The Teams: No. 2 Tarleton State Texans (9-0, 5-0 UAC) at No. 24 Abilene Chrisitan Wildcats (4-4, 3-1 UAC)
Where: Abilene, Texas
Stadium: Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: ESPN+ (Grant Boone, Jim Reese, Roman Raffaeli)
Radio: Tarleton Sports Network on 90.5 FM (Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Bryan Broaddus, Keltin Wiens, Ty Walker)
 
TEXAN FOOTBALL GAME DAY
It's a ranked rivalry matchup in Abilene on Saturday between Tarleton State and Abilene Christian. If the Texans win, they will clinch at least a share of the United Athletic Conference championship. With a Tarleton State win and a Southern Utah win later that night, the Texans would clinch the UAC's automatic qualifier playoff spot.
 
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+, with Grant Boone, Jim Reese and Roman Raffaeli 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, Bryan Broaddus, Keltin Wiens and Ty Walker leading the broadcast.
 
GAME DAY FESTIVITIES
Tarleton State will host a tailgate pregame in Abilene to give Texan Nation a chance to get together and get game day ready. The Tarleton State Tailgate is hosted by the Tarleton Alumni Association and Tarleton Parents Association, and will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The tailgate is located at 836 E. Ambler Ave., just north of Wildcat Stadium. Parking for the tailgate and the game is also north of Wildcat Stadium, located just north of Ambler Avenue but southwest of the tailgate, $20 per vehicle. Food and refreshments will be provided at the tailgate, with a pep rally scheduled around 1:30 p.m.
 
Inside the stadium, the Sound and the Fury will perform alongside ACU's band for the national anthem at 2:48 p.m. The Texans will take the field at 2:58 p.m., the coin toss at 2:59 p.m., and kickoff at 3:02 p.m.
 
Tickets are sold out for the game, including Tarleton State's sections. Tarleton State spirit groups will be in full force in Abilene, including PANKUS, the plowboys, the Sound and the Fury, Texan Cheer, Texan Stars, and the Corps of Cadets.
 
ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• This is the 40th all-time meeting. This will set the most games Tarleton State has played against a single opponent, surpassing the 39 contests between Tarleton State and McMurry.
• Last time these teams met in Abilene (2023), Tarleton State scored 17 unanswered in the fourth quarter to win by a point, 31-30.
• This is the second straight year both teams have been ranked when playing each other. Last year #14 ACU scored a game-winning touchdown with 19 seconds left to beat #15 Tarleton State 35-31.
• ACU is a perfect 3-0 at home, with three ranked victories overall; 28-20 vs. #25 SFA, 45-31 vs. #18 Austin Peay, 30-13 at #21 West Georgia.

 
QUICK HITS

• With a win Saturday, Tarleton State will clinch at least a share of the UAC championship. This would mark Tarleton State Football's first conference championship in its D1 era, and Tarleton State Athletics' second regular season conference championship (Tennis in 2022). Baseball (2024) and Women's Golf (2025) won WAC Tournaments in Tarleton State's D1 era.
• With a win Saturday and loss by Austin Peay at Southern Utah, Tarleton State will clinch the UAC AQ playoff bid.
• After seven straight weeks at No. 3, the Texans are No. 2 in both of the major polls this week, Tarleton State's best ranking in program history. The Texans surpassed South Dakota State, trailing only North Dakota State.
• The Texans have started 9-0 for the first time in their NCAA Division I era. They last started 9-0 in 2019, a season they started 11-0. They are the only 9-0 team across all of NCAA Division I. Tarleton State is one of 12 D1 undefeated teams remaining (FBS' BYU, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Navy, Ohio State, Texas A&M; FCS' Harvard, Lehigh, Montana, North Dakota State, Tennessee Tech).
• TSU is enjoying its longest winning streak in its D1 era (nine games). Since 2023, Tarleton State is 27-7 (.794). 
• With a win Saturday, Tarleton State would finish a perfect 6-0 on the road in the regular season. Tarleton State has finished perfect on the road in the regular season six times before (2020, 2019, 2018, 2007, 1990, 1986).

 
9-0
Tarleton State Football is now 9-0 on the season, marking the fifth time in program history that the team has started 9-0 (2019, 2018, 1990, 1935). This marks the third time under head coach Todd Whitten that the Texans have started 9-0 (2019, 2018). Between 2018-19, the Texans finished a combined 23-2 (.920).
 
