The Teams: Tarleton Texans (2-1, 0-0 WAC) at North Alabama Lions (1-2, 0-0 ASUN)
Where: Florence, Alabama
Stadium: Braly Stadium (14,215)
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: ESPN+ (Benjamin Ray, Bryan Neece)
Radio: Tarleton Sports Network on 90.5 FM (Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Keltin Wiens)
 
TEXAN FOOTBALL GAME DAY
The Texans put on a clinic on Family Weekend, shutting down the Greyhounds to the tune of 112 total yards and six points, plus dropping a 40-burger on offense. They'll face a similar program on Saturday in the grand scheme of things, a North Alabama team fresh off of its own reclassification period.
 
The game, set for 6 p.m. CT, will be broadcast on ESPN+, with Benjamin Ray and Bryan Neece 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 and Keltin Wiens leading the broadcast.
 
ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• This is the third matchup between Tarleton and North Alabama. In 2012-13, the teams played a home-and-home set, with the road team winning each time. Tarleton won 38-28 in Florence in 2012.
• This is the fifth year of UNA's NCAA Division I status, compared to TAR's third. The Lions are in the ASUN, and with the WAC's alliance, North Alabama is eligible to receive an auto-bid into the FCS playoffs.
• Tarleton seemingly has the edge in the passing attack, with the Texans averaging 274.3 passing yards per game to UNA's 164.7. In the Lions' first two weeks, no quarterback threw for 100+ yards.

 
QUICK HITS

• The Lions welcome the Texans to Florence for their homecoming game, where visitors have not had success. Tarleton will have a chance to snap North Alabama's 16-game homecoming winning streak, dating back to 2005 (no homecoming game in 2020). UNA last lost on homecoming in 2004 to Valdosta State.
• Through just three games, Beau Allen has already recorded 300+ passing yards twice, throwing for 313 yards and two touchdowns (also a rush TD and 32 rush yards) last week in Tarleton's 41-6 win over Eastern New Mexico. Allen is already just the 14th quarterback in program history with multiple 300+ yard games, and the first to have multiple 300+ yard performances in his first three Tarleton games. He was quicker than Zed Woerner, who had two 300+ yard games in his first four contests in which he attempted a pass in 2014. Jake Fenske had two 300+ yard performances in his first five games, including a 311-yard, 2-TD night at North Alabama.
• This marks Tarleton's first of three straight road games. The Texans haven't had a span of three straight games played away from Stephenville since the first three games of 2013 – Tarleton went 3-0 in that span. The Texans haven't played three straight true road games since 2011.
• Only eight teams across all of the FCS are averaging fewer penalties per game than Tarleton (3.67).

 
DEFENSE RESPONDS
TCU posed a challenge to Tarleton's defense all night in Week 2, but the Texans responded in a big way in Week 3, allowing just six points and 112 total yards against Eastern New Mexico (57 rushing, 55 passing). Tarleton forced three turnovers, its most in a game this season, snagging its first interception of the year and recovering two fumbles.
 
Tarleton forced Eastern New Mexico QB Kason Martin to a 7-of-33 (.212) completion rate. The 55 passing yards allowed are the fewest any Texan opponent has managed since Mississippi College threw for 40 yards on March 6, 2021. Even better, the 112 total yards Tarleton allowed are the fewest total yards put together against the Texans since Doane had just 84 on Sept. 14, 2019.
 
The Texans did all of this without several defensive starters, including their top two linebackers who led the entire Western Athletic Conference in tackles heading into the game (D.J. Harris and Qua'Shawn Washington). Among those to step up in their absence were Patrick Jones and Garrett Richard, who each led the team in tackles at six. Jones also had the interception, while Richard had 2.0 tackles for loss. Segun Ijiyera and Les Odimara forced the fumbles, with Darian Williams and Myles Aldridge recovering each. Defensive back Michael Irons had four pass breakups in the contest to lead the secondary.
 
#BEAUKNOWS
Beau Allen has matched the incredible hype he faced going into the season. Through three games, Allen is looking like, and playing like, a star QB, leading the WAC in pass efficiency (137.9), yards per completion (15.0), yards per attempt (8.2), and has the tied-most 300+ yard games. He's second in total passing yards (823), passing yards per game (274) and pass touchdowns (six).
 
Last week in Tarleton 41-6 win over Eastern New Mexico, he threw for a career-high 313 yards, adding two passing touchdowns, while rushing for 32 yards and a touchdown. In Week 1, a Tarleton 29-13 win over Mississippi Valley State, Allen threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns.
 
In each of Tarleton's home games, Allen has thrown for 300+ passing yards and accounted for three touchdowns. His two 300+ yard games hold a bit more weight at Tarleton. Allen is already just the 14th quarterback in program history with multiple 300+ yard games, and the first to have multiple 300+ yard performances in his first three Tarleton games. He was quicker than Zed Woerner, who had two 300+ yard games in his first four contests in which he attempted a pass in 2014. Jake Fenske had two 300+ yard performances in his first five games, including a 311-yard, 2-TD night at North Alabama. Allen also has the most 300+ yard performances in the first three games of a Texan season since 2011, when Nick Stephens had back-to-back such games in Tarleton's first two contests against Abilene Christian and West Alabama.
 
