The Teams: No. 8 Tarleton State Texans (6-1, 3-0 UAC) at Austin Peay Governors (3-4, 2-2 UAC)
Where: Clarksville, Tennessee
Stadium: Fortera Stadium (10,000)
Time: 3 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: ESPN+ (Alex Gould, Ethan Schmidt)
Radio: Tarleton Sports Network on 90.5 FM (Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Keltin Wiens, Ty Walker)
 
TEXAN FOOTBALL GAME DAY
The Texans will look to stay unbeaten in conference play and improve on their best D1 era start to a season in Clarksville, Tennessee, at the UAC defending champions.
 
Tarleton's game, set for 3 p.m. CT, will be broadcast on ESPN+, with Alex Gould and Ethan Schmidt 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 Ty Walker leading the broadcast.
 
ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• This is the first all-time meeting. This is also the first time Tarleton State has played a game in Tennessee.
• Like many UAC teams, Austin Peay has a strong rushing offense. The Govs are 29th in the FCS at 180.1 rushing yards per game, fourth best in the UAC. Tarleton is second in the category at 222.9 YPG.
• Texan DL coach Fred Tate served in the same role at Austin Peay from 2018-19.
• The Govs are the defending UAC champs after going 6-0 in UAC play last season. They lost 24-21 to Chattanooga in the playoffs.

 
QUICK HITS

• Tarleton has climbed to No. 8 in both of the major FCS polls, the Stats Perform FCS Poll and the AFCA Coaches Poll. These are the highest rankings of the season for the Texans, their highest in their NCAA Division I era.
• The Texans have started 6-1 for the first time in their NCAA Division I era. It's the Texans' best start through seven games since 2019, when they started 7-0 (which turned into 11-0). The Texans have won five straight games and 10 of their last 11, dating back to last season. Tarleton is 3-0 in conference play for the first team as a D1 team.
• With a win Saturday, Tarleton would set its new D1 era longest winning streak at six games.
• Tarleton State is one of 10 teams across 129 FCS programs with 6+ wins on the year. The Texans have the tied-sixth best winning percentage in the nation at 0.857.
• Tarleton leads the UAC with a 3-0 record. Austin Peay is slated No. 6 at 2-2.
• Saturday marks Austin Peay's homecoming game. Tarleton is 2-1 on the road over the past two seasons when playing at an opponents' homecoming game, most notably beating No. 18 Central Arkansas last season.
• The Texans are now 13-3 when Gabalis starts at QB, last losing over a year ago (Oct. 14, 2023, at EKU). After Tarleton's last game, PFF had Gabalis as the No. 1 rated passer (min. 100 pass attempts) across both FBS and FCS.
• Kavyon Britten leads the FCS in rush yards (1,160) and rush yards per (165.7). He's tied-third with 12 rush TD's.

 
TOP-10 TEAM
Since their last game played, the Texans have climbed into the top-10 in the two major national polls. Now ranked No. 8 in both the Stats Perform FCS Poll and the AFCA Coaches Poll, the Texans are enjoying their highest ranks since becoming an NCAA Division I program. The Texans are 6-1 this season, with five straight wins, and their lone loss at the Power Four conference's Baylor. Since the start of 2023, the Texans are 14-4 (.778) overall, and 14-2 (.875) against non-FBS opponents, as two of their four losses came against Power Four conference opponents. The Texans have won 10 straight games against FCS teams, and have won 10 of their last 11 games overall. This season the Texans are one of 10 across 129 FCS programs with 6+ wins. Only four teams in the FCS have more wins, and only two have fewer losses.
 
Since the start of 2023, Tarleton State has the eighth best winning percentage across all of the FCS, with the tied-third fewest amount of losses:
1. South Dakota State, .909 (20-2)
2. Montana, .818 (18-4)
T3. Montana State, .800 (16-4)
T3. South Dakota, .800 (16-4)
T3. Harvard, .800 (12-3)
6. Florida A&M, .789 (15-4)
7. North Dakota State, .783 (18-5)
8. Tarleton State, .778 (14-4)
 
LAST TIME OUT
Tarleton State Football has played some nailbiters this season. Its last game was not one of them.
 
