The Teams: No. 10 Tarleton State Texans (0-0, 0-0UAC) at Portland State Vikings (0-0, 0-0 Big Sky)
Where: Hillsboro, Oregon
Stadium: Hillsboro Stadium (7,600)
Time: 3:30 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: ESPN2 (Jorge Sedano, Rodney McLeod, Victoria Arlen)
Radio: Tarleton Sports Network on 90.5 FM (Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Keltin Wiens, Ty Walker)
 
TEXAN FOOTBALL GAME DAY
College football returns! The No. 10 Texans will open 2025 at Portland State, the first matchup between the two teams in Hillsboro, Oregon.
 
Tarleton State's game, set for 3:30 p.m. CT, will be broadcast on ESPN2, with Jorge Sedano, Rodney McLeod and Victoria Arden on the call. The game can be heard on Tarleton Sports Network at 90.5 FM in Stephenville and surrounding areas, with Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Keltin Wiens and Ty Walker leading the broadcast.
 
ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• This is the first all-time meeting, and Tarleton State Football's first ever game in the state of Oregon.
• This game is one of nine on Week 0 across FBS and FCS, and the fourth one to kick off the 2025 college football season.
• Last season, out of 129 FCS programs, Portland State was No. 129 in total defense (527.2 yards per game allowed), No. 129 in pass yards allowed (297.1 per) and No. 125 in points allowed (40.1 PPG).
• Last season, PSU had the 11th best rushing attack (203.2 rush yards per game) and the most difficult strength of schedule across the FCS, according to the Massey Ratings.

 
QUICK HITS

• The Texans are on Week 0 for the second consecutive season, playing on ESPN2 for the second straight year, their first games on linear television. Last year in the season opener vs. McNeese on ESPN2, the Texans knocked off the Cowboys 26-23 on the heels of a strong offensive first half and a defense that forced four turnovers.
• In both of the FCS' major polls, the Texans are ranked in the top-10 of each. In the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25 Poll, the Texans are No. 10, and in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, the Texans are No. 8. Last year, the Texans ended the season ranked No. 12 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and No. 13 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll.
• In the conference preseason poll, Tarleton State was voted to win the UAC, receiving eight of nine first-place votes. In the same poll, QB Victor Gabalis was the unanimous pick for Preseason UAC Offensive Player of the Year, plus Preseason All-UAC, along with OL Hunter Smith, DL Brandon Tolvert, LB Ty Rawls and DB Kasyus Kurns.
• Tarleton State has won three straight season openers, five of its last seven, and is 3-2 in such games in D1 era.
• Last year, the Texans became the fifth team in the history of the FCS Playoffs to win their first playoff game at the FCS level in their first year eligible after reclassifying from NCAA Division II. The Texans finished 10-4 overall and 6-2 in conference play, reaching double-digit wins for the sixth time in program history.

 
HIGHLY RESPECTED
At the tail-end of its NCAA Division II era, Tarleton State had the respect and reputation for being an elite program amongst its peers. It hasn't taken long in the Texans' D1 era to reach that same level. Last year, the Texans were No. 12 in the final AFCA FCS Coaches Poll of the season, and No. 13 in the final Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll of the season. They were ranked in both polls every single week of the 2024 campaign, from the preseason through the postseason, one of 11 teams nationwide to never leave the polls, joined by Idaho, Illinois State, Montana, Montana State, North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State, UC Davis, UIW and Villanova.
 
Entering this season, Tarleton State has been ranked No. 8 in the AFCA Coaches Poll, and No. 10 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll before the first game has even played. Only well-known and most of FCS' powerhouses are ahead of the Texans in the preseason polls; North Dakota State, Montana State, South Dakota State, Incarnate Word, South Dakota, Illinois State and UC Davis. The Texans proved in the FCS Playoffs that they belong in the conversation with the powerhouses, nearly upsetting No. 4 South Dakota on the road in the second round.
 
Amongst its conference peers, Tarleton State is the heavy favorite to win the UAC, picked by eight of the nine teams to finish No. 1.  This is the first time the Texans have been picked in the preseason to win the conference since Tarleton State joined the D1 ranks. Since 2021, the first year Tarleton State Football was in a conference at the D1 level, the Texans have quickly elevated their positioning in the conference standings, going from fourth in 2021 and fifth in 2022 in the standings, to tied-second in each 2023 and 2024.
 
GABALLER
Texans quarterback Victor Gabalis shined in his first two seasons at Tarleton State, and entering his third, is expected to be the best offensive player in the United Athletic Conference. Gabalis was named the unanimous UAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, the second straight year that a Texan has earned the honor, following running back Kayvon Britten in 2024. Britten finished with the most rush yards across all FCS players last year at 1,982, and had the tied-fifth most total touchdowns in the country with 19.
 
