The Teams: Tarleton Texans (0-0, 0-0 WAC) vs. Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (0-0, 0-0 SWAC)
Where: Stephenville, Texas
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: ESPN+ (John Liddle, Richard Bartel)
Radio: Tarleton Sports Network on 90.5 FM (Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Matt Miller, Keltin Wiens)
 
TEXAN FOOTBALL GAME DAY
The Texans open the 2022 campaign under the Thursday night lights at Memorial Stadium. Tarleton has posted winning seasons in their first two NCAA Division I campaigns, and will begin its hardest season schedule to date, first drawing Mississippi Valley State from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
 
The game, set for 7 p.m. CT, will be broadcast on ESPN+, with John Liddle and Richard Bartel on the call. The game can be heard on Tarleton Sports Network at 90.5 FM in Stephenville and surrounding areas, with Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Matt Miller and Keltin Wiens leading the broadcast.
 
GAME DAY FESTIVITIES
It's a Purple Thursday, so fans should be wearing purple anyways, but more so at the game to "Purple Out" the Delta Devils. Fans are encouraged to wear their purple to the game, and those who don't, can pick up one of the free 1,000 purple shirts divvied out to the first ones in the stadium.  
 
Texan Alley opens at 8 a.m. for tailgaters, and all parking lots open at 3 p.m. The Pointe-du-Hoc rally will be at 3:40 p.m. at Rudder Way Statue, not long before stadium gates open at 5 p.m.
 
For the first time at a regular season Tarleton Athletics event, alcohol will be sold inside the stadium. From 5:30-6:30 p.m., "Happy Hour" will commence, with all beer for sale inside the stadium at half-price.
 
Before the game, all Texan freshmen are encouraged to participate in the Freshman Run, as the new students lead the team on the field through the Texan Tunnel.
 
Tarleton Rodeo head coach Mark Eakin will be part of the coin toss in honor of leading his Texan men's rodeo team to its fourth national crown at the College National Finals Rodeo in June. At halftime, the full team will be recognized.
 
For maps of the area and complete tailgating policies, visit TarletonSports.com/TexanAlley.
 
ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• This is the first ever matchup between the Texans and Delta Devils, who are part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Tarleton has played just one of the current 12 SWAC teams, last matching up with Prairie View A&M in 1995.
• This is the second straight year MVSU is playing a WAC program. In 2021, they lost 58-13 at Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 18.
• Last year, MVSU ranked 11th out of 12 SWAC teams in PPG at 19.6. They averaged the second fewest passing yards per game (167.9). Tarleton allowed the fewest passing yards per in the WAC (189.9).

 
QUICK HITS

• The Texans have won four of their last five home openers, including last year's 54-7 romping of Fort Lewis.
• Head coach Todd Whitten is back for his 13th season at the helm of the Texans. Under Whitten, Tarleton is 6-6 in season openers and 9-3 in home openers. Overall, Tarleton has been .500 or better 11 times in his 12 years.
• Tarleton has finished .500 or better in each of its past five seasons. That's the longest run since a 10-season streak from 2000-09 (Whitten coached the first four years of that).
• Beau Allen was named the starting quarterback for Tarleton, transferring in from Kentucky. A former four-star prospect, Allen played five games for the Wildcats over the past two years, completing 11-of-19 (.579) passes for 132 yards, scoring his first touchdown on the ground against New Mexico State.
• Tarleton is planning to start in a 3-4 defense, switching from its primary 4-3 defense a year prior. Tyrone Nix is the Texans' new defensive coordinator, bringing in over 25 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience.
• The Texans added 28 transfers to its roster entering 2022, while 14 joined the team straight out of high school.
• This will be the highest capacity of a stadium Tarleton has ever played in Stephenville. Expansion is still in progress, set to boost seating to 24,000 later this season.

 
THE GREATEST TIME OF YEAR
Football is back, signaling the undisputed greatest time of the year. For the Texans, it's a chance to start the season off hot at home, something they're accustomed to doing under head coach Todd Whitten. In home openers under the man in charge, the Texans are 9-3, with a total point differential of +323 (+26.9 per game). In each of the three losses, the Texans lost by exactly three points, one of which happened in double overtime. Of the nine wins, the Texans won each by double figures, including eight by 20+ points, six by 30+ points, three by 40+ points, two by 50+ points, and one by 62 points.
 