The No. 13 Texans left no doubt in their Homecoming game against Utah Tech, scoring four touchdowns in the opening quarter and cruising over the Trailblazers 42-0. This was Tarleton State's second straight 42-0 shutout on Homecoming, and this year's dominant effort boosted the Texans to a 6-1 overall mark, 3-0 in United Athletic Conference play.
 
The Texans opened up a can in the first quarter, scoring their first of four first quarter touchdowns just a minute into the game. Kayvon Britten raced out to a 62-yard score for his first of three touchdowns on the night. On Tarleton's next drive, the Purple and White marched 87 yards in 89 seconds. Britten scored again, this time from 18 yards out to put Tarleton ahead 14-0. On Tarleton's third drive, the Texans jumped ahead 21-0, with their third rushing touchdown of the game. This time Braelon Bridges got in on the fun, scoring his first touchdown in nearly three years. He dashed it in from three yards out with 1:56 to play.
 
Tarleton State's defense then forced its first takeaway of the game on Utah Tech's next drive, with linebacker Ty Rawls recording his second interception of the season. That led to an almost immediate touchdown by Derrel Kelley III, who punched it in from 10 yards out, making it 28-0 Tarleton with four rushing touchdowns.
 
Two plays after Tarleton's fourth touchdown, the Texans forced another takeaway, this time Kasyus Kurns forcing a fumble that was recovered by Jeremiah Postell. Kurns now has three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles on the season. That led into Tarleton's first second quarter drive, which the Texans cashed in again. Britten scored his third touchdown of the game, boosting Tarleton to a 35-0 lead.
 
Shortly after, the Texans scored their sixth straight touchdown, their first through the air. Victor Gabalis dropped one into Darius Cooper's lap for a 71-yard touchdown with 9:25 in the second quarter.
 
Tarleton State called off the dogs after that, and neither team scored the remainder of the game. The Texans played most of their backups in the second half and several got quality playing time.
 
Gabalis completed 10-of-13 for 201 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Daniel Greek spelled him in the second half. The Texans scored five rushing touchdowns, three by Britten, one by Bridges and one by Kelley. Britten had just eight carries in the game and still raced for 135 yards and three scores, averaging 16.9 yards per rush. Bridges had 55 yards rushing and Kelley 50, with Kristian Dalton contributing with 55 rushing yards of his own.
 
Cooper led the receiving group with 141 yards and a touchdown on four receptions. Defensively, Tarleton State pitched the shutout with two takeaways, three sacks and eight tackles for loss.
 
BRITTEN'S BIG CAMPAIGN
Kayvon Britten continues to pour it on this season, logging his sixth 100+ yard game in seven games in Tarleton's last game. Needing just eight carries to cover 135 yards, Britten didn't play the final 39 minutes of the game, with Tarleton up 42-0 at the 9:00 mark in the second quarter. Britten is now at 1,160 rushing yards on the season, the most in the FCS and second most in all of NCAA Division I, just 88 yards behind Boise State's Ashton Jeanty. Britten also leads the FCS in rush yards per game at 165.7, and is second in all of D1 behind Jeanty's 208.0. Britten has scored 11 touchdowns over his past four games and now has 12 rushing touchdowns on the season, the tied-third most in the FCS.
 
With five regular season games to play, Britten is well on his way to breaking all of Tarleton's rushing records. He is now just 400 yards short of the most rushing yards in a single-season by a Texan (Derrick Ross had 1,560 in 2004). At Britten's current pace, he is scheduled to break that mark at West Georgia on Nov. 9. Britten is nearly on pace to cross the 2,000 rush yard plateau, which hasn't been done at the FCS level since 2015 (Lamar's Kade Harrington with 2,092). Nobody has surpassed 2,000 rush yards in D1 since 2019, when four FBS players did it (Oklahoma State's Chuba Hubbard, Navy's Malcolm Perry, Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor, Ohio State's J.K. Dobbins).
 
On Oct. 5 at Southern Utah, Britten crossed the 1,000 yard mark in the sixth game of the year. Only five FCS players have reached 1,000 yards in fewer games; South Dakota State's Zach Zenner in 2012, Portland State's Charles Dunn in 2000, Sacramento State's Charles Roberts in 1999, Siena's Reggie Greene in 1997, and Butler's Arnold Mickens in 1994. Britten became the third running back in program history to rush for 1,000 yards in multiple seasons (Derrick Ross, Daniel McCants).
 