Gabalis was also named to the 2025 Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List. Gabalis was 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, averaging 240.3 passing yards per game, while also scoring a rushing touchdown and adding 53 yards on the ground. He set career-bests in pass yards, pass touchdowns, and increased his completion percentage by eight percent. Gabalis threw a season-high four touchdowns twice, including in the second round of the playoffs at No. 4 ranked South Dakota, where he also had a season-high 379 passing yards. He had six multi-TD games on the year, including four games with three or more touchdowns. Conference-wise, he was second in pass yards per, second in pass TD and second in total pass yards.
 
This will be Gabalis' sixth season at the collegiate level, having played two seasons at Washington State (2020-21), one season at Utah Tech (2022) and two seasons at Tarleton State (2023-24). He's played in 37 career collegiate games, sitting at 7,522 passing yards and 60 passing touchdowns. In games Gabalis has started in his career, his teams have gone 20-8 (.714). At Tarleton State, Gabalis is 17-6 (.739) as a starter with 5,375 passing yards on 357-of-610 (.585) passing, 41 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. Gabalis needs just four passing touchdowns (45, Chad Cole, 1995-98) and 622 passing yards (5,997, Ben Holmes, 2018-19) to reach the top-five in those categories among Texan QB's in their career.
 
Although this is Tarleton State's first game against Portland State, this matchup isn't foreign territory for QB1. Gabalis made his collegiate debut against Portland State on Sept. 11, 2021, while a member of the Washington State Cougars. The Cougars won that game 44-24 in Pullman.  
 
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.
 
Looking at the staff alone, 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) and Beau Blair (entering first season). The Texans have not had to replace 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 1-2 contributors depart via transfer max per year.
 
WELCOME TO STEPHENVILLE
On National Signing Day, Tarleton State announced the addition of 33 new players to their 2025 roster, then five more in May. Looking at the two-deep, there are eight newcomers listed among the 23 on the offensive side, and six listed among the 22 on the defensive side.
 
There are three listed at the No. 1 spot on the offensive two-deep; running back Tylan Hines, offensive lineman Aidan Moe and wide receiver T'iar Young. Hines brings lengthy FBS experience to Tarleton State, having played the past three years at Hawaii. He appeared in 29 career games there from 2022-24, rushing for 889 yards and two touchdowns on 149 carries (6.0 yards per rush), adding 294 yards and three touchdowns on 39 receptions. He also returned kicks and punts for the Rainbow Warriors, returning a punt for a touchdown in the season opener this past year vs. Delaware State. Hines played in 13 games as a true freshman in 2022, four games in 2023, and 12 games in 2024. His best game on the ground last year came at Fresno State on Nov. 2, where he raced for 66 yards on 12 carries. He was the third leading rusher at Hawaii last year, and the second leading rusher his freshman year, a season he was All-Mountain West honorable mention. Moe played the last three seasons at Northern Colorado, appearing in 18 total games. He played in 10 games last season, a member of the fewest penalized team across the entire FCS at just 2.9 per game. Young arrives in Stephenville after playing the past two seasons at Lock Haven, an NCAA Division II program in the PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference). Young was the team's leading receiver each of the last two years. In 2024, Young eclipsed 1,000 yards, finishing with 1,146 yards and 11 touchdowns on 69 receptions in 11 games. He posted seven 100-plus yard receiving games and three multi-touchdown performances, posting a season-high 169 yards against Indiana on Sept. 14, with five catches and a pair of scores. Across last season, he went for 50-plus yards in nine of 11 games played. In 2023, Young recorded 663 yards and six touchdowns on 31 receptions, ending the season with three straight 100-yard games, including 101 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season finale against Edinboro.
 
There are also three newcomers listed at the No. 1 spot on the defensive two-deep. Stephen Woods Jr. played the last four years at Angelo State (2021-24) in the Lone Star Conference. He played in 24 career games, all coming over the past three seasons, 12 games played in 2024. Woods is coming off of a career year in which he was a First Team All-LSC player. This past season he recorded 66 tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss, an interception and four pass breakups. Woods posted both his sacks against Texas A&M-Kingsville on Oct. 12, and a career-high 10 tackles against Eastern New Mexico on Sept. 14. Avian Rice transfers to Tarleton State from Hutchinson Community College, where he just helped the Blue Dragons win the 2024 NJCAA Credit Union 1 Division I Football National Championship. Rice played in 11 games in Hutchinson CC's 11-1 campaign, recording 39 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a sack, 2.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups. In the national championship game against Iowa Western Community College, a 28-23 win for the Blue Dragons, Rice had eight tackles, second-most on the team, to go with a pass breakup. One of his best games on the year came at Independence Community College, where he logged a forced fumble, a sack and four solo stops. Yasir Holmes played the last four years at Frostburg State, appearing in 32 games between 2022-24. This past season was a career year for Holmes, who recorded eight sacks, 18.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a pass breakup and 68 total tackles. He logged 14 sacks, 32.5 tackles for loss, 141 total tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery at Frostburg State. Last year, Holmes had 10-plus tackles twice, doing so in back-to-back games against Wheeling and West Virginia State, combining for six tackles for loss, 24 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He had 2.5 sacks against West Virginia Wesleyan. Holmes was All-MEC First Team last year, finishing second in the conference in tackles for loss and sacks.
 
