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Tarleton State University Athletics

11-3-23 Texan Timeline (1)

Football

Tarleton State hosts SFA for 1st time in 49 years, Saturday serves as Senior Night and Military Appreciation

The Teams: Tarleton Texans (6-3, 2-2 UAC) vs. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (3-5, 0-3 UAC)
Where: Stephenville, Texas
Stadium: Memorial Stadium (24,000)
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: ESPN+ (John Liddle, Donovan Lewis)
Radio: Tarleton Sports Network on 90.5 FM (Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Keltin Wiens, Laura Sadler)
 
TEXAN FOOTBALL GAME DAY
For the first time since 1974, Tarleton State will host Stephen F. Austin at Memorial Stadium, this time as United Athletic Conference opponents.
 
Tarleton's game, set for 6 p.m. CT, will be broadcast on ESPN+, with John Liddle and Donovan Lewis 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, Keltin Wiens and Laura Sadler leading the broadcast.
 
GAME DAY FESTIVITIES
Another jam-packed game day is set for Saturday, full of pregame and postgame fun.
 
Texan Alley opens at 8 a.m. for tailgaters. The Pointe-du-Hoc rally will be at 2:45 p.m. at Rudder Way Statue, led by Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Lonn Reisman in honor of him announcing his retirement last week.
 
Beginning at 3 p.m., Tarleton Athletics is hosting a pregame concert in Texan Alley. At 3 p.m., Back Forty Band will open, followed by Ronnie and the Redwoods, who will play from 4-5:30 p.m.
 
Inside Memorial Stadium, The Sound and the Fury will perform at 5:46 p.m., then the band's seniors will be honored. Following that, Tarleton Football's seniors will be recognized with a special presentation. The national anthem will begin at 5:57 p.m., with fireworks being launched from the roof of the Tarleton Football field house to add to the atmosphere. Then, the Senior Day Run will help lead the team onto the field.  
 
During the game, Tarleton Athletics has several giveaways planned, including a Traeger grill, a large TV, a PS5, a mini-fridge, and one lucky student will win free tuition in the fourth quarter.
 
To end the night, there will be a postgame fireworks show immediately following the Color Song.
 
Single-game tickets can be purchased and claimed at TarletonSports.com/Tickets. For maps of the area and complete tailgating policies, visit TarletonSports.com/TexanAlley.
 
 
ABOUT THE MATCHUP
  • This is the 15th all-time meeting dating back to 1963. This is SFA's first trip to Stephenville since 1974, breaking a six-game streak.
  • This is the third straight season these two will have faced off. They haven't met in three straight years since 1969-75 (seven in a row).
  • SFA has lost three straight games for the first time since Sept. 5-26, 2020. They haven't lost four straight since Oct. 5-Nov. 2, 2019.
  • Four of SFA's losses have been by 2-7 pts, including the last three.
  • SFA has allowed under 150 passing yards in each of the last two, but allowed 200+ rushing yards. They've outgained opponents in six of eight games.
 
QUICK HITS
  • With a win Saturday, Tarleton would have their most wins in a single season since becoming an NCAA Division I program at seven. They last had 7+ wins in a season in their final year at NCAA Division II in 2019 (11-1).
  • Tarleton has a guaranteed fourth straight winning season at the NCAA Division I level, just the third reclassifying program since 2004 to post four winning seasons in their four reclassifying years, joining North Dakota State and South Dakota State. Three other Texas schools have reclassified from D2 to D1 over the past 10 years. Across the 10 combined reclassification seasons, those schools had just three winning seasons combined.
  • Tarleton is tied-fourth in the UAC at 2-2, 1.5 games back of Austin Peay (3-0) and Eastern Kentucky (3-0), and a half-game back of Central Arkansas (2-1). Tarleton has the tied-most overall wins in the conference (Austin Peay).
  • The Texans just beat No. 18 Central Arkansas on the road, on their homecoming, on a rainy Saturday this past weekend 25-23. They have their most road wins in a single-season (three) at the NCAA Division I level.
  • The Texans are an undefeated 5-0 when wearing their traditional purple helmets this season.
  • Adrian Guzman just became the first Texan with 4+ FGM in a game since Blake Barnes vs. Angelo State (2012).
  • Kayvon Britten has scored a TD in eight of nine games. He has the most TD's in the UAC (12), tied-5th in FCS.
 