Britten has already set program records for most rush yards in a game and for the longest rush. He was named the FCS Offensive National Player of the Week and UAC Offensive Player of the Week against North Alabama after 273 rushing yards and four touchdowns, averaging 13.0 yards per carry. Britten surpassed Derrick Ross' 269 yards rushing vs. Western New Mexico on Sept. 10, 2005. Britten's 273 rushing yards are the most in a single-game across all of NCAA Division I this season, with the FBS leader at 267 (Jeanty) and the second-most by a FCS player at 234. Britten's four rushing touchdowns are the tied-second most in a game at the FCS level this season. Britten tied the program record in scoring with his four touchdowns, joining six others. Before Britten, the most recent to score four times in a game was Xavier Turner vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville on Oct. 20, 2018. In the second quarter at North Alabama, Britten scored his first touchdown on a 96-yard run, which marked the longest run in Tarleton State Football history. It's the third longest rushing play across all of D1 this year, just a yard short of UIW's Dekalon Taylor (Sept. 21) and Saint Francis' DeMarcus McElroy (Sept. 14).
 
Career-wise, Britten has logged 3,000+ rushing yards between two seasons at Arkansas Pine-Bluff (1,294 in 19 games) and two seasons at Tarleton (2,310 in 18 games). Since Derrel Kelley III has 2,000 rushing yards with the Texans, Britten and Kelley have become the third duo across FCS who each have rushed for 2,000 yards for the same program, joining UCA's ShunDerrick Powell/Darius Hale, and William & Mary's Bronson Yoder/Malachi Imoh
 
TURNED IT OVER
Last year, turnovers hampered the Texans especially early in the season. Through the first seven games last year, the Texans had 16 turnovers. This season has been a different story. Tarleton State has the second best turnover margin in the FCS at +11, and is second best in average turnover margin at +1.57. The Texans have the tied-fifth most takeaways in the country with 16 (tied-fifth in INT with 10, tied-12th in fumble recoveries with six). Tarleton is tied-10th in turnovers lost with five through seven games.
 
RESPECT THAT!
In the two polls recognized by the NCAA for the FCS, Tarleton State was ranked No. 8 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll and No. 8 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll this past week, after Week 8. They climbed two from No. 10 in the Stats Perform FCS Poll and one from No. 9 in the AFCA Coaches Poll. The week before, they were Nos. 11 and 14. They were ranked 16 and 17 after Week 2, climbing from their 20th and 21st spots, respectively, after Week 1. They were ranked 21st in both polls in the preseason.
 
The active No. 8 rankings mark the highest for Tarleton State since becoming an NCAA Division I program. The Texans were ranked No. 3 nationally at the very end of their NCAA Division II days in November 2019.
 
NEAR THE TOP
Tarleton is shining on the national stage, near the top of the nation as a team by placing...
- 2nd in Kickoff Return Defense (12.7 yards allowed per)
- 2nd in Turnover Margin (+1.57 per)
- Tied-4th in Fumbles Lost (1)
- Tied-5th in Interceptions (10)
- Tied-5th in Turnovers Gained (16)
- 9th in Rushing Offense (222.9 rush yards per game)
- Tied-10th in Turnovers Lost (4)
- Tied-12th in Fumble Recoveries (6)
- 15th in Tackles for Loss Allowed (4.00 per)
- 18th in Pass Yards per Completion (13.6)
- 18th in Punt Return Defense (4.6)
- 20th in Net Punting (39.8 yards)
- Tied-28th in Interceptions Thrown (4)
- 32nd in Scoring Offense (29.7 PPG)
- 34th in Sacks Allowed (1.43 per)
 
