The Teams: No. 13 Tarleton State Texans (9-3, 6-2 UAC) vs. Drake Bulldogs (8-2, 7-1 PFL)
Where: Stephenville, Texas
Stadium: Memorial Stadium (24,000)
Time: 2 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: ESPN+ (Pete Sousa, Dave Steckel)
Radio: Tarleton Sports Network on 90.5 FM (Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Keltin Wiens, Ty Walker)
 
TEXAN FOOTBALL GAME DAY
The Texans have made the FCS Playoffs, and will host their first round game on Saturday against the Drake Bulldogs. The Texans are making their playoff push on Saturday in their regular season finale, looking to knock off Central Arkansas to improve to an impressive 9-3 overall mark.
 
Tarleton's game, set for 2 p.m. CT, will be broadcast on ESPN+, with Pete Sousa and Dave Steckel 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 10:40 a.m. at Rudder Way Statue. Memorial Stadium gates will open at 12 p.m.
 
On the field pregame, the Sound and the Fury will perform at 1:42 p.m. The national anthem will be performed at 1:48 p.m. At 1:55 p.m., the Texan Rider will lead the Texans onto the field, and kickoff is scheduled for 2:02 p.m.
 
Single-game tickets can be purchased and claimed at TarletonSports.com/Tickets. Tarleton State students must show their Texan card at the gate to gain entry, and cannot claim tickets online for this game only. There will be no charged parking lots for this game – any parking lots that are not reserved will be free for fans. For maps of the area and complete tailgating policies, visit TarletonSports.com/TexanAlley.
 
ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• This is the first all-time meeting, but second straight year that TSU has faced a Pioneer Football League team. The Texans shut out the PFL's Morehead State 42-0 in 2023. Drake lost to Morehead State this year 29-20.
• The Bulldogs are back-to-back PFL champs after an 11-year hiatus.
• Drake made its FCS Playoffs debut last year, losing 66-3 at North Dakota State. San Diego owns the PFL's only playoff wins (2017, 2016).
• Drake is 16th in the country in scoring defense (19.6 PPG), 14th in total defense (305.0 YPG). Over its last seven games, Drake has allowed 13.4 PPG, with one shutout and just one 20+ point game allowed.  

 
QUICK HITS

• Tarleton is the No. 13 seed in the FCS Playoffs, one of 14 teams to make it with an at-large bid.
• Tarleton has played in 20 postseason games, sitting at 9-11 overall (7-9 in playoffs, 2-2 in bowl games).
• Tarleton has hosted three playoff games in its NCAA era (2-1). This is the Texans' first playoff appearance since 2019, when they hosted Texas A&M-Commerce, losing 23-16. In 2018, Tarleton won its first two playoff home games, beating Azusa Pacific 58-0 and Commerce 34-28, before losing 13-10 at No. 1 Minnesota State-Mankato.
• Tarleton is the first team to earn an FCS Playoff spot in its first year of postseason eligibility following reclassification since 2009 (South Dakota State).
• The Texans are the highest seeded team among the three United Athletic Conference teams that made the FCS Playoffs (No. 15 Abilene Christian, unseeded Eastern Kentucky). The UAC has the tied-fourth most teams in.
• Tarleton and ACU are the only teams in the 24-team playoff field making their FCS Playoffs debut.
• Tarleton has set a program record for wins in its D1 era at nine. A win on Saturday would mark the fourth time head coach Todd Whitten will have reached double-digit wins at Tarleton in his 15 seasons at the helm.
• Kayvon Britten is one of 35 finalists for the 2024 Walter Payton Award (national offensive player of year).
• Darius Cooper just set a new program record for career receiving yards, now at 2,834.  

 
PLAYOFFS!
The Texans are back in the playoffs, their first appearance since 2019 when they were a mainstay, having played in the postseason three straight years (playoffs in 2019 and 2018, bowl game in 2017). The Texans are 2-2 over their past four playoff games, advancing to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals in 2018. Since the last time the Texans were in the playoffs, just one player remains -- tight end Kyle Weber, who was on the practice squad as a true freshman. Several members of the coaching staff remain, however, including head coach Todd Whitten, co-offensive coordinator Scott Carey, special teams coordinator Michael Walton and wide receivers coach Tate Whitten. This is the fifth season that Todd Whitten has coached the Texans to the playoffs in his 15 years at the helm, six times reaching the postseason (played in the Corsicana Bowl vs. Central Oklahoma in 2017, losing 38-31). Whitten is 3-4 in the playoffs at Tarleton, 3-5 in postseason play, with a 2-1 home playoff record at Memorial Stadium. Saturday marks Tarleton's fourth home NCAA playoff game.
 
