The Teams: No. 5 Tarleton State Texans (10-1, 6-1 UAC) vs. Austin Peay Governors (7-4, 4-3 UAC)
Where: Stephenville, Texas
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
Time: 4 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: ESPN+ (John Liddle, Hek'ma Harrison, Katie Goodman, Blaine Tamez)
Radio: Tarleton Sports Network on 90.5 FM (Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Keltin Wiens, Ty Walker)
Game Sponsor: Tarleton Alumni Association
 
TEXAN FOOTBALL GAME DAY
It's the regular season finale, with Tarleton State Football vying for a conference championship. The Texans clinch at least a share of the UAC championship with a win, or an Abilene Christian loss, and clinch the outright championship with a win AND an ACU loss.
 
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+, with John Liddle, Hek'ma Harrison and Katie Goodman 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
It's Senior Day at Tarleton State, as nearly 40 seniors will be celebrated pregame Saturday. Texan Alley opens at 8 a.m. for tailgaters. The Pointe-du-Hoc rally will be at 12:40 p.m. at Rudder Way Statue. Memorial Stadium gates will open at 2 p.m.
 
The Senior Day ceremony will begin at 3:42 p.m., followed by the national anthem at 3:54 p.m. The Texan Rider will lead the Texans onto the field at 3:58 p.m. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:02 p.m.
 
Single-game tickets can be purchased and claimed at TarletonSports.com/Tickets. Fans should add their tickets to their mobile wallet before arriving on campus.
 
Texan students should now use the Corq app to attend Tarleton State Athletics' games and events for free.
 
For maps of the area and complete tailgating policies, visit TarletonSports.com/TexanAlley. General Admission ticket holders and students should enter at the north and east sides, and reserved ticket holders should enter at the west side. Fans with GA tickets in the north end zone can enter through right lane at the north and east gates, while students with the Corq app should enter through the left lane at the north and east gates.
 
ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• This is the just second all-time meeting. These teams played in Clarksville last year, with the Texans winning 27-17. The Texans forced the Govs to just 62 rushing yards and won on their homecoming.
• Tarleton State is tied-first in the UAC with ACU, while Austin Peay is in fifth. The Texans clinch at least a share of the UAC championship with a win, and the Govs could finish tied-third with a win.
• Austin Peay went undefeated at home (6-0) and is 1-4 on the road.
• The Texans and Govs are the only FCS teams to defeat FBS teams this season. Austin Peay beat Middle Tennessee 34-14 on Aug. 30.
• Govs are No. 1 ranked team in the FCS in red zone offense (.951).

 
QUICK HITS

• With a win by Tarleton State on Saturday, or an Abilene Christian loss, the Texans 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 ('24) and Women's Golf ('25) won WAC Tournaments. Tarleton State clinches an outright UAC championship and the conference's AQ FCS Playoff bid with a win AND an ACU loss. ACU plays at Central Arkansas at 4 p.m. CT Saturday.
• The Texans are undefeated at home this season at 5-0, with seven straight home wins. This is Tarleton State's longest home winning streak since rattling off 13 straight wins at Memorial Stadium from 2018-19.
• The Texans have 10 wins on the season, their seventh time in program history reaching double-digit wins. Todd Whitten has been the head coach for five of those seasons.
• The Texans now own the No. 1 ranked scoring offense across the entire country at 45.2 points per game. Tarleton State has scored 497 points this season, third most in a single-season in program history.
• The Texans have an average turnover margin of +2.55. If the season ended today, that would mark the third best in FCS history, and the best since 2001 (Saint Peter's +3.18 in 2001, Western Kentucky +2.73 in 2000).

 
CHANCE AT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
If Tarleton State beats Austin Peay on Saturday, OR if Abilene Christian loses at Central Arkansas, the Texans will have clinched at least a share of the conference championship. If Tarleton State wins Saturday AND Abilene Christian loses, the Texans will clinch the outright conference championship and the UAC's AQ FCS Playoff bid. Tarleton State would claim 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.
 
HISTORIC SEASON
It's been a historic season for the Texans. The team is 10-1 overall including a spotless 5-0 mark at home. They have won a pair of nationally televised games (42-0 at Portland State on ESPN2 during Week 0, 30-27 OT at Army on CBS Sports Network during Week 1), have set record crowds at Memorial Stadium, and were ranked as high as No. 2 in the national polls.
 
Offensively, the Texans are one of the best teams in the nation, ranked No. 1 in scoring (45.2 points per game), No. 5 in total offense (468.5 YPG), No. 14 in rushing offense (207.1 YPG), No. 4 in team passing efficiency (173.4) and No. 15 in passing offense (261.5 YPG).
 
