The Teams: No. 7 Tarleton State Texans (7-1, 4-0 UAC) vs. Eastern Kentucky Colonels (4-4, 2-2 UAC)
Where: Stephenville, Texas
Stadium: Memorial Stadium (24,000)
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: ESPN+ (John Liddle, LaDarrin McLane)
Radio: Tarleton Sports Network on 90.5 FM (Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Keltin Wiens, Ty Walker)
 
TEXAN FOOTBALL GAME DAY
Tarleton State is enjoying its longest winning streak of the season, and the Texans will have another test on Saturday against conference foe Eastern Kentucky at Memorial Stadium.
 
Tarleton's game, set for 6 p.m. CT, will be broadcast on ESPN+, with John Liddle and LaDarrin McLane 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.
 
GAME DAY FESTIVITIES
Texan Alley opens at 8 a.m. for tailgaters. The Pointe-du-Hoc rally will be at 2:40 p.m. at Rudder Way Statue. There will be a pregame concert in Texan Alley featuring the Jon Young Band, who plays at 3 p.m., followed by Buffalo Ruckus at 4:15 p.m. Memorial Stadium gates will open at 4 p.m.
 
On the field pregame, the Sound and the Fury will perform at 5:46 p.m., followed by the national anthem. The Texan Rider will lead the Texans onto the field at 5:57 p.m., and kickoff is scheduled for 6:02 p.m.
 
Military Appreciation will feature several events and promotions to celebrate the heroes in the community. All veterans and active military members, plus their families, will receive free entry to the game. Tarleton State's ROTC will provide hundreds of rally towels for fans, plus will have military vehicles and equipment out in front of Memorial Stadium on the west side.
 
Single-game tickets can be purchased and claimed at TarletonSports.com/Tickets. Tarleton State students, fans and staff can also show their Texan card at the gate to gain entry. For maps of the area and complete tailgating policies, visit TarletonSports.com/TexanAlley.
 
ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• This is the third all-time meeting. EKU won the first two in Richmond, last year pulling out a 41-35 double overtime victory.
• Tarleton's last loss to a non-FBS team came at the Colonels over a year ago (Oct. 14, 2023). TSU has won 11 straight against FCS teams.
• EKU has yet to play in a one-possession game this season, while Tarleton has played in three. EKU's closest game came this past weekend, the Colonels' 11-point win (28-17) vs. Utah Tech.
• EKU is 4-0 at home and 0-4 on the road this season.
• EKU RB Joshua Carter is the reigning UAC Offensive Player of the Week (167 yards, 2 TD).

 
QUICK HITS

• Tarleton was lifted in the major FCS polls once again, moving up a spot in each of the Stats Perform FCS Poll and the AFCA Coaches Poll. These are the highest rankings in Tarleton State's NCAA Division I era.
• With six straight wins, Tarleton is actively on its longest winning streak in the program's D1 era. The Texans have won 11 of their last 12, dating back to last season, with 11 straight wins against non-FBS teams.
• Tarleton State leads the UAC with a spotless 4-0 mark. With four regular season games remaining, Abilene Christian is a half-game back at 4-1, while Central Arkansas and Southern Utah are each a game back at 3-1.
• The Texans have started 7-1 for the first time in their NCAA Division I era. It's the Texans' best start through eight games since 2019 (8-0). Tarleton can tie its most wins in a season in its D1 era with a win on Saturday.
• Tarleton State is one of eight teams across 129 FCS programs with 7+ wins on the year. The Texans have the tied-fifth best winning percentage in the nation at 0.875. They went 6-0 across September and October.
• Tarleton just lost the turnover battle this past Saturday for the first time this season. The Texans still have the sixth best turnover margin in the nation at +10, and are sixth best in average (+1.25 per).
• Tarleton closes its regular season with three of four at home. The Texans are 8-1 at home over their last nine.
• The Texans are now 14-3 when Gabalis starts at QB, last losing over a year ago (Oct. 14, 2023, at EKU).