The Texans are making their FCS Playoffs debut, facing a Drake team that made its debut last season. The winner of Saturday's game will head to Vermillion, South Dakota, to face the No. 4 seed South Dakota Coyotes on Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. CT. The other three teams in Tarleton's corner of the FCS Playoffs bracket are No. 5 UC Davis, No. 12 Illinois State and Southeast Missouri State.
 
With Tarleton's high scoring offense featuring two of the best players in program history, here are some program playoff game records that could be in danger:
- Rushing TD (3) by Xavier Turner vs. Azusa Pacific
- Rush Yards (206) by Xavier Turner vs. Azusa Pacific
- Receiving TD (2) by Zimari Manning, Jahmeel Hobson
- Receiving Yards (188) by Jahmeel Hobson vs. TAMUK
- Pass TD (3) by Ben Holmes and Scott Grantham
 
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Several Tarleton players have either set records this season, or can this Saturday...
Kayvon Britten:
- Will reach 3,000 career rushing yards at Tarleton State with 100 rushing yards on Saturday. Only four players in program history have reached that milestone (Ricky Bush with 3,389 in 1979-82, Daniel McCants with 3,216 in 2015-18, Roderick Smith with 3,183 in 2006-09, and Derrick Ross with 3,072 in 2004-05). With 173 rushing yards on Saturday, he will surpass Ross in fourth place on the career rush yards list at Tarleton State.
- Has set a new single-season program rushing record, now at 1,750 rushing yards, surpassing Derrick Ross' 1,560 in 2004.
- Has set a new single-season rushing attempt program record, now at 287 rushing attempts, surpassing Derrick Ross' 254 in 2004.
- Set a single-game rushing yard program record on Sept. 21 at North Alabama with 273, surpassing Derrick Ross' 269 rushing yards vs. Western New Mexico on Sept. 10, 2005.
- Tied a single-game touchdown scoring program record on Sept. 21 at North Alabama with four.
- Has tied program record for 100+ yard rushing games in a Texan player's career at 14 (Roderick Smith, 2006-09).
- Is one of three in program history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons (Derrick Ross, Daniel McCants)
 
Darius Cooper:
- Has set a new program record in career receiving yards, now at 2,834 career receiving yards, surpassing Clifton Rhodes III's 2,757 from 2011-14.
- Has become the second player in program history to have multiple seasons with 1,000 receiving yards (Devin Guinn, 2007 and 2009)
- Has tied program record for 100+ yard receiving games in a Texan player's career at 12 (Zimari Manning, 2018-19).
- At 25 career receiving touchdowns, Cooper is tied-fourth in the program ranks with Jeremy Madkins (2003-06). In third sits Devin Guinn (2006-09) at 26, in second is Le'Nard Meyers (2012-15) at 27, and in first is Zimari Manning (2018-19) at 34.
 
Deangelo Rosemond:
- Is third in program career kick return yards ranks at 1,222. In second sits Daniel McCants at 1,593 (2015-19).
 
 
WALTER PAYTON AWARD FINALIST
Tarleton State running back Kayvon Britten has had an elite season for the Texans in 2024, so special that he is in the running for the national offensive player of the year award. Stats Perform announced on Tuesday that Britten has been named one of 35 finalists for the 2024 Walter Payton Award, which is presented to the national offensive player of the year in NCAA Division I FCS college football. He is one of 15 running backs among the finalists, with an additional 16 quarterbacks, three wide receivers and one offensive lineman.
 
Britten has recorded one of the best seasons in Tarleton State Football history. Across 12 regular season games, Britten rushed for 1,750 yards and 16 touchdowns on 287 carries, averaging 6.1 yards per rush and 145.8 yards per game. He also had a touchdown and 120 yards on 10 receptions, finishing with 1,870 yards from scrimmage and 17 total touchdowns. Britten set a new single-season program rushing record, surpassing Derrick Ross' mark that had stood for 20 years (1,560 in 2004). He rushed for over 100 yards in 10 different games, and now with 14 in his Tarleton State career, he tied the most ever by a Texan (Roderick Smith, 2006-09). Britten is one of three players in program history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons (Ross, Daniel McCants).
 
Nationally, Britten is second in total rush yards, second in rush yards per game, fourth in all-purpose yards per game (155.8), tied-fourth in rushing touchdowns, tied-fifth in total touchdowns and 19th in yards per carry.
 
Britten was named the FCS Offensive National Player of the Week and UAC Offensive Player of the Week against North Alabama on Sept. 21 after 273 rushing yards and four touchdowns, averaging 13.0 yards per carry. Britten set a new program record for single-game rushing yards, surpassing 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-third 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).
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.
 