This is the first time Tarleton is opening the season on a Thursday night since 2018, when they opened at home against Delta State on Aug. 30, taking a 44-13 win.
Tarleton has opened its season on the first day of the unofficial start of football month (September) three times before in its history -- vs. Abilene Christian on Sept. 1, 2011; vs. Langston on Sept. 1, 2001; at East Central (Oklahoma) on Sept. 1, 1990.
 
TURNAROUND TODD
Tarleton head coach Todd Whitten is entering his 13th season at the helm of the Texans. He's already the winningest head coach in program history, with opportunities this season to keep building on his historic career. Since joining the purple and white, Whitten has taken his Texan teams to a 90-45 (.667) record. In its senior college history, Tarleton is now exactly .500 all-time at 315-315-3. So, Whitten has boosted the Texans from a .455 winning percentage to .500, a hard feat to manage since the senior college sample size is 600+ games deep.
 
#BEAUKNOWS
Affectionally given the social media hashtag of #BeauKnows by his Kentucky Wildcat family, Beau Allen originally joined his hometown college as a four-star prospect by both ESPN and Rivals. At Lexington Catholic High School, he ranked as high as the No. 3 QB in Kentucky, and a top-15 QB across the nation overall. He won the Paul Hornung Award his senior year, given to the top high school player in Kentucky, starting all four years at the prep level, compiling 11,439 passing yards and 127 touchdowns, top-five marks in the state all-time. He was named First Team All-State three times and was a three-time captain. At Kentucky, he primarily spent his time in the No. 2 QB role, playing in five total games, completing 11-of-19 (.579) passes for 132 yards, plus a rushing touchdown. Allen, who chose Kentucky over offers from Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Maryland, Washington State, West Virginia, Marshall and Duke, among others, said he picked Tarleton as his transfer school mostly because of the coaching staff, with ties to head coach Todd Whitten and pass game coordinator/QB coach Adam Austin, who was part of Eastern Kentucky's staff tasked to recruit Allen to Richmond.
 
AT CAPACITY
Last season, Tarleton hosted over 63,000 total fans at its home football games, one of the best turnouts in a season in program history. The team ranked No. 1 in the WAC in both total home attendance and average home attendance at over 9,000 people. On Oct. 23, 2021, Tarleton achieved its 15K Initiative -- host a school record 15,000 fans for the homecoming game against Midwestern State. The Texans shattered that mark by seeing 16,216 fans through the turnstiles at Memorial Stadium in their 17-14 win.
 
Ahead of the 2022 campaign, Tarleton State University announced in March they began an expansion project to Memorial Stadium that increases attendance to 24,000. The project closes in the north endzone with stands, with the field suites relocating to the south endzone underneath the video board to create an exciting, enclosed game day atmosphere. Expansion will still be in progress at the time of Thursday's home opener, although completion is on the horizon. The north endzone stands are in place, purple, and are continuing to rise, set to reach as high as the bottom of the home side press box - parallel. Suites and new turf are on the field as well, replacing the removed track, which is getting its own new home next door.
 
CHANGE IN DC
With new personnel comes fresh ideas and different habits. The Texans have a brand-new defensive coordinator, Tyrone Nix. Nix has been a Division I coach for over 25 years, serving as the defensive coordinator for five previous D1 programs, including Ole Miss and South Carolina. He has spent 17 years as a defensive coordinator at the D1 level, holding that title at UTSA (2020), Middle Tennessee (2012-16), Ole Miss (2008-11), South Carolina (2005-07) and Southern Miss (2001-04). His other titles and stops include outside linebackers coach at Ole Miss (2019), safeties coach at Virginia Tech (2018), defensive analyst at Texas A&M (2017), and numerous defensive position titles among his full tenure at Southern Miss from 1995-2004. In all, Nix has coached at seven different Division I programs, spending 15 years in Conference USA, nine years in the Southeastern Conference, one year in the Atlantic Coast Conference and one year in the Sun Belt Conference. He's a former Broyles Award finalist, given to the nation's top assistant coach. In the SEC, Nix elevated as high as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at both Ole Miss, under head coach Houston Nutt, and at South Carolina, under head coach Steve Spurrier.
 