IT'S BEEN 84 YEARS…WELL ACTUALLY 49
Cue the woman from Titanic, it feels like it's been 84 years since Stephen F. Austin last made the trip to Stephenville. Saturday will mark the 15th all-time meeting dating back to 1963, and just the fifth game in Stephenville, the first since Nov. 16, 1974. Some notes regarding that game nearly 50 years ago...
- Buddy Fornes was in his second of 10 seasons at the helm of the Texans.
- John Levra was in his final year of five seasons as the SFA head coach before a 21-year career as an NFL assistant.
- Tarleton's current athletic director Lonn Reisman, who just announced he will retire in the spring after 36 years at Tarleton State, was playing basketball and tennis for the Coffeyville Community College Red Ravens.
- Tarleton's current head coach Todd Whitten was 9 years old and nine years behind becoming a quarterback for the Lumberjacks in 1983.
- Tarleton State College had become Tarleton State University just a year prior.
- Gerald Ford had just assumed the United States presidency in August following Richard Nixon's resignation surrounding the Watergate scandal.
- The No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 list was "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night" by  John Lennon With The Plastic Ono Nuclear Band
- The Terracotta Army was discovered in March
 
WHITTEN VS. CARTHEL
Saturday will mark the eighth meeting between Todd Whitten and Colby Carthel, the head coaches for Tarleton State and Stephen F. Austin, respectively. This will be their fourth meeting as Texan-Lumberjacks opponents after four matchups between the Texans and Texas A&M-Commerce Lions from 2016-18, where Carthel was the head coach. Carthel owns a 4-3 advantage, 2-1 at SFA after a 2-2 split when he was with Commerce. Carthel and his Lions won the first two meetings in 2016 and 2017, but Whitten won twice in 2018, a season the Texans went 12-1. Tarleton rolled a No. 7 Lions team 47-21 in the regular season that year, then beat them in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs 34-28. Between Tarleton and SFA, Whitten and the Texans won the first matchup in 2019 37-26. SFA has won the last two meetings, 41-24 last year and 20-10 in the 2021 season opener.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Nothing about the conditions surrounding Tarleton State's game on Saturday seemed favorable, but the Texans cemented their fourth straight winning season with an upset bid over No. 18 Central Arkansas on the road 25-23.
 
It was a downpour in Conway, Arkansas, on the Bears' homecoming weekend, and the Texans spoiled the festivities more by snapping UCA's four-game winning streak. This was Tarleton's first game against an FCS ranked opponent since joining the subdivision, and they defeated a Bears' team who was 4-0 at home and ranked seventh in total offense at 455.6 yards per game. The Texans outgained the Bears 376-347, winning the time of possession 32:55 to 27:05.
 
Kayvon Britten stole the show in the United Athletic Conference showdown between two of the conference's top running backs, rushing for 156 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries (7.1 YPC). His first touchdown was a 38-yard, Marshawn Lynch-like "Beast Mode" run with several alterations and a plow over the defensive back at the end. He also opened the fourth quarter with a 59-yard score to give the Texans the game's first two-possession lead, 22-10.
 
The Texan defense held off UCA at the end. Down eight, Central Arkansas scored a touchdown after a 72-yard march in 1:45 with 14 seconds remaining. But needing the two-point conversion for the tie, Tarleton's Caimyn Layne got to UCA QB Will McElvain quickly and forced him into a spinning incompletion to seal the win for the Purple and White. UCA tried a unique onside kick by booting it over Tarleton's line, but Tucker Swoboda gobbled it up and Texan QB Victor Gabalis went in victory formation to send the Texans home with the win.
 
Tarleton's defense held UCA at bay for most of the night, earning six tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble, seven pass breakups, a blocked field goal, and that final two-point try stop.
 