Career-wise, Britten has now logged over 4,000 rushing yards between two seasons at Arkansas Pine-Bluff (1,294 in 19 games) and two seasons at Tarleton (2,900 in 23 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...
- T-2nd in Turnover Margin (+1.25 per)
- 3rd in Pass Yards per Completion (14.5)
- Tied-3rd in Fumbles Lost (2)
- 4th in Kick Return Defense (14.9 yds allowed per)
- 4th in Punt Return Defense (3.0 per)
- 6th in Red Zone Offense (.919)
- 6th in Turnovers Gained (27)
- Tied-7th in Interceptions (16)
- Tied-7th in Fumbles Recovered (11)
- Tied-9th in Fumble Recoveries (10)
- 10th in Net Punting (40.9 yds per)
- 14th in Rushing Offense (202.0 rush yards per game)
- T-20th in Sacks Allowed (1.25 per)
- T-20th in Turnovers Lost (12)
- T-29th in Red Zone Defense (.762)
- 32nd in Total Offense (404.5 YPG)
- T-34th in Scoring Offense (29.7 PPG)
- T-34th in Tackles for Loss Allowed (4.75 per)
- T-35th in Scoring Defense (22.8 PPG)
 
Individually, Tarleton has top-25 student athletes at...
- 2nd in Rushing Yards (Kayvon Britten) at 1,750
- 2nd in Rush Yards Per Game (Kayvon Britten) at 145.8
- 2nd in Yards Per Completion (Victor Gabalis) at 15.1
- 4th in All-Purpose Yards (Kayvon Britten) at 155.8 per
- T-4th in Fumble Recoveries (Kasyus Kurns) at three
- T-4th in Rushing TD's (Kayvon Britten) at 16
- 5th in Receiving Yards (Darius Cooper) at 1,099
- T-5th in Total TD's (Kayvon Britten) at 17
- T-5th in FF (Kasyus Kurns and Ty Rawls) at three
- 8th in Yards Per Pass Attempt (Victor Gabalis) at 8.95
- 8th in Yards Per Reception (Darius Cooper) at 19.6
- 9th in Receiving Yards Per (Darius Cooper) at 91.6
- T-9th in Receiving TD's (Darius Cooper) at 10
- 13th in Scoring (Kayvon Britten) at 8.5 Points Per
- 19th in Rush Yards Per Carry (Kayvon Britten) at 6.10
- 20th in Tackles for Loss Per (Brandon Tolvert) at 1.3
 
 
WHITTEN THE WINNER
Tarleton State Football head coach Todd Whitten has led the Texans to their seventh straight winning season. Across 15 years at the helm of TSU, he's taken his team to .500 or better 14 times. Whitten is now 138-84 (.622) in 20 seasons as a collegiate head coach, owning the 46th most wins among all active NCAA football head coaches. Next man in front is at 140 wins (New Mexico head coach Bronco Mendenhall).
 
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 .731 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 57 wins since the start of 2018, the third most wins in the state by an NCAA Division I or II programs. The list of the top scholarship programs in Texas over that span are as follows:
 

#	School	Conf.	Win Pct.
1.	Tarleton State	UAC	.731
2.	Angelo State	LSC	.724
3.	Incarnate Word	SLC	.696
4.	Texas	SEC	.690
5.	SMU	AAC	.682
6.	Sam Houston	C-USA	.649
7.	Texas A&M	SEC	.643
8.	UTSA	C-USA	.591
9.	TCU	Big 12	.565
10.	Baylor	Big 12	.558

 

#	School	Conf.	Wins
1.	Texas	SEC	60
2.	SMU	AAC	58
3.	Tarleton State	UAC	57
4.	Incarnate Word	SLC	55
	Angelo State	LSC	55
6.	Texas A&M	SEC	54
7.	UTSA	AAC	52
8.	Sam Houston	C-USA	50
9.	TCU	Big 12	48
	Baylor	Big 12	48

 
UAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Tarleton has just pulled off a rarity -- having a unit win a conference's individual player of the week award. Tarleton's "Special Teams Group" was named the UAC Special Teams Player of the Week this past Monday. In Tarleton's 39-14 win against Central Arkansas, the Texans had back-to-back takeaways on their own kickoffs, the first on a designed lob "onside" kick that was recovered by Omar Emmons at the Central Arkansas 19-yard line. After Tarleton scored a field goal, the Texans got it right back again on another kickoff, this time as Jaylen Jackson laid the hit stick to force a fumble, recovered by Rodrick Weaver Jr. Also on special teams, Benjamin Omayebu covered 61 yards on three punt returns, including a long of 33 yards, punter Adrian Guzman placed three of his four punts inside the 20-yard line, and kicker Corbin Poston went 1-for-1 on field goals.
 