In Allen's season debut, his 300 yards passing were the most in a Tarleton season-opener since Ben Holmes had 375 at SFA on Sept. 7, 2019, while his three touchdown passes were the most in a Tarleton season-opener since 2007, when Scott Grantham fired three scores against East Central. As for Texans making their first career start at QB, Allen is the first to throw for 300 yards since Zed Woerner (302) against Angelo State on Nov. 1, 2014.
 
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. 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 chose Kentucky over offers from Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Maryland, Washington State, West Virginia, Marshall and Duke, among others. He 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.
 
TRIPLE THREAT
The overwhelming majority of Tarleton's passing attack has centered around three receivers – Jaden Smith, Darius Cooper and Gabe Douglas. Of the 823 yards through the air, those three have accounted for 787 of those yards, 95.6 percent. Smith leads the group at 316 receiving yards, second most in the WAC, and a would-be 13th most in FCS, if reclassifying schools counted on stat leaderboards. Smith's four receiving touchdowns are a would-be tied-fourth across all of FCS, and a would-be tied-12th across all of NCAA Division I. Smith and Cooper (13 receptions for 264 yards and a touchdown) have already set career-highs across the board with their season numbers. Through three games, Douglas (10 catches, 207 yards, 1 TD) has already surpassed his entire 2021 season. The trio of Smith, Cooper and Douglas are all in the top-five of the WAC receiving leaderboard.
 
STRENGTH IN THE TRENCHES
Touted as one of the strengths of the team entering the year, Tarleton's offensive line has lived up to the billing. Look no further than the pass protection, and it showed Tarleton has allowed just one sack through the first three games of the season. Tarleton is one of just 19 teams across all of NCAA Division I (both FBS and FCS) with one or fewer sacks allowed. 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. Four of the five starters from last year returned -- Blake Haynes, Kendall Dearth, Austin Whitehead and Layton Ernst. Dillon Brooks is the fifth starter this year, and has quickly shown he belongs. In Preseason All-WAC awards entering 2022, the offensive line was the lone position to feature multiple Texans in Haynes and Dearth.
 
NICE TO BE RECOGNIZED
In Week 2, Adrian Guzman brought home Tarleton's first WAC weekly honor of the season, named WAC Special Teams Player of the Week following his efforts at TCU. Guzman made his lone field goal attempt, a career-long 47-yarder, and both of his extra points in Fort Worth. This was Guzman's second career WAC weekly award, his other coming last year in October after his performance against Dixie State. His 47-yard successful try made back-to-back weeks for Guzman setting new career-longs in field goals. He made a 46-yarder in Week 1 vs. Mississippi Valley State. The Texan sophomore owns the longest field goal make in the WAC this season. Only 13 longer field goal makes exist in the FCS this season than Guzman's.
 
Last year, Tarleton individuals continuously flooded the WAC weekly awards list, recognized for their great performances. Seven total players earned weekly honors; D.J. Harris, Greg Eggleston Jr., J.F. Thomas, Adrian Guzman, Devin Hafford, Devin Sterling and Sean Walton. 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.
 
LEADING THE WAC
Several Texans are atop WAC leaderboards this season...
Beau Allen:
  - 1st in passing efficiency (137.9)
  - 1st in pass yards per completion (15)
  - 1st in pass yards per attempt (8.2)
  - 2nd in total pass touchdowns (6)
  - 2nd in passing yards per game (274.3)
  - 2nd in total passing yards (823)
Bryon Broussard:
  - 2nd in punt return average (7)
Jalen Carr:
  - T-5th in pass breakups (3)
Darius Cooper:
  - 3rd in receiving yards per game (88)
  - 3rd in total receiving yards (264)
  - 3rd in yards per catch (20.3)
  - T-4th in total receptions (13)
  - 5th in receptions per game (4.3)
Gabe Douglas:
  - 2nd in yards per catch (20.7)
  - 5th in receiving yards per game (69)
  - 5th in total receiving yards (207)
  - 8th in receptions per game (3.3)
Adrian Guzman:
  - T-1st in field goal makes (4)
  - T-1st in field goal percentage (100.0)
Michael Irons:
 - T-3rd in pass breakups (4)
Deangelo Rosemond:
  - 1st in kick return average (170 total yards)
  - 1st in yards per rush (4.88)
  - 2nd in total rushing touchdowns (3)
  - 3rd in all-purpose yards per game (106.3)
  - 3rd in rushing yards per game (52)
  - 3rd in total rush yards (156)
Jaden Smith:
  - T-1st in total receiving touchdowns (4)
  - 2nd in receptions per game (7.3)
  - 2nd in total receptions (22)
  - 2nd in receiving yards per game (105.3)
  - 2nd in total receiving yards (316)
 - 4th in all-purpose yards per game (105.3)
 
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 Saturday's game with a .766 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 36 wins since the start of 2018, tied for the most wins in the state by an NCAA Division I or II program (Texas A&M). 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 fewest amount of losses among Texas D1/D2 schools since 2018 at 11.  The list of the top scholarship programs in Texas over that span are as follows:
 