 
DEFENSE DOMINATING
Tarleton State's defense has shined over Tarleton's past two games, pitching a shutout on homecoming to lead the Texans to a 42-0 win against Utah Tech in their last home game, then allowing just 17 points at Austin Peay in a 27-17 win. Over those two games, the Texans have averaged just 8.5 PPG allowed and 274.0 YPG allowed, while posting six sacks and three takeaways.
 
Tarleton's defense has been a strong group generally all season. Across eight games, Tarleton has allowed under 20 points in half of those games, and under 24 points in five of those games. The Texans are No. 1 in the United Athletic Conference in scoring defense at 23.4 PPG allowed, 38th best across all of FCS. In takeaways, Tarleton is tied-fifth best in the country with 18 on the year, No. 1 in the conference. Head coach Todd Whitten has said that this defense may bend but it doesn't break -- look no further than red zone defense. The Texans are No. 1 in the conference and 23rd in the FCS by allowing no points 26.4 percent of the time in those instances.
 
TOP-10 OR NOT?
The polls have been clear -- Tarleton State is a top-10 team in the nation. But on Wednesday, the Texans were a glaring omission, as the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee released their FCS Top 10 during a special College Football Live broadcast on ESPN2. This serves as a snapshot as to where the committee has teams ranked heading into the final four weeks of the regular season.
 
Why did the Texans miss? The committee has said it will not consider the polls and instead consider each team's won-lost record, their strength of schedule and their rankings in the KPI, Massey Ratings and ESPN's Football Power Index. Tarleton is tied-fourth in wins, tied-fifth in winning percentage, 13th in the Massey Ratings, 17th in KPI and 42nd in Strength of Schedule. The ESPN Power FPI couldn't be found at the FCS level.
 
The Texans are still ranked, of course, as that was simply a committee look-in, something it will not do again until choosing the 24-team FCS playoff bracket. In the last polls, the Texans have climbed up to No. 7. 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 7-1 this season, with six straight wins, and their lone loss at the Power Four conference's Baylor. Since the start of 2023, the Texans are 15-4 (.789) overall, and 15-2 (.882) against non-FBS opponents, as two of their four losses came against Power Four conference opponents. The Texans have won 11 straight games against FCS teams, and have won 11 of their last 12 games overall. This season the Texans are one of eight across 129 FCS programs with 7+ wins. Only three teams in the FCS have more wins, and only two have fewer losses.
 
Since the start of 2023, Tarleton State has the seventh best winning percentage across all of the FCS, with the tied-third fewest amount of losses:
1. South Dakota State, .913 (21-2)
2. Montana, .826 (19-4)
3. Harvard, .813 (13-3)
T4. Montana State, .800 (16-4)
T4. Florida A&M, .800 (16-4)
6. North Dakota State, .792 (19-5)
7. Tarleton State, .789 (15-4)
 
COOPER ETCHES NAME IN THE BOOKS
If people didn't already know, Darius Cooper is now officially one of the best wide receivers in program history. The Texan caught three passes for 112 yards and a touchdown this past Saturday, including a 75-yard touchdown that erased a short Tarleton deficit. His touchdown moved him into the top-five of career receiving touchdowns in program history, now at 20, tied with Will Moody from 2000-03. The top-five:
1. Zimari Manning (34, 2018-19)
2. Le'Nard Meyers (27, 2012-15)
3. Devin Guinn (26, 2006-09)
4. Jeremy Madkins (25, 2003-06)
T5. Darius Cooper (20, 2020-Present)
T5. Will Moody (20, 2000-03)
 
Cooper is 173 receiving yards away from reaching the top-five in the category in program history. Cooper sits at 2,393 yards, while Moody is at 2,566 yards.
 
BRITTEN'S BIG CAMPAIGN
Kayvon Britten continues to pour it on this season, logging his seventh 100+ yard game in eight games in Tarleton's last game. Britten is now at 1,266 rushing yards on the season, the most in the FCS and second most in all of NCAA Division I, behind Boise State's Ashton Jeanty (1,376). Britten also leads the FCS in rush yards per game at 158.3, and is second in all of D1 behind Jeanty's 196.6. Britten has scored 12 touchdowns over his past five games and now has 13 rushing touchdowns on the season, the tied-fourth most in the FCS.
 