Tarleton State is the only 9-0 team in the country and one of 12 D1 programs still undefeated, across FBS and FCS. There are six undefeated FBS teams; BYU, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Navy, Ohio State, Texas A&M. There are six undefeated FCS teams; Harvard, Lehigh, Montana, North Dakota State, Tarleton State, Tennessee Tech).
 
The Texans have won nine straight games, their longest winning streak in their D1 era. Tarleton State's nine-game winning streak is the third longest active winning streak in the FCS, and the sixth longest across all of NCAA Division I football.
 
CHANCE AT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
If Tarleton State wins on Saturday, the Texans will have clinched at least a share of the conference championship. The Texans would improve to 6-0 in UAC play with two games remaining, with no other undefeated or one-loss conference teams. The only other possible two-loss teams remaining would be ACU, Central Arkansas, and the winner of Austin Peay at Southern Utah. At the very least, Tarleton State would be able to clinch the outright UAC championship with a win in one of its final two games. Regardless of results on Saturday, Tarleton State cannot clinch an outright UAC championship, however, the Texans could clinch the conference's automatic qualifier playoff bid. If Tarleton State wins on Saturday, and Southern Utah beats Austin Peay on Saturday night, the Texans clinch the AQ playoff bid. With that scenario, ACU, Southern Utah and Central Arkansas would each be at two losses, and every other conference team with more -- Tarleton State would be 3-0 against those two-loss teams.
 
Tarleton State is a win away on Saturday from its third conference championship in the past eight seasons. It would mark Tarleton State's sixth conference championship as an NCAA institution. The Texans won five during their NCAA Division II days in 2019, 2018, 2013, 2009 and 2001. They played in the NCAA Division II Playoffs five times, (2019, 2018, 2009, 2003 and 2001), not including their two bowl invitations during the D2 days in 2017 and 2013.
 
HOMECOMING KINGS
This marks Tarleton State's third straight Homecoming game. On Oct. 18, Tarleton State held its own Homecoming and rolled No. 23 ranked West Georgia 45-10 in front of a Memorial Stadium record crowd of 24,012 fans, by scoring 40+ points for the sixth straight game, a program record such streak. Tarleton State scored six touchdowns, all via a different player, three on the ground (Tre Page III, James Paige, Braelon Bridges) and three through the air (Cody Jackson, Marquis Willis, T'iar Young). Tarleton State outgained West Georgia 520-219 and forced five more turnovers by five different players. The Texans also had a tied-season-high six sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
 
This past Saturday (Oct. 25), Tarleton State spoiled Eastern Kentucky's Homecoming game with a 31-7 win on the road. Tarleton State dominated the second half 21-0, snapping EKU's 10-game winning streak at home dating back to 2023. QB's Victor Gabalis and Daniel Greek combined for three touchdowns. Gabalis completed 18-of-27 passes for 207 yards to go with a touchdown pass while Greek scored two rushing touchdowns. Tarleton State's defense held the Colonels to just 189 yards of total offense, the lowest mark against the Texans in two years, plus they forced three more takeaways. The Texans are now +24 in total turnover margin this season, No. 1 in both the FBS and FCS by far, with the next closest at +15.
 
The Texans have had great Homecoming success just about everywhere recently. In Stephenville, Tarleton State is now 8-1 on Homecoming over its past nine such games, and under head coach Todd Whitten, the Texans are now 13-3. Last year, the Texans won their lone road Homecoming game at Austin Peay 27-17, went 1-1 with a 25-23 win at No. 18 Central Arkansas in 2023, and went 1-0 on the road in 2022 with a 43-28 win at North Alabama.
 
GET THE BALL!
Tarleton State loves possessing the football. The Texans are best in the country in takeaways by a wide margin, now with 28 on the season. The next closest in the FCS is at 19 (South Dakota State), with the FBS leader at 20 (SMU). The Texans have also held on to the ball, coughing it up just four times, tied-sixth fewest in the FCS, just one more than the five leaders. Tarleton State has lost just two fumbles and thrown two interceptions (one by each of its top-two quarterbacks). That means the best turnover margin in the country, both in average (+2.67) and total (+24). Next closest in the country is at +15 (Dayton). The FCS record for average turnover margin is +3.18 (Saint Peter's in 2001), with just one more higher than Tarleton State's current mark (+2.73 by Western Kentucky in 2000). No FCS team has averaged a +2.00 average turnover margin since 2012 (Richmond).
 