#	School	Conf.	Win Pct.
1.	Tarleton	WAC	.766
2.	Sam Houston	WAC	.729
3.	Texas A&M-Commerce	LSC	.707
4.	Texas A&M	SEC	.706
5.	Angelo State	LSC	.682
6.	Baylor	Big 12	.642
7.	SMU	AAC	.640
8.	Midwestern State	LSC	.622
9.	West Texas A&M	LSC	.619
10.	Texas	Big 12	.615

 

#	School	Conf.	Wins
1.	Tarleton	WAC	36
	Texas A&M	SEC	36
3.	Sam Houston	WAC	35
4.	Baylor	Big 12	34
5.	Texas	Big 12	32
6.	SMU	AAC	32
7.	Angelo State	LSC	30
8.	Texas A&M-Commerce	LSC	29
9.	UTSA	C-USA	27
	Incarnate Word	SLC	27

 
SPORTSCENTER SMITH
As strong of a Tarleton debut Beau Allen had in Week 1, Jaden Smith may have topped him. Smith caught three touchdowns, hauling in 11 receptions for 95 yards in Tarleton's win last week. His first TD grab was an OBJ-like skying one-hander, No. 4 on SportsCenter's Top-10 Plays countdown. He set career-highs in all three categories.
 
Smith transferred to Tarleton from Montana State, where he played the last two seasons. In just one game in Stephenville, he almost surpassed all of his numbers across 16 games for the Bobcats; 13 receptions for 173 yards and one touchdown.
 
His three touchdowns scored are:

• The tied most TD receptions in a game in NCAA Division I this season (FBS and FCS).
• The tied most TDs scored in a game in the WAC this season.
• The most touchdowns scored in a game by a Texan since Sept. 18, 2021 (Tariq Bitson vs. Southern Utah).
• The most touchdown receptions in a Tarleton season opener in at least the past 10 years.

His 11 receptions are:

• The tied most receptions in a game in the WAC this season (Utah Tech's Joey Hobert).
• The most receptions by a Texan in a game since March 13, 2021 (Tariq Bitson vs. Dixie State).
• The most receptions in a Tarleton season opener since 2020 (Dray Roberson vs. McNeese State).

 
TURNAROUND TODD
Tarleton head coach Todd Whitten is in 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 92-46 (.667) record. In its senior college history, Tarleton is now above .500 all-time at 317-316-3. So, Whitten has boosted the Texans from a .455 winning percentage to .501, a hard feat to manage since the senior college sample size is 600+ games deep.
 
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 year. Haynes and Dearth started all 11 games 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 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. Across the conference, 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 with 50 (32 solo).
 
CHANGE IN SCHEME
With new personnel comes fresh ideas and different habits. The Texans have a brand-new defensive coordinator, Tyrone Nix, who has incorporated a 3-4 defensive formation, different from Tarleton's 4-3 defense last year.
 
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.
 
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. Hoover transferred from Incarnate Word where he played the last two years, appearing in 16 games, recording 47 total tackles, 3.0 sacks and 4.5 TFL. He was Third Team Southland All-Conference in 2020 and a 2021 Southland All-Conference honorable mention. Douglas joins the Texans from East Central where he played the last four years, rushing for 2,849 career yards and 33 TDs. 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.
 
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, Louisiana, Appalachian State, Kennesaw State, North Dakota State, James Madison, Princeton, Dartmouth). 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, etc.
 

#	School	Conf.	Win Pct.
1.	Alabama	SEC	.915
	North Dakota State	MVFC	.915
3.	Ohio State	Big 10	.904
4.	Dartmouth	Ivy	.903
	Princeton	Ivy	.903
6.	Clemson	ACC	.897
7.	Georgia	SEC	.857
8.	Oklahoma	Big 12	.855
9.	Cincinnati	AAC	.852
10.	Notre Dame	Ind.	.833
11.	James Madison	SBC	.830
12.	Appalachian State	SBC	.804
13.	Kennesaw State	ASUN	.787
14.	Louisiana	SBC	.768
15.	Tarleton	WAC	.766

 
6: Only six D1 teams (five FBS, one FCS) averaged more points than Tarleton (38.0 PPG) from 2018-21 (Ohio State, Alabama, Oklahoma, Clemson, UCF, Eastern Washington).
 
10: 10 D1 teams (five FBS, five FCS) allowed fewer points than TAR (18.3) from 2018-21 (Georgia, Clemson, Cincinnati, Iowa, San Diego State, North Dakota State, Dartmouth, James Madison, Princeton, Kennesaw State).
 
5: Not considering reclassification rules on leaderboards, Tarleton was one of five D1 teams in both top-15s of scoring and defense from 2018-21 - (Clemson, James Madison, Princeton, Kennesaw State).
 
UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
The Texans will have the week off to rest up, their only bye week of the year. After the bye week, they'll have seven straight weeks of games, beginning Oct. 8 at new WAC foe Southern Utah in Cedar City, Utah, at 7 p.m. CT.