Turnovers and takeaways have been a major reason for Tarleton State's historic campaign. On offense, the Texans have turned the ball over just seven times, the tied-seventh fewest amount of turnovers lost across the FCS. On the flip side, Tarleton State has earned 35 takeaways, by far the most in the FCS with the next closest team at 22 (Montana and UTRGV). The Texans' 35 takeaways are already the most by an FCS team since 2019 (Alcorn with 36), and if the Texans get two or more on Saturday, it will be the most since 2017 (James Madison with 44). Tarleton State averages a turnover margin of +2.55, more than double the margin that the No. 2 team averages (Dayton at +1.2). If the season ended today, Tarleton State would have the third highest average turnover margin in FCS history.
 
Furthermore defensively, Tarleton State has been elite, No. 4 in passing defense (151.5 YPG allowed), No. 7 in scoring defense (16.1 PPG allowed) and No. 15 in total defense (308.7 YPG allowed). The Texan defense has scored four touchdowns themselves, tied-third most in the nation. It's been a full effort by the Texans on defense, with 13 players recording a fumble recovery, 11 players with an interception, nine with a forced fumble, eight with a sack, six players at 5.0+ TFL, and four with a defensive touchdown. Kasyus Kurns has the tied-most interceptions in the nation at five, and has the highest interception rate per game at 0.56. Angelo Anderson is tied-fourth in the nation in sacks per game at 1.06, and has the tied-eighth most sacks at 9.5.
 
PLAYOFF PICTURE
The Texans were ranked No. 5 by the Division I Football Championship Committee in the second and final midseason FCS Top 10 release of the season on Nov. 5. Since then, the Texans blasted North Alabama 61-0 at home. The Division I Football Championship Committee decides the 24-team field for the FCS Playoffs. The 2025 championship field will consist of 11 automatic qualifiers and 13 at-large selections. This year in selecting at-large teams, the FCS championship committee considers each team's won-lost record, their strength of schedule, Regional Advisory Committee rankings/feedback and games reviewed by the committee on video. A secondary tool are four metrics that may be considered, all including only games from the current season (KPI, Massey Ratings and ESPN's two Football Power Indexes).
 
If the Texans get a bye, they will play their first playoff game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 6. The FCS Playoffs begin Nov. 29 with the first round. The top eight teams in the 24-team bracket for the championship are seeded and receive first round byes. The second round between 16 teams is on Dec. 6, the quarterfinals on Dec. 12-13, the semifinals on Dec. 20, and the national championship game in Nashville on Jan. 5.
 
SHUTOUT
The Texans just blanked the Lions 61-0 this past Saturday. The Texans' 61 points scored are their most in a game in six years (66-7 vs. Midwestern State on Nov. 2, 2019). The Texans' 61-point victory marked their largest margin of victory in 11 years (80-14 vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville on Oct. 11, 2014). The Texans' 61-point shutout win marked their largest shutout victory in 23 years (62-0 vs. SW Assemblies of God on Aug. 29, 2022). This was Tarleton State's second shutout of the season, following a 42-0 blank of Portland State on Week 0 on Aug. 23. This is the first season that the Texans have posted multiple shutouts since 2018.
 
Victor Gabalis completed 12-of-16 passes for 282 yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone, and didn't play in the second half. Peyton Kramer led the Texans in receiving with 128 yards off three receptions and a touchdown. Tylan Hines returned for his first game back since Week 0 and scored two touchdowns, while leading the run game with 80 yards. The defense came up with five takeaways, four interceptions and a safety.
 
LOOK AROUND THE FCS
There are just four undefeated teams remaining and three others with a single loss. North Dakota State, Montana and Lehigh all sit at 11-0, Harvard at 9-0, Tarleton State at 10-1, Tennessee Tech at 10-1 and Mercer at 9-1. In terms of rankings in the Stats Perform FCS Poll:
1. North Dakota State faces St. Thomas on Saturday
2. Montana hosts No. 3 Montana State
3. Montana State plays at No. 2 Montana
4. Lehigh plays at Lafayette
5. Tarleton State hosts Austin Peay
6. Tennessee Tech hosts UT Martin
7. Mercer plays at Auburn
8. Harvard plays at Yale
9. Villanova hosts Sacred Heart
10. Rhode Island hosts Hampton
 
Among the top-10 ranked teams, three already have two losses (Montana State, Villanova, Rhode Island).
 
GABALLER
Gabalis keeps solidifying his resume as one of the best quarterbacks in Tarleton State Football history. He just surpassed Ben Holmes in career pass touchdowns and now is No. 2 in program history, and he just surpassed Chad Cole for No. 4 on the career pass yards list.
 
