back is Gabe Nelson, who has 151 yards on the ground with three touchdowns. The LSC preseason defensive player of the year Chris Hoad leads UTPB with 33 tackles while Clifton Holmes has a pair of interceptions.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Tarleton and UT Permian Basin are meeting for the fourth time since the first game in 2016. The Texans have won all three previous matchups by an average score of 38-16. Tarleton is 1-0 in Odessa, having won the game 31-17 in 2017.
 
UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
Tarleton will return home to face Angelo State on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. The game will be a Pink Out for breast cancer awareness month as well as the Legends Game to honor the 1990 Texan Football team. Tarleton vs. Angelo State will be a 500-point max game in the Tarleton Sports fan rewards app.