Individually, Tarleton has top-25 student athletes at...
- 1st in Rushing Yards (Kayvon Britten) at 1,160
- 1st in Rush Yards Per Game (Kayvon Britten) at 165.7
- Tied-1st in Fumble Recoveries (Kasyus Kurns) at three
- 2nd in All-Purpose Yards (Kayvon Britten) at 168.4 per
- Tied-3rd in Rushing TD's (Kayvon Britten) at 12
- 5th in Rush Yards Per Carry (Kayvon Britten) at 7.34
- T-15th in Interceptions Per Game (Blake Smith) at 0.4
- 20th in Forced Fumbles (Kasyus Kurns) at two
- 22nd in Receiving Yards Per (Darius Cooper) at 78.0
 
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 a .740 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 the only Texas D1 or D2 institution with all six winning seasons since 2018. They have 54 wins since the start of 2018, the tied-second most wins in the state by an NCAA Division I or II program, behind Texas (who has played 10 more games). The list of the top scholarship programs in Texas over that span are as follows:
 

#	School	Conf.	Win Pct.
1.	Tarleton State	UAC	.740
2.	Angelo State	LSC	.718
3.	Incarnate Word	SLC	.676
4.	Texas	SEC	.675
5.	SMU	AAC	.667
6.	Texas A&M	SEC	.650
7.	Sam Houston	C-USA	.649
8.	UTSA	C-USA	.583
9.	TCU	Big 12	.556
10.	Midwestern State	LSC	.548

 

#	School	Conf.	Wins
1.	Texas	SEC	56
2.	Tarleton State	UAC	54
	SMU	AAC	54
4.	Texas A&M	SEC	52
5.	Angelo State	LSC	51
6.	Incarnate Word	SLC	50
7.	UTSA	AAC	49
8.	Sam Houston	C-USA	48
9.	TCU	Big 12	45
10.	Baylor	Big 12	44

 
UAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Tarleton has garnered five UAC Player of the Week awards through Week 8.
 
In Week 0, Texan running back Kayvon Britten and punter Adrian Guzman were named the UAC Offensive and Special Teams players of the week, respectively, while defensive back Kasyus Kurns was named the UAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Britten rushed for the second most yards across all of college football, finishing with 164 yards on 25 carries, averaging 6.6 yards per carry. He was three yards short of the highest rushing total in the nation. Kurns had one of the best defensive games a player can have in Week 0, scoring a touchdown on a fumble recovery, recovering two fumbles in total, forcing one fumble, adding a tackle for loss and six total tackles. His scoop and score marked the first fumble return touchdown by a Texan since March 6, 2021, vs. Mississippi College (both Zech Hopkins and Benjie Franklin). He also became the first Tarleton State player since 2014 to come up with two takeaways and a touchdown in the same game (Devin Figures vs. McMurry on Oct. 25). Kurns added an interception in Week 1 and now has the most takeaways across the FCS with three. Guzman had a solid day punting in Week 0, averaging 46.3 yards across his six boots, launching two 50+ yards and two inside the 20.
 
In Week 4, Britten earned his second weekly honor of the season after he set the program's single game rushing record with 273 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He broke a nearly 20-year-old program rushing record set by Derrick Ross on Sept. 10, 2005. Britten's four touchdowns were tied for the most by an FCS running back this season and his 273 rushing yards were just four yards shy of his career-high set during his time at Arkansas Pine-Bluff.
 
In Week 5, linebacker Ty Rawls was named the UAC Defensive Player of the Week, his first conference weekly award since joining the Texans. Rawls had a fumble recovery, a forced fumble, a tackle for loss and six total tackles in Tarleton State's 36-33 home win vs. Southeastern Louisiana. His forced and recovered fumble marked a crucial part of the game, key to Tarleton's 15-point swing from trailing by five to leading by 10. When the Texans were down 19-14, they scored to go up 22-19, and three plays later, Rawls forced the takeaway. On the very next play, the Texans scored again to lead 29-19. Rawls' fumble recovery was the second of his career, and it marked his first career forced fumble.
 