RECLASSIFICATION SUCCESS
The Texans have guaranteed themselves a fourth straight winning season at the D1 level, becoming just the third team since 2004 to have four winning seasons in all four years of reclassification, joining North Dakota State and South Dakota State. As for overall record, only four programs had or have (through three years) a higher winning percentage than Tarleton. The Texans are .590 (23-16) since becoming D1. The only higher ones:
1. North Dakota State: .750 (33-11, 2005-08)
2. Central Arkansas: .630 (29-17, 2006-09)
3. South Dakota State: .600 (27-18, 2005-08)
4. Bryant: .591 (26-18, 2008-11)
5. Tarleton: .590 (23-16, 2020-current)
 
SENIOR SEND-OFF
Saturday marks Tarleton's Senior Day, and the Texans will celebrate 11 players who will be playing their final collegiate football home game. They will honor...
- Javian Bellamy: Bellamy is in his first and last year on the Texans, transferring in from Glenville State. He made his debut in Tarleton's last home game, earning a reception for a yard against Morehead State.
- Jalen Carr: Carr is in his third season at Tarleton. Since transferring in from Southwestern Oklahoma State, Carr has played in 19 games, combining for 16 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, an interception, two sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 62 combined tackles (44 solo).
- Tayvis Coleman: Coleman has played his entire collegiate career in Stephenville, now in his sixth season. After spending his first two seasons as a running back, he moved to defensive back in 2020. Overall he's played in 38 games, totaling 26 tackles (16 solo), an interception, two passes defensed, a half-sack, 56 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.
- Bryson Collins: Collins is in his fourth season in Stephenville since transferring from Mesa Junior College. The Texan linebacker has totaled 84 tackles (42 solo), three sacks, eight tackles for loss, five passes defensed, a forced fumble and a blocked field goal.
- Ahmir Crowder: Crowder is in his first season at Tarleton since transferring in from Washington State. He's played in all nine games this year, posting three sacks, 5.5 TFL, and 24 total tackles (12 solo).
- Ely Doyle: Doyle is in his first season at Tarleton since transferring in from Eastern Washington. He's played in nine games, posting 20 tackles (11 solo), two PD, 0.5 TFL.
- Cody Henderson: Henderson has spent his entire collegiate career at Tarleton, now in his sixth year. He's played in a combined 32 games, rushing in a touchdown at tight end in 2022.
- Patrick Jones: Jones is in his second season at Tarleton after four years at Henderson State. He earned Second Team All-WAC honors last year at LB, and is now roaming the secondary at DB. Overall with the Texans, he's played in 20 games, going for 124 tackles (69 solo), three interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, 8.5 tackles for loss and nine passes defensed. He has a pick-six this year and also returned a punt 48 yards this season.
- Dejuan Miller: Miller is in his second season at Tarleton after four years at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. He's played in 10 games, recording 11 receptions, 151 yards and two TD's.
- Fernando Piedra: The punter Piedra is in his first and final season at Tarleton after a long career at Midwestern State. He has not appeared in a game yet.
- Qua'Shawn Washington: In his seventh career playing collegiate football, Washington's eligibility is now exhausted. This is his third season at Tarleton State. He was Second Team All-WAC last year after leading the team in total tackles and tackles for loss. At Tarleton, he's played in 21 games, posting 142 tackles (78 solo), 17.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, a fumble recovery and four passes defended.
 
RUNNING WILD
Tarleton's running attack has been superb all season, especially over the past three weeks. Over the past three outings, they ran for 316, 317 and 208 yards, respectively. Their first two games marked their first stretch of 300+ rushing yard games since 2019. That was also the last time they had three straight 200+ yard games.
 
Overall this season, Tarleton is rushing for 197.3 yards per game, their highest at the NCAA Division I level. They're second in the conference this year, only behind Central Arkansas' 214.1 rushing yards per game average. Tarleton is 17th in the FCS in average rush yards per game, and also 19th in yards per rush at 5.12.
 