PRESEASON WATCH
Tarleton Football was voted to finish third in the conference by the other WAC head coaches, with five Texans named Preseason All-WAC. Offensive linemen Kendall Dearth and Blake Haynes are on the 2022 Preseason All-WAC Offense. Defensive lineman Javier Duran, linebacker D.J. Harris and defensive back Donovan Banks are on the 2022 Preseason All-WAC Defense.
 
Dearth and Haynes were two of the six total offensive linemen on the 2022 Preseason All-WAC Offense. Haynes was Second Team All-WAC last season. Haynes and Dearth each started all 11 games for the Texans last year, part of an offensive line that allowed the tied-12th fewest total sacks in the FCS at 13, the tied-14th fewest sacks per game at 1.18.
 
Duran, one of five defensive linemen chosen to the 2022 Preseason All-WAC Defense, was Second Team All-WAC last year. He started all 11 games in his first year at Tarleton, recording 32 total tackles (17 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hurries.
 
Harris, one of four linebackers named 2022 Preseason All-WAC Defense, led the Texans in total tackles last year at 66 (35 solo). He finished with seven tackles for a loss, tied-second most on the team, earning a safety, forced fumble, 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hurries in nine games played. Across the conference last year, he averaged the fourth most tackles per game at 7.3 per, owning the sixth most total tackles.
 
Banks was one of five defensive backs on the 2022 Preseason All-WAC Defense. Last year he had the tied-third most total tackles on the team from the secondary with 50 (32 solo).
 
BEER HERE!
For the first time in Tarleton Athletics history, alcohol will be served at home regular season games. Beginning Thursday at Tarleton's 2022 season-opening football game, fans 21 years and older with identification can purchase alcohol inside the gates of Memorial Stadium.
 
Tarleton State University received a full two-year TABC license, and after Erath County residents voted in November to allow alcohol sales at sites other than grocery stores and restaurants designated as private clubs, beer and wine will be sold at Tarleton's home football games this season.
 
At Tarleton's Spring Football Game, the Texans held a "trial run" and found the sale of alcohol not only enhanced the fan experience, but brought fans into the stadium earlier.
 
STRENGTH IN THE TRENCHES
Several times during the preseason, including at WAC Football Media Day, head coach Todd Whitten pointed at the offensive line as being one of the strengths of the team. Virtually the entire line is returning, such as last year's starters Blake Haynes, Kendall Dearth, Austin Whitehead and Layton Ernst. Last season, the O-Line allowed the tied-12th fewest total sacks in the FCS at 13, the tied-14th fewest sacks per game at 1.18, going for the 10th fewest amount of negative yardage at 77. In tackles for loss, the big men up front allowed the tied-14th fewest in the FCS at 49, the tied-18th fewest per game at 4.45.
 
Of Tarleton's five Preseason All-WAC honorees, the offensive line was the lone position to feature multiple Texans in Haynes and Dearth.
 
FLIP THE FIELD
Junior punter Jake Walrath is back after a historic season. He served as the team's only punter in all 11 games in 2021, booting 50 punts 2,129 yards, averaging 42.6 yards per punt. He landed 16 punts inside the 20-yard-line, nine punts go 50 or more yards, 24 fair catches and six touchbacks. Most importantly, he set a new team single-season record for yards per punt at 42.6, surpassing Ron Reid's 42.1 yards per punt average in 2018. He currently has the second highest career yards per punt average in school history at 41.3, trailing only Isaac Arrellano (2012-15) at 41.4 yards per punt. Against Abilene Christian, Walrath smashed one 74 yards on Nov. 13, the tied-second longest punt in the Western Athletic Conference in 2021. Only 10 punts across the FCS all season were longer than his 74-yarder. In the Western Athletic Conference, he ranked first in fair catches, second in total yards, second in total punts, third in average punt yards, and third in punts inside the 20. In the FCS, only 20 players averaged more yards per punt. In the homecoming game against Midwestern State, he pinned the Mustangs at the 1-yard-line on a 45-yard punt with 38 seconds remaining in the game with Tarleton leading, and eventually winning, 17-14.
 