With four regular season games to play, Britten is well on his way to breaking all of Tarleton's rushing records. He is now just 294 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 FCS and second most across all of NCAA Division I this season, with the FBS leader at 278 (Auburn's Jarquez Hunter). 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 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 program history. It's the third longest rushing play across 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 3,500+ rushing yards between two seasons at Arkansas Pine-Bluff (1,294 in 19 games) and two seasons at Tarleton (2,416 in 19 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.
 
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 (13.5 yards allowed per)
- Tied-3rd in Fumbles Lost (1)
- Tied-5th in Turnovers Gained (18)
- 6th in Turnover Margin (+1.25 per)
- Tied-6th in Interceptions (11)
- 9th in Red Zone Offense (.926)
- 10th in Rushing Offense (216.1 rush yards per game)
- 11th in Pass Yards per Completion (13.9)
- Tied-12th in Fumble Recoveries (7)
- 13th in Net Punting (40.7 yards)
- 17th in Punt Return Defense (4.6)
- 19th in Tackles for Loss Allowed (4.25 per)
- 23rd in Red Zone Defense (.733)
- 23rd in Sacks Allowed (1.25 per)
- 28th in Turnovers Lost (8)
- Tied-28th in Interceptions Thrown (4)
- 33rd in Scoring Offense (29.4 PPG)
- 38rh in Scoring Defense (23.4 PPG Allowed)
 
Individually, Tarleton has top-25 student athletes at...
- 1st in Rushing Yards (Kayvon Britten) at 1,266
- 1st in Rush Yards Per Game (Kayvon Britten) at 158.3
- Tied-1st in Fumble Recoveries (Kasyus Kurns) at three
- 4th in All-Purpose Yards (Kayvon Britten) at 160.6 per
- Tied-4th in Rushing TD's (Kayvon Britten) at 13
- Tied-4th in Forced Fumbles (Kasyus Kurns) at three
- 6th in Yards Per Completion (Victor Gabalis) at 14.8
- Tied-8th in Interceptions (Blake Smith) at three
- 9th in Rush Yards Per Carry (Kayvon Britten) at 6.73
- 12th in Receiving Yards (Darius Cooper) at 658
- 16th in Receiving Yards Per (Darius Cooper) at 82.3
- 21st in Yards Per Reception (Darius Cooper) at 18.3
 
TURNED IT OVER
Last year, turnovers hampered the Texans especially early in the season. Through the first eight games last year, the Texans had 16 turnovers. This season has been a different story. Tarleton State has the sixth best turnover margin in the FCS at +10, and is sixth best in average turnover margin at +1.25. The Texans have the tied-fifth most takeaways in the country with 18 (tied-sixth in INT with 11, tied-12th in fumble recoveries with seven). Tarleton is tied-28th in turnovers lost with eight through eight games.
 
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)
 
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 .743 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 55 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	.743
2.	Angelo State	LSC	.722
3.	Incarnate Word	SLC	.680
4.	Texas	SEC	.679
5.	SMU	AAC	.671
6.	Texas A&M	SEC	.654
7.	Sam Houston	C-USA	.653
8.	UTSA	C-USA	.576
9.	TCU	Big 12	.561
10.	Baylor	Big 12	.542

 

#	School	Conf.	Wins
1.	Texas	SEC	57
2.	Tarleton State	UAC	55
	SMU	AAC	55
4.	Texas A&M	SEC	53
5.	Angelo State	LSC	52
6.	Incarnate Word	SLC	51
7.	UTSA	AAC	49
	Sam Houston	C-USA	49
9.	TCU	Big 12	46
10.	Baylor	Big 12	45

 
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.
 
LAST TIME AGAINST
The Texans had a chance to win a roller coaster ride of a game as time expired, but a missed field goal pushed the conference contest to overtime. Eastern Kentucky ended up winning the United Athletic Conference game in Richmond, Kentucky, 41-35 in double overtime on their homecoming on Oct. 14, 2023.
 