The Texans have 1,445 yards split between their top two backs, Kayvon Britten and Derrel Kelley III. Britten leads the team with 911 rushing yards in nine games, averaging 101.2 per contest and 6.5 yards per rush. He's eighth in the FCS in total rush yards, 13th in the FCS in rush yards per game and 17th in yards per carry. Over his past three games, he's ran for 486 yards (162.0 yards per game) on 54 carries (9.0 YPC) and five touchdowns. Britten has a rushing touchdown in eight of nine games this season. He has 11 rushing touchdowns on the year, most in the UAC and tied-ninth in the FCS. At 12 total TD's, he's got the most in the UAC, tied-fifth most in the FCS.
 
FEELING 100
Todd Whitten hit the century mark as the head coach at Tarleton State, winning his 100th game at the helm of the Texans on Sept. 30 at Southeastern Louisiana, now sitting at 102 wins (102-53, .658). Already the winningest head coach in program history, Whitten became just the 12th head coach among all current NCAA Division I schools in Texas to reach 100 wins with one program:
1. TCU's Gary Patterson (181-79, 2000-21)
2. Texas' Darrell Royal (167-47-5, 1957-76)
3. Houston's Bill Yeoman (160-108-8, 1962-86)
4. Texas' Mack Brown (158-48, 1998-2013)
5. Rice's Jess Neely (144-124-10, 1940-66)
6. Texas A&M Commerce's Ernest Hawkins (132-92-6, 1964-85)
7. Sam Houston's Ron Randleman (131-125-3, 1982-2004)
8. Baylor's Grant Teaff (128-105-6, 1972-92)
9. Texas A&M's R.C. Slocum (123-47-2, 1989-2002)
10. North Texas' Odus Mitchell (122-85-9, 1946-66)
11. TCU's Dutch Meyer (109-79-13, 1934-52)
12. Tarleton State's Todd Whitten (102-53, 1996, 2000-04, 2016-Present)
 
BEST IN TEXAS
Since the start of the 2018 season, Tarleton has been one of the best scholarship football programs in the entire state of Texas. The Texans enter Saturday's game with 45 wins since the start of 2018, the most wins in the state by an NCAA Division I or II program. They have a .714 winning percentage since the start of 2018, the highest mark across all of the NCAA Division I and II programs in the state. Tarleton is one of two Texas D1 or D2 schools with all five winning seasons since 2018, only joined by Sam Houston. The list of the top scholarship programs in Texas over that span are as follows:
 
# School Conf. Win Pct.
1. Tarleton State UAC .719
2. Angelo State LSC .710
3. Incarnate Word SLC .672
4. Texas A&M SEC .647
5. Texas Big 12 .643
6. SMU AAC .632
7. Sam Houston C-USA .629
8. Texas A&M-Commerce SLC .596
9. Midwestern State LSC .585
10. UTSA C-USA .583
 
# School Conf. Wins
1. Tarleton State UAC 46
2. Texas Big 12 45
3. Texas A&M SEC 44
  Angelo State LSC 44
5. SMU AAC 43
  Incarnate Word SLC 43
7. UTSA AAC 42
8. Baylor Big 12 41
9. TCU Big 12 40
10. Sam Houston C-USA 39
 
GREAT SEASON OFFENSIVELY FOR…
KAYVON BRITTEN
- Has 911 yards on 141 carries (6.5 yards per rush) and 11 touchdowns.
- Has 12 total touchdowns scored (11 rushing, one receiving), the tied-fifth most in the FCS, most in the UAC.
- His 11 rushing TD's are the tied-ninth most in the FCS and the most in conference.
- Has 486 rushing yards and five touchdowns over the past three games.
- Has scored 15 touchdowns over his last 10 games.
- Has scored a TD in eight of Tarleton's nine games.
DERREL KELLEY III
- Has rushed for 534 yards on 105 attempts (5.1 yards per carry) and four touchdowns in eight games.
- Has three touchdowns over the past three games.
BENJAMIN OMAYEBU
- Leads the team in receptions by a wide margin, recording 51 catches for 422 yards this season. Next closest Texan in receptions is at 21 (Darius Cooper).
- Has the tied-10th most receptions across all of the FCS at 51, averaging the tied-22nd most per game (5.7).
- Had 5+ receptions in the first four games this year, and has had 5+ catches in seven of Tarleton's nine games.
- Had a career-high 12 receptions at Texas Tech, Tarleton's first 12+ reception game in two years.
- Had 21 receptions over two games for 175 yards between Sept. 16-23.
KEYLAN JOHNSON
- Has 313 yards on 11 receptions and five touchdowns.
- Had four touchdowns on six receptions, with 219 receiving yards in the home opener. Entered the contest with six receptions for 96 yards and 0 TD in previous 10 games since 2020.
- Was UAC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 2.
 