NEW IN TOWN
Tarleton State has two new additions to the coaching staff -- tight ends coach Beau Blair and defensive assistant TJ McCollum.
 
In total, Blair has been coaching for 11 years. At the collegiate level, Blair coached one year at Houston Christian (2024) as Offensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator, two years at Northwestern State (2022-23) as Offensive Coordinator, two years at New Mexico Highlands (2020-21) as Offensive Coordinator, one year at Incarnate Word (2019) as Football Operations Assistant- Offensive Line, one year at Houston (2018) as Offensive Graduate Assistant, and one year at Southeastern (2017) as Graduate Assistant. Coaching at the high school level, Blair spent two seasons at Jacksonville HS (2015-16) as the offensive coordinator, offensive line coach and boys head powerlifting coach, plus a season spent at Diboll HS (2014) as offensive line coach, boys head powerlifting coach and boys shot put and discus coach. Blair also was an offensive line student assistant at Stephen F. Austin from 2010-13.
 
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 .725 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 58 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	.725
2.	Angelo State	LSC	.724
3.	Incarnate Word	SLC	.691
4.	Texas	SEC	.685
5.	SMU	AAC	.670
6.	Sam Houston	C-USA	.658
7.	Texas A&M	SEC	.628
8.	UTSA	C-USA	.589
9.	TCU	Big 12	.575
10.	Baylor	Big 12	.557

 

#	School	Conf.	Wins
1.	Texas	SEC	63
2.	SMU	AAC	59
3.	Tarleton State	UAC	58
4.	Incarnate Word	SLC	56
5.	Angelo State	LSC	55
6.	Texas A&M	SEC	54
7.	UTSA	AAC	53
8.	Sam Houston	C-USA	52
9.	TCU	Big 12	50
10.	Baylor	Big 12	49

 
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
Besides quarterback Victor Gabalis, who was mentioned heavily earlier, Tarleton State also had four other receive Preseason All-UAC honors. Offensive lineman Hunter Smith, defensive lineman Brandon Tolvert, linebacker Ty Rawls and defensive back Kasyus Kurns jonied Gabalis on the list.
 
Smith, a senior, enters 2025 with 25 straight starts and 36 straight games played on the Texan offensive line. Last season he was Phil Steele FCS 2024 UAC Second Team All-Conference, helping the Tarleton State offense to national marks of sixth in red zone offense (.930), eighth in pass yards per completion (14.3), 17th in rushing offense (198.2 rush yards per game), 22nd in sacks allowed (1.23 per), 25th in turnovers lost (13), 27th in total offense (411.1 YPG) and 28th in scoring offense (30.7 PPG). Conference-wise, Tarleton State's offense ranked third in scoring offense, third in total offense, and third in rushing offense.
 
Tolvert, a senior, was UAC First Team All-Conference last year after also being named UAC Preseason All-Conference last season, as well. He played in all 14 games, posting career-highs across the board with 11.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, 63 total tackles (24 solo) and a pass breakup, along with four quarterback hurries. Tolvert led the team in TFL and was second in sacks. Conference-wise, he was tied-third in tackles for loss and tied-10th in sacks. Tolvert posted multiple tackles for loss in four different games, including a 1.5 sack night against Utah Tech. He had a career-best performance at North Alabama on Sept. 21, earning a career-high 2.5 TFL and a career-best 10 tackles (six solo). Plus he had 5+ tackles in eight games, and at least a 0.5 TFL in six games.
 
Rawls, a senior, was named UAC Second Team All-Conference last year. He started all 14 games, recording three forced fumbles (tied-team-high), two interceptions (tied-third), a fumble recovery (tied-third), six pass breakups (third), a sack (tied-fourth), three tackles for loss, and 41 total tackles. Conference-wise, he was one of four players with three or more forced fumbles, and was tied-ninth in interceptions. In Week 5 last year, he was named the UAC Defensive Player of the Week after recording 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 on Sept. 28.
 