The Texans dropped their second straight game and fell to 0-2 all-time at EKU, but this game was much different than their last at Roy Kidd Stadium. The offense exploded for 527 of total yards, including 316 on the ground.
 
Tarleton entered the fourth quarter trailing 28-21, tying it on a 3-yard Derrel Kelley III touchdown rush with 9:45 to play. The Texans forced a missed field goal on EKU's ensuing drive, then bled out the remaining 5:35 of regulation and attempted a 24-yard field goal as time expired that sailed wide.
 
In overtime, EKU got the ball first and scored a touchdown on two plays. Tarleton answered in a dire circumstance, facing 4th and 15 on the EKU 30-yard line. Texan QB Victor Gabalis found Darius Cooper in the middle of the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown connection to push the game to double overtime. In 2OT, Gabalis' pass got hit in the air, and EKU's Logan Blake came down with the tip-drill interception. EKU's Parker McKinney QB-sneaked a 1-yard touchdown to win the game for the Colonels.
 
Gabalis finished 16-of-30 for 211 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Kayvon Britten exploded for 187 yards on 18 carries (10.4 yards per carry) and a touchdown. Kelley joined him above the century mark, rushing for 102 yards on 17 attempts (6.0 YPC) and a score. Cooper had six receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns, and Benjamin Omayebu tallied five catches for 39 yards and a touchdown.
 
LAST TIME OUT
If there were still any doubters, Tarleton State Football surely silenced them with a road win at the defending United Athletic Conference champions on Saturday.
 
The Texans set their longest winning streak in their NCAA Division I era at six games with a 27-17 win at Austin Peay at Fortera Stadium in Clarksville, Tennessee. Tarleton State has now won 11 of its last 12 games, with 11 straight wins over non-FBS opponents. The Texans last lost to a non-FBS opponent over a year ago, on Oct. 14, 2023.
 
Saturday was a bit of an uncharacteristic win for the Texans, who lost the turnover battle for the first time this season, and they averaged just 4.0 yards per rush. They entered No. 2 in the nation in average turnover margin (plus-1.57) and No. 19 in the country at 5.1 yards per rush. On brand, however, was Tarleton's big-play ability on offense, forcing takeaways on defense and limiting the Governors to just 17 points on the day.
 
Quarterback Victor Gabalis connected with wide receiver Darius Cooper for a 75-yard touchdown to erase a short Tarleton deficit in the second quarter. Caden Holt recorded his first interception, AJ Owens and Donta Stuart tag-teamed on a fumble takeaway, and the Texans forced three straight turnovers on downs to seal the game. Tarleton forced the Govs to just 62 rushing yards as a team, an Austin Peay unit that entered at 180.1 per game, 29th best in the FCS.
 
Saturday marked Tarleton's first game in the state of Tennessee in program history and its first matchup with Austin Peay. The Governors won the United Athletic Conference last year at 6-0, going 9-3 overall with a run to the NCAA FCS Playoffs. This was Austin Peay's homecoming game. Tarleton is now 3-1 on the road over the past two seasons when playing at an opponents' homecoming game.
 
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	.879
3.	Ohio State	Big 10	.878
4.	North Dakota State	MVFC	.874
5.	Clemson	ACC	.843
6.	Notre Dame	Ind.	.824
7.	South Dakota State	MVFC	.809
8.	James Madison	SBC	.807
9.	Florida A&M	SWAC	.754
10.	Princeton	Ivy	.750
	Dartmouth	Ivy	.750
12.	Oklahoma	SEC	.744
13.	Tarleton State	UAC	.743

 
6: Now with six straight wins, the Texans have the tied-sixth longest active winning streak across FCS. Dartmouth (nine), Montana State (eight), North Dakota State (eight), SEMO (seven) and UC Davis (seven) have longer ones.
 
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 play its final road regular season game of the season. The Texans will face West Georgia for the first time in program history, heading to Carrollton, Georgia, for a Saturday, Nov. 9, matchup at 1 p.m. CT.