GREAT SEASON DEFENSIVELY FOR…
PATRICK JONES
- Leads the team in tackles with 59 (39 solo), plus has an INT returned for a touchdown and four pass breakups.
- Was UAC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 1.
BLAKE SMITH
- Has the second most tackles on the team (50).
- Had a 23-yard pick-six on the 1st defensive play at SLU.
- Had two forced fumbles in the home opener.
QUA'SHAWN WASHINGTON
- Has the third most tackles on the team (48), to go with 3.5 TFL, a fumble recovery and three QBH's.
JALEN CARR
- Leads the team in pass breakups with eight, tied-15th most in the FCS.
DEVIN STERLING
- Has a team-high 7.5 TFL, with 44 tackles.
O'TAY BAKER
- Has a team-high four sacks, plus 5.5 TFL, to go with 24 tackles, one FF and two QBH.
TY RAWLS
- Had a 16-yard pick-six vs. Southwest Baptist.
ROBERT RIOS
- Had a 50-yard pick six vs. North Alabama.
 
DEFENSIVE PROWESS
The Texans are allowing 24.8 points per game, the fewest points allowed in the United Athletic Conference. Tarleton's number is especially amazing when comparing time of possession and opposing plays. Tarleton's defense has defended 683 plays, the most across the entire FCS. Yardage has been hard to find by Tarleton's opponents. They're averaging 4.68 yards per play, the 16th lowest average across the FCS, lowest in the UAC.
 
The Texan defense has proven to be explosive as well. Through nine games, they've forced 12 turnovers. The Texans have forced nine fumbles this season, recovering five, and have had seven interceptions. In four games, Tarleton has scored a defensive touchdown; a 71-yard pick-six by Patrick Jones in the fourth quarter of the season opener at McNeese; a 50-yard pick-six by Robert Rios in the fourth quarter of the home opener vs. North Alabama; a 16-yard pick-six by Ty Rawls in the fourth quarter of the Sept. 23 game vs. Southwest Baptist; a 23-yard pick-six by Blake Smith on the first defensive play of the Sept. 30 game at Southeastern Louisiana. With four defensive touchdowns, they have the tied-second most across all of NCAA Division I football, both FBS and FCS, only behind Richmond at five.
 
The Texans have also recorded 24 total sacks, the tied-11th most in the FCS, and they have 58 tackles for loss, the tied-13th most nationwide.
 
NICE TO BE RECOGNIZED
On Oct. 9, the UAC distributed Tarleton their fifth Player of the Week award. Adrian Guzman became the first player in UAC history to receive multiple weekly awards in the same season. Guzman went 4-for-4 on kicks, including 2-of-2 on field goals from 40 yards and 35 yards out, plus had five punts cover 42.6 yards on average against Southern Utah. Among his five punts, he had a long boot of 58 yards that pinned SUU inside the 5-yard line, and placed a 40-yard punt to put SUU at the 12. This was his second weekly award of the year and the fifth of his career.
 