ON THE SAME PAIGE
With Caleb Lewis missing the past three games due to injury, Tarleton State quarterback (now QB/RB) James Paige has stepped up in his absence, rushing for 267 yards and six touchdowns over the past three games, totaling seven touchdowns with one passing. In his first start on Oct. 11 at Utah Tech, Paige had five total touchdowns, with four rushing, adding 114 rushing yards on 30 carries (3.8 YPC). Paige became the ninth player in program history to score four touchdowns in a game, technically the second quarterback to do so, joining Steve Kelly's four-touchdown scoring game against Eastern New Mexico on Oct. 13, 2001. Paige did most of the work as a running back, a feat that five Texan RB's have accomplished, the most recent by Kayvon Britten last year. Paige's four rushing touchdowns are the tied-most in a single-game at the FCS level this season. These were all career-high marks for Paige; rushing touchdowns, rushing yards and passing touchdowns.
 
JERRY RICE AWARD WATCH LIST
RB Tre Page III is having an incredible freshman campaign, and on Oct. 22, it was announced he is in the running for the FCS' Freshman of the Year award.
 
Stats Perform announced its Jerry Rice Award Watch List, naming 22 freshmen across the nation in the running to win the 2025 Jerry Rice Award, which honors the FCS freshman player of the year in college football's Division I subdivision.
 
Page, a redshirt freshman, is one of the top running backs in the country this year, with 839 yards and seven touchdowns on 112 carries, averaging 104.9 rush yards per game and 7.5 yards per carry. Among all running backs in the nation, not just freshmen, Page is ranked second in the FCS in rush yards per carry, 10th in total rush yards, 11th in rush yards per game, and tied-27th in rushing touchdowns. Among his eight games played, Page has three 100+ yard games, plus two multi-touchdown games. His best performance came against Southern Utah on Oct. 4, in which he raced for a career-high 198 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. In the season opener, a Week 0 contest at Portland State, he ran for 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns on just 15 attempts. Page was named the United Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week after both performances.
 
OFFICIALLY TOP-THREE
In the ranking that determines every team's playoff fate Tarleton State was named No. 3 across all of the FCS on Oct. 15 in the initial FCS Top 10 ranking release.
 
Live on ESPN2 during College Football Live, the committee released its first of two "snapshots" of how teams stack up at this point of the season. Tarleton State Football was announced as the No. 3 team in the Top 10, only behind North Dakota State and South Dakota State. The rest of the Top 10 was No. 4 Montana State, No. 5 Montana, No. 6 UC Davis, No. 7 Lehigh, No. 9 North Dakota, No. 9 Monmouth and No. 10 Tennessee Tech. 
 
The Division I Football Championship Committee plans to announce another midseason look at its FCS Top 10 ranking on Nov. 5, also during the College Football Live broadcast at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN2. That will come following Week 10, just three weeks away from selections for the Division I Football Championship.
 
WHITTEN THE WINNER
Tarleton State Football head coach Todd Whitten can be described easily with one word -- winner. Whitten is now 123-57 (.683) at Tarleton State across his 16 seasons, already with nine wins on the year, making it his ninth time winning 8+ games. The winningest head coach in team history has more wins than Nos. 2-3 have combined. Among all active NCAA Division I head coaches, Whitten is No. 16 in wins all-time with 148, between Montana's Bobby Hauck and Utah State's Bronco Mendenhall. Over the past seven seasons, the Texans are now .752 (67-22). When the Texans have scored 40+ points under Whitten, they are now 68-1, and 42-3 when totaling 500+ yards of offense.
 
CULTURE IS KING
In the modern collegiate days of collective conference, roster and staff fluidity, Tarleton State does not fit the norm. The Texans have been able to retain their elite staff and players year-over-year, credit to the culture that head coach Todd Whitten solidifies at the helm.
The Texans' coaching staff tenures at Tarleton State are thus; 16 years (Todd Whitten), eight years (Scott Carey), eight years (Tate Whitten), six years (Michael Walton), five years (Adam Austin), four years (Tyrone Nix), four years (Fred Tate), three years (Jake Stone), three years (Pepe Pearson), two years (Devante Sims), one year (Beau Blair). The Texans have not replaced more than two assistant coaches on a staff in a given year in their D1 era. Player-wise, the portal has not seen a lot of Texans go through. Since 2022, Tarleton State has seen just 1-3 contributors depart via transfer max per year.
 