Tarleton State Career Pass TD:
1. Zed Woerner 72 (2014-17)
2. Victor Gabalis 63 (2023-25)
3. Ben Holmes 62 (2018-19)
4. Scott Grantham 57 (2007-09)
5. Steve Kelly 51 (1999-01)
 
Tarleton State Career Pass Yards:
1. Zed Woerner 8,243 (2014-17)
2. Steve Kelly 8,203 (1999-01)
3. Scott Grantham 7,860 (2007-09)
4. Victor Gabalis 7,459 (2023-25)
5. Chad Cole 7,267 (1995-98)
 
Through his nine games played, Texan quarterback Victor Gabalis has completed 137-of-224 (.612) passes for 2,084 yards, 22 touchdowns, and four interceptions.
 
This is Gabalis' sixth season at the collegiate level; 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 46 career collegiate games, sitting at 9,606 passing yards and 82 passing touchdowns. In games Gabalis has started in his career, his teams have gone 28-9 (.757). At Tarleton State, Gabalis is 25-7 (.781) as a starter with 7,459 passing yards on 494-of-834 (.592) passing and 63 touchdowns.
 
Gabalis just threw four touchdowns, his second 4+ pass touchdown game of the year. He threw for a season-high 361 yards at ACU the game before. 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.
 
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.
 
WHITTEN THE WINNER
Tarleton State Football head coach Todd Whitten can be described easily with one word -- winner. Whitten is now 124-58 (.681) at Tarleton State across his 16 seasons.
 
Already with 10 wins this season, this marks the seventh time in program history the Texans have reached double-digit wins. Those seasons are 2025, 2024, 2019, 2018, 2009, 2001 and 1990. Whitten has been the head coach for five of those seven 10+ win seasons.
 
The winningest head coach in team history has more wins than Nos. 2-3 have combined. Among all active head coaches, Whitten is No. 38 in career wins with 149.
 
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 .747 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 68 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	.747
2.	Angelo State	LSC	.701
3.	Texas	SEC	.686
4.	SMU	American	.673
5.	Texas A&M	SEC	.667
6.	Incarnate Word	SLC	.652
7.	Sam Houston	C-USA	.607
8.	UTSA	C-USA	.580
9.	TCU	Big 12	.577
10.	UTPB	LSC	.566

 

#	School	Conf.	Wins
1.	Texas	SEC	70
2.	Tarleton State	UAC	68
3.	SMU	American	66
4.	Texas A&M	SEC	64
5.	Angelo State	LSC	61
6.	Incarnate Word	SLC	60
7.	UTSA	American	58
8.	TCU	Big 12	56
9.	Baylor	Big 12	54
	Sam Houston	C-USA	54

 
SENIOR DAY
Tarleton State will honor 41 seniors in a pregame ceremony on Saturday:
- OL Alec Ambrosia from Charlton, Massachusetts.
- OL Nick Green from Austin, Texas.
- DB Mke Hookfin from Spring, Texas.
- LS Matt Bosset from Ormond Beach, Florida.
- P Wheeler Bowron from Birmingham, Alabama.
- K Brad Larson from Prosper, Texas.
- WR Reginald Harden from Jacksonville, Florida.
- DL Pius Njenge from Houston, Texas.
- DL James Turrentine from Sacramento, California.
- LB Yasir Holmes from Indian Head, Maryland.
- WR T'iar Young from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- DL Angelo Anderson from New Orleans, Louisiana
- LB Omar Emmons from Greenwood, Mississippi.
- In his second season at Tarleton State, DB Ja'Voni Melidor from Columbia, South Carolina.
- In his second season at Tarleton State, LB AJ Owens from Houston, Texas.
- In his second season at Tarleton State, LB Bam Smith from Hollywood, Florida.
- In his second season at Tarleton State, LB Branson Tita-Nwa from Southaven, Mississippi.
- In his third season at Tarleton State, DL Tramaine Chism from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
- In his third season at Tarleton State, QB  Victor Gabalis from Duvall, Washington
- In his third season at Tarleton State, QB Daniel Greek from Argyle, Texas.
- In his third season at Tarleton State, OL Artis Hall from Beaumont, Texas.
- In his third season at Tarleton State, DB Dabari Hawkins from Houston, Texas.
- In his third season at Tarleton State, TE Dawson Hearne from Cisco, Texas.
- In his third season at Tarleton State, WR Peyton Kramer from Aledo, Texas.
- In his third season at Tarleton State, DB Kasyus Kurns from Chicago, Illinois.
- In his third season at Tarleton State, RB Caleb Lewis from New Orleans, Louisiana.
- In his third season at Tarleton State, OL Jordan Love from Rockledge, Florida.
- In his third season at Tarleton State, DB Jeremiah Postell from San Antonio, Texas.
- In his third season at Tarleton State, LB Ty Rawls from Wetumpka, Alabama.
- In his third season at Tarleton State, DB Hagan Stephenson from Eugene, Oregon.
- In his third season at Tarleton State, WR Trevon West from Fort Worth, Texas.
- In his FIFTH season at Tarleton State, OL Kurt Hatch from Weatherford, Texas.
- In his FIFTH season at Tarleton State, DB Les Odimara from Arlington, Texas.
- In his FIFTH season at Tarleton State, DB Blake Smith from Houston, Texas.
- In his FITH season at Tarleton State, OL Hunter Smith from Rockwall, Texas.
- In his FIFTH season at Tarleton State, LB Courtland Stephens from San Antonio, Texas.
- In his FIFTH season at Tarleton State, DL Brandon Tolvert from Columbus, Georgia.
- In his SIXTH season at Tarleton State, OL Jack Gallagher from Fredericksburg, Texas.
- In his SIXTH season at Tarleton State, DL Robert Rios from Killeen, Texas.
- In his SIXTH season at Tarleton State, RB Deangelo Rosemond from San Antonio, Texas.
- In his SIXTH season at Tarleton State, LB Devin Sterling from Tyler, Texas.
 
UAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Through 11 games, Tarleton State has won seven weekly UAC awards.
 
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. 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. Page stole the show in the first half against Portland State on Aug. 23, racing for a 28-yard touchdown, then an 89-yard scamper for a score. Page had 160 rushing yards in the first half alone, finishing with 170, and his two scores on 15 carries (11.3 yards per rush).
After Week 3, LB Yasir Holmes was named the UAC Defensive Player of the Week, his first career honor. Holmes recorded a team-high three TFL, a sack and a team-high seven total tackles in Tarleton State's 56-10 win 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, in Tarleton State's win.
 
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 win over Southern Utah.
 
After Week 8, Courtland Stephens earned Special Teams Player of the Week after earning a blocked punt and a muffed kickoff fumble recovery in Tarleton State's home 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 11 NCAA Division I teams (seven FBS, four FCS) have a better win percentage than Tarleton State since 2018 (Ohio State, North Dakota State, Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame, James Madison, South Dakota State, Oregon, Clemson, Montana State, and Montana). 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	.891
2.	North Dakota State	MVFC	.885
3.	Georgia	SEC	.877
4.	Alabama	SEC	.858
5.	Notre Dame	Ind.	.825
6.	James Madison	SBC	.806
7.	Oregon	Big 10	.798
8.	South Dakota State	MVFC	.794
9.	Clemson	ACC	.792
10.	Montana State	MVFC	.781
11.	Montana	Big Sky	.750
12.	Tarleton State	UAC	.747
13.	Dartmouth	Ivy	.739
14.	Oklahoma	SEC	.733
15.	Boise State	MWC	.714

 
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.
 
44: Tarleton State already has the third most points in a season in program history (497). If the Texans score 44 points on Saturday, they will move into the top-two. Their most points in a season was in 2018 (585), followed by 540 in 2019.
 
10: At 9.5 sacks, Angelo Anderson already has the most sacks by a Texan in 13 years (Rufus Johnson with 10 in 2012). Anderson has the tied-eighth most sacks in the FCS.
 
5: Angelo Anderson has a team-high five forced fumbles this season, the second most in the country, only behind Charleston Southern's Justin Waters (eight).
 
2: No FCS team has averaged a +2.00 average turnover margin since 2012 (Richmond). The Texans are at +2.55. 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).
 
UP NEXT
Tarleton State will be among the FCS Playoff 24-team field this season. To see where exactly the Texans will be seeded in the bracket, Tarleton State will host an FCS Playoff Selection Show Watch Party at the EECU Center on Nov. 23.
 
The FCS Playoff Selection Show is set for Sunday, Nov. 23, at 11 a.m. CT. During the show, the Division I Football Championship Committee will announce the playoff bracket, featuring 24 teams, 10 conference automatic qualifiers and 14 at-large teams.
 
Tarleton State invites all fans to be part of another chapter of this historic Tarleton State Football season, and witness with the team when and where the Texans will be playing their first playoff game. This is a free event for all to attend at the EECU Center. Doors will open at 10 a.m., with the show starting at 11 a.m.
 
The FCS Playoffs begin Nov. 29 with the first round. The top eight teams in the 24-team bracket for the championship are seeded and receive first round byes. The second round between 16 teams is on Dec. 6, the quarterfinals on Dec. 12-13, the semifinals on Dec. 20, and the national championship game in Nashville on Jan. 5.