In Week 2, WR Keylan Johnson was the UAC Offensive Player of the Week and D.J. Harris was the UAC Defensive Player of the Week. Johnson scored four TD's, finishing with 219 receiving yards on six receptions. He tied a program record for TD's scored in a single game at four, and had the fifth most receiving yards in a single game in team history at 219. Johnson has the tied-most receiving TD's in a single game at the FCS level this season, and the tied most across all of NCAA Division I, FBS and FCS. His 219 receiving yards are the fourth most in a single game at the FCS level this season. Johnson has one of only two 200-plus yard, 4-plus TD game across all of D1, FBS and FCS, this season (Chattanooga's Javin Whatley).
 
Before stat corrections hit, Harris had a team-high 12 tackles, a sack, 1.5 TFL, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry. It marked his 11th career double-digit tackle game.
 
In Week 1, Texan defensive back Patrick Jones was named the UAC Defensive Player of the Week and Guzman was the UAC Special Teams Player of the Week. Jones had a 71-yard interception return for a touchdown.
 
NATIONAL LEADER
Across the country, only 11 NCAA Division I teams (eight FBS, three FCS) have a better winning percentage than Tarleton since 2018 (Cincinnati, Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Appalachian State, North Dakota State, James Madison, Princeton). 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. Ohio State Big 10 .900
2. Alabama SEC .896
3. Georgia SEC .895
4. North Dakota State MVFC .886
5. Clemson ACC .831
6. Princeton Ivy .830
7. James Madison SBC .829
8. Notre Dame Ind. .822
9. Oklahoma Big 12 .781
10. Cincinnati Big 12 .764
11. Appalachian State SBC .726
12. Tarleton State UAC .719
 
3: Since 2004, only three reclassifying programs have started the period with four straight winning seasons; Tarleton (2020-22), North Dakota State (2005-08) and South Dakota State (2005-08).
 
5: Through three years of reclassification by teams since 2004, Tarleton posted the fifth highest winning percentage at .567. Only North Dakota State (.750), Central Arkansas (.630), South Dakota State (.600), and Bryant (.591) had better winning percentages.
 
9: Kayvon Britten has 11 rushing TD's in nine games. He already has the most by a Texan in their NCAA Division I era, surpassing Derrel Kelley III's eight in 2022. Over the past 10 years, Britten has the tied-third most rushing TD's in a single-season at TSU.
 
UP NEXT
The Texans will end their 2023 season on the road at rival Abilene Christian. They'll face off against the Wildcats at Wildcat Stadium in Abilene on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 2 p.m.
 
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Players Mentioned

D.J. Harris

#18 D.J. Harris

LB
6' 0"
Junior
Jalen Carr

#4 Jalen Carr

DB
5' 9"
Senior
Tayvis Coleman

#25 Tayvis Coleman

DB
5' 11"
Senior
Bryson Collins

#31 Bryson Collins

LB
6' 2"
Senior
Darius Cooper

#6 Darius Cooper

WR
6' 0"
Junior
Adrian Guzman

#15 Adrian Guzman

K/P
6' 0"
Junior
Cody Henderson

#38 Cody Henderson

TE
6' 0"
Senior
Keylan Johnson

#5 Keylan Johnson

WR
5' 11"
Sophomore
Patrick Jones

#1 Patrick Jones

DB
6' 0"
Senior
Derrel Kelley III

#9 Derrel Kelley III

RB
5' 10"
Junior

Players Mentioned

D.J. Harris

#18 D.J. Harris

6' 0"
Junior
LB
Jalen Carr

#4 Jalen Carr

5' 9"
Senior
DB
Tayvis Coleman

#25 Tayvis Coleman

5' 11"
Senior
DB
Bryson Collins

#31 Bryson Collins

6' 2"
Senior
LB
Darius Cooper

#6 Darius Cooper

6' 0"
Junior
WR
Adrian Guzman

#15 Adrian Guzman

6' 0"
Junior
K/P
Cody Henderson

#38 Cody Henderson

6' 0"
Senior
TE
Keylan Johnson

#5 Keylan Johnson

5' 11"
Sophomore
WR
Patrick Jones

#1 Patrick Jones

6' 0"
Senior
DB
Derrel Kelley III

#9 Derrel Kelley III

5' 10"
Junior
RB