BEST IN TEXAS
Since the start of the 2018 season, there has not been a better scholarship football program in the entire state of Texas than Tarleton State University. The Texans enter Thursday's game with a .773 winning percentage since the start of 2018, the highest mark across all of the NCAA Division I and II programs in the state.  The Texans have 34 wins since the start of 2018, tied for the most wins in the state by an NCAA Division I or II program. Tarleton is one of three Texas D1 or D2 schools with all four winning seasons since 2018, along with Texas A&M and Sam Houston. The Texans have the tied-fewest amount of losses among Texas D1/D2 schools since 2018 at 10 (Texas A&M-Commerce).  The list of the top scholarship programs in Texas over that span are as follows:
 

#	School	Conf.	Win Pct.
1.	Tarleton	WAC	.773
2.	Sam Houston	WAC	.756
3.	Texas A&M	SEC	.708
4.	Angelo State	LSC	.659
5.	Baylor	Big 12	.640
6.	SMU	AAC	.638
7.	Midwestern State	LSC	.618
8.	West Texas A&M	LSC	.615
9.	Texas	Big 12	.612
10.	Houston	AAC	.574

 

#	School	Conf.	Wins
1.	Tarleton	WAC	34
	Texas A&M	SEC	34
	Sam Houston	WAC	34
4.	Baylor	Big 12	32
5.	Texas	Big 12	30
	SMU	AAC	30
7.	Texas A&M-Commerce	LSC	28
8.	Angelo State	LSC	27
9.	UTSA	C-USA	26
10.	North Texas	C-USA	24
	Incarnate Word	SLC	24
	West Texas A&M	LSC	24

 
TRANSFER TAKEOVER
In the new era of college football, the transfer portal has become popular, and recruiting has changed. It was prevalent for Tarleton this offseason. The Texans added 28 transfers to its roster entering 2022, while 14 players joined the team straight out of high school.
 
Tarleton's announced National Signing Day Class consisted of all transfers, including defensive lineman Blaine Hoover and running back Mookie Douglas, who are poised to make an immediate impact for the Texans this season. Hoover transferred over from Incarnate Word where he played the last two years, appearing in 16 games, recording 47 total tackles (19 solo), 3.0 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. He was Third Team Southland All-Conference in 2020 and a Southland All-Conference honorable mention in 2021. Douglas joins the Texans from East Central where he played the last four years, rushing for 2,849 career yards and 33 career touchdowns. He rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2017 and 2019, earning several conference awards such as Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Conference. He even faced Tarleton on April 1, 2021, rushing for 105 yards and two touchdowns while adding 41 receiving yards on six catches.
 
Other transfers to keep an eye on early, besides the obvious one at the quarterback spot, are Patrick Jones, Michael Irons, Eman Lawoye, Jaden Smith, Audley Isaacs Jr., Segun Ijiyera, and Shawn McFarland. Jones, a linebacker, played the last four years at Henderson State. Last season he was Second Team All-Conference with 65 tackles, an interception, fumble recovery, two pass breakups and 1.5 TFL in 11 games. Irons, a defensive back, was Second Team All-Ivy at Cornell last year after recording 31 total tackles (26 solo), nine pass breakups, one sack, 2.5 TFL and a quarterback hurry in 10 games. Lawoye, a DB, helped Golden West College go 11-0 to start the season, recording three interceptions, three pass breakups and 33 tackles. Smith, a WR, was a member of the Montana State Bobcats last year in their title pursuit, playing in 11 games, recording 12 receptions for 126 yards. Isaacs, a LB, played the last five seasons at Temple, appearing in six games last year. Ijiyera, at DL, spent the last five years at Houston Baptist, playing in 28 games. McFarland, a TE, played for Norfolk State most recently, earning First Team All-MEAC honors in 2019 with 15 catches for 169 yards and a touchdown in 12 games.
 
AVOIDING TURNOVER(S)
Consistent staffs bring consistent programs, and Tarleton has valued that sentiment for six straight years. Since head coach Todd Whitten rejoined the program, there has been little turnover in his coaching staff, employing just his second defensive coordinator since 2016 this season. On the offensive side, all five positional coaches remained on staff, with four of them entering at least their third straight season with the program. Under new defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix, two new additions were brought in with him, while the other two defensive positional coaches have each been at Tarleton at least two years.
 
YEAR 3
Tarleton is in its third year of a four-year reclassification period to being a permanent NCAA Division I school. In its first two years at the D1 level, the Texans have posted back-to-back winning seasons, going a combined 11-8. They won their first game against an FBS school with a 43-17 walloping of New Mexico State at a neutral location on Feb. 21, 2021.
 