RECLASSIFICATION SUCCESS
There's no way around it, the Texans had one of the most impressive reclassification periods in NCAA history. The Texans posted a winning season in every year of reclassification, just the third team since 2004 to do so. The Texans also posted the third highest winning percentage in a reclassification period since 2004 at .610:
1. North Dakota State: .750 (33-11, 2005-08)
2. Central Arkansas: .630 (29-17, 2006-09)
3. Tarleton: .610 (25-16, 2020-23)
 
IT'S A MARATHON NOT A SPRINT
After a season that felt a bit shorter than usual with no bye week, five home games and no playoff eligibility despite the Tarleton State football team going 8-3, that all changes this season. The Texans have six home games and 12 games overall with two bye weeks in the middle, making it their longest regular season in program history.
 
The 12 games mark the most regular season games in program history. Tarleton State has played 12 or more games in a season nine times, with each time featuring 10 or 11 regular season games plus playoff games or bowl games. They last played 12 games in 2019, their final NCAA Division II campaign in which they went 11-1, won the Lone Star Conference and made the playoffs.
 
With 91 days separating Tarleton's season opener and regular season finale, this is the longest regular season on record in program history. Tarleton's season opener serves as the earliest game played in a calendar year by the program since at least 1975 (not including the Spring 2021 pandemic season). The earliest date on record for Tarleton is Aug. 25, when the Texans hosted East Central in 2007, a 44-7 Tarleton win.
 
OFFENSIVE LOYALTY
Tarleton State has been a rare program in the modern college football era that hasn't been affected by the transfer portal much. In fact, the Texans have had 10 of their 11 same offensive starters for most of 2024 begin games from a season ago. Tarleton State lost just one offensive starter to the transfer portal, wide receiver Jaden Smith, who went to Nevada.
 
GOOD WORK GETS NOTICED
In July, head coach Todd Whitten announced that defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix had been promoted to Assistant Head Coach. In addition to helping the Texans to their best record as an NCAA Division I institution in 2023 at 8-3, Nix's defense led the United Athletic Conference in yards per play allowed (4.76), defensive touchdowns (four, tied-fourth in FCS) and fumbles recovered (11, tied-ninth in FCS). The Texans held four opponents to 17 points or fewer and had three defensive players named to All-UAC honors under Nix last season. Nix is the first Assistant Head Coach under Whitten since the head coach returned to the helm in Stephenville in 2016.
 
NATIONAL LEADER
Across the country, only 12 NCAA Division I teams (seven FBS, five FCS) have a better win percentage than Tarleton since 2018 (Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ohio State, North Dakota State, James Madison, Princeton, South Dakota State, Florida A&M, Dartmouth). So among some 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.	Georgia	SEC	.888
2.	Alabama	SEC	.878
3.	Ohio State	Big 10	.877
4.	North Dakota State	MVFC	.872
5.	Clemson	ACC	.843
6.	Notre Dame	Ind.	.821
7.	South Dakota State	MVFC	.807
8.	James Madison	SBC	.805
9.	Princeton	Ivy	.764
10.	Oklahoma	SEC	.753
11.	Florida A&M	SWAC	.750
12.	Dartmouth	Ivy	.745
13.	Tarleton State	UAC	.740

 
42: The Texans blanked Utah Tech 42-0 in their last game. It marked their first shutout since also winning 42-0 in the previous season's homecoming game against Morehead State on Oct. 21, 2023.
 
10: Offensive lineman Kariem Al Soufi brings a unique background to Tarleton coming from Germany. Al Soufi is one of just 10 players in FCS who is from Germany, and he is one of three international football players in the United Athletic Conference. He is the only UAC player from Germany, and he is just one of three German FCS players playing for a Texas School (two from Stephen F. Austin).
 
1: Whitten is the only coach at any NCAA level actively coaching in his third stint at his current school. He is just one of 37 coaches at any NCAA level to have three non-consecutive tenures at one school and he is the second coach in with three stints at Tarleton State (W.J. Wisdom, 1920-22, 1924-28, 1930-35).
 
53: With his first kick in the first quarter of his first game at Tarleton, kicker Michael James split the uprights on a 53-yard field goal. It marked Tarleton's first 50+ yard field goal make in 15 years. The last 50+ yard field goal make by Tarleton State was from 64 yards out on Nov. 14, 2009, by Garrett Lindholm at Texas A&M-Kingsville.
 
UP NEXT
Tarleton State will return to Stephenville, where the Texans will play three times over their final four regular season games. They'll host their annual Military Appreciation Game against Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.