Tarleton has garnered six UAC Player of the Week awards this season.
 
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 OUT
Tarleton State Football proved its playoff case with a rout of once No. 5 ranked Central Arkansas. The Texans rolled the Bears 39-14 on Senior Day at Memorial Stadium. Tarleton remained undefeated against the Bears, improving to 3-0 against UCA all-time. The Texans were clearly the better team from kickoff, but really made their mark over the final 20 minutes. Owning a 14-7 lead with five minutes to play in the third, Tarleton forced a safety, then scored a touchdown 15 seconds later. Up 22-14 at the start of the fourth, Tarleton scored another TD, recovered the kickoff, made a field goal, recovered a fumble on the next kickoff, capping off the sequence with a touchdown less than a minute later to lead 39-14.
 
Tarleton's big hitters throughout the season all stepped up again, on Senior Day nonetheless, where the team honored 24 impactful players who have poured so much into the program. Kayvon Britten covered 201 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns, recording 154 yards on 26 carries (5.9 yards per rush) and a touchdown, plus a 47-yard receiving touchdown. Darius Cooper wowed the crowd with multiple acrobatic catches, finishing with 110 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions. Victor Gabalis threw for four touchdowns and 245 yards on 15-of-21 passing, adding 15 rushing yards. Cody Jackson had a touchdown and 28 yards on three catches, while Benjamin Omayebu logged three catches for 34 yards. Defensively, Kasyus Kurns recorded an interception, a sack, 1.5 TFL, a pass breakup and five total tackles. AJ Owens forced the safety with his tackle for loss, finishing with five total tackles. Jaylen Jackson had a forced fumble on a kickoff that was recovered by Rodrick Weaver Jr.
 
Tarleton started strong with a turnover on downs on its first defensive stand, then the Texans marched 62 yards on six plays for a touchdown on their first drive. Tarleton capped it off with a 7-yard touchdown by Jackson from Gabalis. To start the second, Britten broke free for a 27-yard rushing TD to boost Tarleton ahead 14-0. UCA avoided a first half shutout with a touchdown three minutes before halftime. To open the second half, Tarleton drove to the UCA 1-yard line, but turned it over on downs. They responded quickly, with Owens refusing to let UCA RB Darius Hale out of his grasp in the end zone, scoring a safety. On Tarleton's first offensive play after getting the ball back, Gabalis found Britten for a 47-yard TD to make it 22-7 Tarleton State. The floodgates opened in the fourth, starting with the second play, a 22-yard TD to Cooper to make it 29-14 TSU. On the ensuing kickoff, Tarleton lofted a high ball that fell around the 20-yard line, which UCA couldn't get to before Tarleton's Omar Emmons. On the next kickoff, the Texans got the ball back again, this time Jackson laying the hit stick to force the fumble, recovered by Weaver. Two plays later, Cooper made an incredible toe-tapping touchdown reception from 22 yards out to cement a 39-14 victory for Tarleton State.
 
NATIONAL LEADER
Across the country, only 11 NCAA Division I teams (seven FBS, four FCS) have a better win percentage than Tarleton since 2018 (Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ohio State, North Dakota State, James Madison, 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.	Ohio State	Big 10	.884
2.	Georgia	SEC	.882
3.	Alabama	SEC	.872
4.	North Dakota State	MVFC	.867
5.	Clemson	ACC	.839
6.	Notre Dame	Ind.	.830
7.	South Dakota State	MVFC	.817
8.	James Madison	SBC	.802
9.	Oklahoma	SEC	.742
10.	Florida A&M	SWAC	.739
11.	Dartmouth	Ivy	.733
12.	Tarleton State	UAC	.731

 
3K: With 100 rushing yards on Saturday, Kayvon Britten will reach 3,000 career rushing yards at Tarleton State. Only four players in program history have reached that milestone (Ricky Bush has the record with 3,389 in 1979-82).
 
4: Victor Gabalis' four passing touchdowns on Saturday marked a new season-high, and his most since tossing four against SFA last season on Nov. 4, 2023. He's thrown four touchdowns in a game three times in his Tarleton career.
 
0: Over the past three games, QB Victor Gabalis has had zero turnovers. Over his last three games, he has completed 50-of-69 (.725) for 790 yards and nine touchdowns. Over his last two games, Gabalis has completed 30-of-41 (.732) for 549 yards and seven touchdowns.
 
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).
 
UP NEXT
The winner of Saturday's game will advance to the second round of the FCS Playoffs, and will head to No. 4 South Dakota for a game in Vermillion, South Dakota, on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m. CT.