BEST IN TEXAS
Since the start of the 2018 season, Tarleton State has been one of the best scholarship football programs in the entire state of Texas. The Texans enter Saturday's game with a .753 winning percentage since the start of 2018, the highest mark across all of the NCAA Division I and II programs in the state. Tarleton State is the only Texas D1 or D2 institution with all seven winning seasons since 2018. They have 67 wins since the start of 2018, the second 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	.753
2.	Angelo State	LSC	.726
3.	Texas	SEC	.690
4.	SMU	American	.667
5.	Texas A&M	SEC	.660
6.	Incarnate Word	SLC	.652
7.	Sam Houston	C-USA	.605
8.	TCU	Big 12	.589
9.	UTSA	C-USA	.577
10.	Baylor	Big 12	.552

 

#	School	Conf.	Wins
1.	Texas	SEC	69
2.	Tarleton State	UAC	67
3.	SMU	American	64
4.	Texas A&M	SEC	62
5.	Angelo State	LSC	61
6.	Incarnate Word	SLC	58
7.	TCU	Big 12	56
	UTSA	American	56
9.	Baylor	Big 12	53
10.	Sam Houston	C-USA	52

 
GABALLER
Tarleton State starting quarterback Victor Gabalis returned from injury on Oct. 18 following a three-game absence. Now through seven games, Gabalis has completed 100-of-162 (.617) passes for 1,441 yards, 16 touchdowns, and just one interception. In Tarleton State's home opener, Gabalis completed 20-of-27 (.741) passes for 295 yards, five touchdowns and zero turnovers in TSU's 59-3 win against Mississippi Valley State. His five passing touchdowns are the most in a game by a Tarleton State QB in 10 years, since Zed Woerner had five against Oklahoma Panhandle on Oct. 24, 2015. The five touchdowns mark Gabalis' most in his three seasons at Tarleton State, surpassing four four-touchdown performances, two in 2024 and two in 2023. His five touchdown passes are his most since throwing five against Southern Utah while with Utah Tech on Oct. 29, 2022.
 
This is Gabalis' sixth season at the collegiate level, having played two seasons at Washington State (2020-21), one season at Utah Tech (2022) and now in his third season at Tarleton State (2023-25). He's played in 44 career collegiate games, sitting at 8,963 passing yards and 76 passing touchdowns. In games Gabalis has started in his career, his teams have gone 27-8 (.771). At Tarleton State, Gabalis is 24-6 (.800) as a starter with 6,816 passing yards on 457-of-772 (.592) passing, 57 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. Gabalis has surpassed Steve Kelly (51) on Tarleton's State's career passing touchdown list at No. 4, and he's tied Scott Grantham (2007-09) at No. 3. Gabalis has surpassed Ben Holmes (5,997) at No. 5 on Tarleton State's all-time career passing yards leaderboard and is 445 short of Chad Cole (7,267, 1995-98) at No. 4.
 
During the preseason, Gabalis was named the unanimous UAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and to the Preseason All-UAC Team. He was also named to the 2025 Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List, one of 30 players named to the list for an award that is equivalent to the Heisman Trophy at the FBS level.
 
Last season, Gabalis was named UAC Second Team All-Conference after leading the Texans to a 9-3 overall record as the starting quarterback, 6-2 in UAC play. He completed 193-of-309 (.625) for 2,883 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 12 games.
 
UAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Linebacker Courtland Stephens was named the UAC Special Teams Player of the Week after the Oct. 18 game. Through nine games, TSU has won seven weekly honors.
 
After Weeks 0-1, Tarleton State had Kasyus Kurns named the UAC Defensive Player of the Week, kicker Brad Larson the UAC Special Teams Player of the Week, and running back Tre Page III the UAC Freshman of the Week. Kurns recorded two interceptions, a fumble recovery and four total tackles in Tarleton State's 30-27 double overtime win at Army. Kurns' three takeaways were all in the second half to help Tarleton State to one of its best victories in program history. Kurns earned a takeaway on three straight Army drives. Larson made the game-winning field goal in double overtime at Army. He went 3-of-3 on field goals, making a 30-yard field goal to give Tarleton State a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, then made a 28-yard field goal in the first overtime to give Tarleton State a 27-24 lead, and finally made a 37-yard field goal to win the game for Tarleton State in double overtime. These were Larson's first field goal attempts in his Tarleton State career. Page stole the show in the first half against Portland State on Aug. 23, racing for a 28-yard touchdown in the first quarter, then an 89-yard scamper for a score in the second quarter. Page had 160 rushing yards in the first half alone, finishing with 170 for the game and his two scores on 15 carries (11.3 yards per rush). Page had the most rushing yards in a season opener in Tarleton State Football NCAA Division I history, and the most since Daniel McCants had 190 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 20.
 