Many are calling the Texans' 2022 schedule Tarleton's toughest in school history, including head coach Todd Whitten himself, with nine of their 11 opponents NCAA Division I teams. Tarleton has five games against WAC opponents, first at new member Southern Utah on Oct. 8.
 
NICE TO BE RECOGNIZED
Last year, Tarleton individuals continuously flooded the WAC weekly awards list, recognized for their great performances...
 
In Week 2, LB D.J. Harris was WAC Defensive Player of the Week against Fort Lewis, tallying 13 tackles (six solo), a safety, 1.5 sacks, 3.0 TFL and three quarterback hurries.
 
In Week 4, DB Greg Eggleston Jr. was WAC Defensive Player of the Week for his two-interception game against New Mexico Highlands. He was the first Tarleton freshman (true or redshirt) to have two interceptions in a single game since Dee Collins had two picks against Southwestern Oklahoma State in 2008 as a R-FR.
 
In Week 7, WR J.F. Thomas and K Adrian Guzman were the WAC Offensive and Special Teams Players of the Week from their nights at Dixie State. Thomas pulled in six catches for 169 yards and a touchdown. Guzman made two field goals and all five of his extra point attempts.
 
In Week 8, DB Devin Hafford was WAC Defensive Player of the Week for his two-interception game against Midwestern State. He also had two pass breakups and seven solo tackles.
 
In Week 10, LB Devin Sterling was WAC Defensive Player of the Week for his nine-tackle, 1.5 TFL game against Lamar. Tarleton dominated the Cardinals 42-21.
 
To end the season in Week 12, DL Sean Walton was WAC Defensive Player of the Week after posting 2.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, eight total tackles, and two quarterback hurries in Tarleton's 24-3 win over Central Arkansas.
 
Looking at the last four years overall, Tarleton has had two conference defensive players of the year, a conference offensive player of the year, two conference running backs of the year, two conference defensive backs of the year, a conference wide receiver of the year, a conference offensive lineman of the year, and a conference defensive lineman of the year. They've had 16 All-Americans in that span, and 40 All-Conference players in just three seasons (no conference in 2020) – 21 on offense, 19 on defense.
 
NATIONAL LEADER
Across the country, only 14 NCAA Division I teams (eight FBS, six FCS) have a better winning percentage than Tarleton since 2018 (Cincinnati, Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Appalachian State, Kennesaw State, North Dakota State, James Madison, Princeton, Dartmouth, Louisiana). So among some of the other elite programs, Tarleton has a higher W% than the likes of Michigan, Oklahoma State, Michigan State, Oregon, Iowa, USC, LSU, Penn State, etc.
 

#	School	Conf.	Win Pct.
1.	North Dakota State	MVFC	.929
2.	Alabama	SEC	.911
3.	Dartmouth	Ivy	.900
	Princeton	Ivy	.900
5.	Ohio State	Big 10	.898
6.	Clemson	ACC	.891
7.	Cincinnati	AAC	.863
	Notre Dame	Ind.	.863
9.	Georgia	SEC	.849
10.	Oklahoma	Big 12	.846
11.	James Madison	SBC	.824
12.	Kennesaw State	ASUN	.822
13.	Appalachian State	SBC	.811
14.	Louisiana	SBC	.774
15.	Tarleton	WAC	.773

 
6: Only six D1 teams (five FBS, one FCS) have averaged more points than Tarleton (38.0 PPG) since 2018 (Ohio State, Alabama, Oklahoma, Clemson, UCF, Eastern Washington).
 
10: Just 10 D1 teams (five FBS, five FCS) have allowed fewer points than TAR (18.3) since '18 (Georgia, Clemson, Cincinnati, Iowa, San Diego State, North Dakota State, Dartmouth, James Madison, Princeton, Kennesaw State).
 
5: Not considering reclassification rules on leaderboards, Tarleton is one of five D1 teams in both top-15s of scoring and defense (PTS allowed AVG) – (Clemson, James Madison, Princeton, Kennesaw State)
 
UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
On paper, it will be one of Tarleton's most elite opponents to date, as the Texans take on their first Power Five opponent in program history. The Texans will head about 75 miles northeast to Fort Worth to take on the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m.