Kurns, a senior, was UAC Second Team All-Conference last year. He started all 14 games, recording three fumble recoveries (led team), three forced fumbles (tied-team-high), two interceptions (tied-third), nine pass breakups (led team), a sack (tied-fourth), six tackles for loss (third), 64 tackles (fifth, 46 solo), and a quarterback hurry. He was one of 14 players nationally with three fumble recoveries and led the UAC in the category. Kurns was one of four players in the conference with three or more forced fumbles, and finished second in the conference in passes defended (11). He opened last season on national television with two fumble recoveries, adding a forced fumble, a tackle for loss and six total tackles against McNeese on Aug. 24, to take UAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
 
"SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE"
Tarleton State Football is very community minded, always trying to help others in times of need or simply, just to help. Already this summer, Tarleton State has spent three days at the university's Duck Camp, helped fellow Texans with Move-In, and helped Gordon with its tornado relief efforts. After cleaning up the football field, the team helped the community lift heavy appliances, broken wooden fences and other large items caught in the tornado damage. Tarleton State Football student-athletes and coaches spent an entire afternoon helping the town of 500 people clean up its community. The tasks ranged from picking up trash to loading large debris into trucks, with no job being too big for the Texans. Morning runs and lifts at Memorial Stadium earlier that day did not slow Tarleton State student-athletes down.
 
COOPER'S MOMENT
Former Tarleton State Football wide receiver is making waves in the NFL through the preseason, shining in his in debut for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Cincinnati Bengals, going for six catches, 82 yards, and a touchdown. Last year for the Texans, he was First Team Associated Press FCS All-America, First Team Stats Perform FCS All-America, Dave Campbell All-Texas Non-FBS Team as best receiver, First Team Phil Steele FCS All-American, First Team Football Central All-American, First Team UAC All-Conference, Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-American, UAC Preseason All-Conference,  Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators, Academic All-WAC, and CSC Academic All-District. He started all 14 games, finishing second across NCAA Division I in receiving yards with 1,450 (second-most in single-season school history) and tied-sixth in touchdowns with 14 (third most in single-season school history; tied for third-most in FCS).
 
TEXANS ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE CENTER
Elite facilities are the norm across Tarleton State University, and for Tarleton State Athletics, another game-changing facility opened on July 18 that will service Tarleton State's student-athletes. In a special ribbon-cutting ceremony, Tarleton State opened its state-of-the-art Texans Athletic Performance Center, an all-sport strength and conditioning space.
 
Hundreds of Tarleton State student-athletes were onsite to help open the Texans Athletic Performance Center on Friday, a space that has replaced Wisdom Volleyball Gym. Texan Volleyball's permanent home is now Wisdom Gym, and both Texan Basketball programs will move into the EECU Center soon.
 
The Texans Athletic Performance Center is an 8,000-square foot space with 32-foot ceilings that offers resistance training, cardiovascular options, a plyometric area, injury accommodation, technology for assessment, technology for databasing, athlete hydration, plus office space for Tarleton State Athletic Performance staff.
 
Natural light has been added to the space with the addition of windows on the south wall of the facility, as studies show this improves the functionality of the space and athlete performance.
 
NATIONAL LEADER
Across the country, only 13 NCAA Division I teams (eight FBS, five FCS) have a better win percentage than Tarleton State since 2018 (Ohio State, Georgia, North Dakota State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson, South Dakota State, James Madison, Oregon, Montana State, Florida A&M, Dartmouth, and Boise 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	.879
2.	Georgia	SEC	.875
3.	North Dakota State	MVFC	.873
4.	Alabama	SEC	.865
5.	Notre Dame	Ind.	.828
6.	Clemson	ACC	.823
7.	South Dakota State	MVFC	.813
8.	James Madison	SBC	.795
9.	Oregon	Big 10	.787
10.	Montana State	MVFC	.776
11.	Florida A&M	SWAC	.743
12.	Dartmouth	Ivy	.733
13.	Boise State	MWC	.727
14.	Oklahoma	SEC	.725
	Tarleton State	UAC	.725

 
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.
 
6: Tarleton State just reached double-digit wins on the season, the most in its D1 era. It was the sixth time in program history the Texans have reached double-digit wins. Todd Whitten has been the head coach for four of those seasons.
 
15: Over his last five games, QB Victor Gabalis has completed 99-of-136 (.728) for 1,506 yards and 15 touchdowns. Over his last four games, Gabalis has completed 79-of-108 (.731) for 1,265 yards and 13 touchdowns.
 
17: The Texans are now 17-6 (.739) across the past two seasons when Victor Gabalis starts at quarterback.
 
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
Tarleton State Football will make the cross-country trip and head to West Point, New York, to take on the Army Black Knights. That game will air on CBS Sports Network, with kickoff set for 5 p.m. CT.