After Week 3, linebacker Yasir Holmes was named the UAC Defensive Player of the Week, his first career honor in his first season at Tarleton State. Holmes recorded a team-high three tackles for loss, a sack and a team-high seven total tackles in Tarleton State's 56-10 road win in its conference opener at Central Arkansas. Holmes became the first Texan with three tackles for loss in a game since Blaine Hoover had 3.0 TFL on Nov. 19, 2022, against Houston Christian. 
 
After Week 4, kicker Corbin Poston was named the Special Teams Player of the Week, his first career honor. Poston nailed a pair of long field goals, drilling one from 50 yards and the other from 49 yards, plus had 10 kickoffs cover 608 yards with seven touchbacks in Tarleton State's win. Poston is the only kicker across all of the FCS to make two field goals from 49-plus yards in a single game this season. His 50-yarder is the tied-27th longest field goal make in the FCS this season. Poston is one of five kickers with multiple field goal makes of 49 yards or longer (New Hampshire's Nick Reed, Idaho State's Trajan Sinatra, Mercer's Reice Griffith, Stony Brook's Michael Mannino). Over the past 15 years, Poston is one of two Texans to make a 50-yard field goal.
 
After Week 6, Page was named the UAC Freshman of the Week, along with the Stats Perform FCS National Freshman Player of the Week. He recorded 198 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries (10.4 YPC) in Tarleton State's 52-42 win over Southern Utah. This was a career-night for the redshirt freshman, who set a new career-high in rushing yards (198), plus tied his career-high in rushing touchdowns (two). Page's 198 rushing yards mark the tied-13th most in a single game across the FCS this season. He is now sixth in the nation in rush yards this season (765), and tied-14th in rushing touchdowns (seven). He's second in yards per carry at 7.73, just barely behind Jackson State's Ahmad Miller at 7.80 yards per carry.
 
After Week 8, Stephens earned Special Teams Player of the Week after earning a blocked punt and a muffed kickoff fumble recovery in Tarleton State's 45-10 home conference win against No. 23 ranked West Georgia. His punt block led to a touchdown to boost Tarleton State ahead 21-0, and his fumble recovery opened the second half, putting the Texans in great field position.
 
NATIONAL LEADER
Across the country, only 10 NCAA Division I teams (seven FBS, three FCS) have a better win percentage than Tarleton State since 2018 (Ohio State, North Dakota State, Georgia, Alabama, South Dakota State, Notre Dame, Clemson, Oregon, James Madison and Montana State). So among some other elite programs, Tarleton State has a higher W% than the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, USC, LSU, etc.
 

#	School	Conf.	Win Pct.
1.	Ohio State	Big 10	.888
2.	North Dakota State	MVFC	.882
3.	Georgia	SEC	.874
4.	Alabama	SEC	.865
5.	Notre Dame	Ind.	.820
6.	South Dakota State	MVFC	.817
7.	James Madison	SBC	.802
8.	Clemson	ACC	.796
9.	Oregon	Big 10	.794
10.	Montana State	MVFC	.774
11.	Tarleton State	UAC	.753
12.	Montana	Big Sky	.742
	Dartmouth	Ivy	.742
14.	Boise State	MWC	.729
15.	Oklahoma	SEC	.727

 
7: Tarleton State is the only NCAA Division I program in Texas with seven straight winning seasons. Among head coach Todd Whitten's 15 completed seasons at Tarleton State, his team has finished .500 or better 14 times, the only losing record at 5-6 in 2016.
 
30: Tarleton State already has the seventh most points in a season in program history (408). If the Texans score 30 points on Saturday, they will move into the top-five. Their most points in a season was in 2018 (585), followed by 540 in 2019, 478 in 2001, 437 in 2007, 430 last year (2024) and 409 in 2007.
 
11: At 8.5 sacks, Angelo Anderson already has the most sacks by a Texan in 11 years (Anthony Gonzalez had nine in 2014). Next up in recent history is Rufus Johnson's 10-sack season in 2012. Anderson's 2.5-sack night on Oct. 18 tied a program D1 record.
 
6: Like they've been all year, the Texans are top-six in both scoring offense (third, 45.3 PPG) and scoring defense (sixth, 16.2 PPG).
 
1: Whitten is the only coach at any NCAA level actively coaching in his third stint at his current school. He is one of 37 coaches at any NCAA level to have three non-consecutive tenures at one school and the second coach with three stints at Tarleton State (W.J. Wisdom, 1920-22, 1924-28, 1930-35).
 
UP NEXT
Tarleton State will have its second of two scheduled bye weeks of the year before hosting its final two regular season games. The Texans' next game will be on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium, their annual Military Appreciation.