The Teams: No. 3 Tarleton State Texans (4-0, 1-0 UAC) vs. Chattanooga Mocs (1-2, 0-0 SoCon)
Where: Stephenville, Texas
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: ESPN+ (John Liddle, LaDarrin McLane, Laura Sadler, Blaine Tamez)
Radio: Tarleton Sports Network on 90.5 FM (Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Keltin Wiens, Ty Walker)
 
TEXAN FOOTBALL GAME DAY
It's Family Weekend, and the Texans are expecting a packed house at Memorial Stadium to help the team start 2025 5-0. Tarleton State and Chattanooga will square off at 6 p.m. on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+, with John Liddle, LaDarrin McLane and Laura Sadler on the call. The game can be heard on Tarleton Sports Network at 90.5 FM in Stephenville and surrounding areas, with Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Keltin Wiens and Ty Walker leading the broadcast.
 
GAME DAY FESTIVITIES
Texan Alley opens at 8 a.m. for tailgaters. The Pointe-du-Hoc rally will be at 2:40 p.m. at Rudder Way Statue, with special guest Tarleton State Athletics Hall of Famer Kyle Masters helping lead the event. Memorial Stadium gates will open at 4 p.m.
 
The Sound and the Fury will perform at 5:46 p.m., followed by the national anthem. The Texan Rider will lead the Texans onto the field at 5:57 p.m., and kickoff is scheduled for 6:02 p.m.
 
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 first all-time meeting. Tarleton State has never faced a team from the Southern Conference.
• The Mocs are 0-2 on the road, but have had success before 2025. They entered with five straight years of going .500+ on the road.
• This is the fifth straight year the Mocs have faced a current team in the UAC. They are 4-2 over Austin Peay and North Alabama since 2021.
• Nationally, the Mocs are top-25 in punt returns (No. 7, 18 YPR), fewest penalties (No. 11, 4.3 per), rushing offense (No. 17, 199.7 YPG), third downs (No. 23, .443) and scoring (No. 25, 30.0 PPG).
• The Mocs just shut out Stetson after allowing 45 PPG their first two.

 
QUICK HITS

• The Texans are ranked No. 3 in both the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll and AFCA Coaches Poll for the second straight week. Only North Dakota State and South Dakota State rank ahead of the Texans in both polls.
• The Texans have started 4-0 for the first time in their NCAA Division I era. They last started 4-0 in 2019, a season they started 11-0 and finished 11-1, their loss coming in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
• Tarleton State is the only FCS program 4-0, one of two D1 programs 4-0 (Iowa State). The Cyclones have a bye week this week, so with a Texan win, they would be the only 5-0 across all of college football.
• Tarleton State is 9-0 on Family Weekend since head coach Todd Whitten returned to Stephenville in 2016.
• Tarleton State is 3-0 against FCS programs, outscoring them 157-13, an average margin of victory of 52.3.
• The Texans have allowed just a single touchdown to their three FCS opponents, allowing just 4.3 PPG.
• Nationally, the Texans are No. 3 in scoring offense (46.8 PPG) and No. 3 in scoring defense (10.0 PPG).
• The Texans are best in the country in average turnover margin at 3.25. They have 14 takeaways and one turnover.
• Texan LB Yasir Holmes is the reigning UAC Defensive Player of the Week following a team-high three tackles for loss, a team-high seven tackles and a sack in Tarleton State's 56-10 road conference win at Central Arkansas.

 
A PERFECT START
Tarleton State has had an extremely successful start to its NCAA Division I era, but this season is already beyond anything the Texans have done at the NCAA Division I level. The Texans are 4-0 for the first time since 2019, with their first true road win against an FBS program at the end of August, and a 157-13 point differential against three FCS opponents. Currently, the Texans have the No. 3 scoring offense in the FCS at 46.8 points per game and the No. 3 scoring defense in the country at 10.0 PPG. The Texans have allowed just a single touchdown to their three FCS opponents, and in four games on the year, have allowed just a single pass touchdown. Tarleton State has scored 25 touchdowns this season compared to four allowed.
 
The Texans have now started 4-0 four times under head coach Todd Whitten (2025, 2019, 2018, 2002), and if they win on Saturday, that will mark the third time his Tarleton State team will have rattled off five straight wins to start the year. Between 2018-19, the previous two times Tarleton State started 4-0 (and 5-0), the Texans finished a combined 23-2 (.920), plus went 9-2 in 2002.
 
Tarleton State is the lone FCS program in the nation to start 4-0 thus far this season. Currently, the Texans are one of two D1 programs with that mark, along with Iowa State. In the race to start 5-0, the Texans can become the only team this weekend to sit at that mark. Iowa State has an open week, not playing again until Sept. 27.
 
OFFENSIVE ONSLAUGHT
Offensively, Tarleton State is No. 1 in first downs (71), No. 3 in scoring (46.8 PPG), No. 9 in rushing offense (221.8 YPG), No. 14 in sacks allowed (0.75 per game), No. 18 in total offense (418.8 YPG) and No. 19 in third down conversion rate (.455), all while just No. 83 in time of possession (28:07 per).
 
QB Victor Gabalis has yet to turn the ball over in four games, completing 60-of-97 (.619) for 776 yards and 11 touchdowns. He's No. 2 in the FCS in pass touchdowns, only behind Monmouth's Derek Robertson (14). Among the 33 quarterbacks in the FCS with 5+ passing touchdowns, Gabalis is one of nine with 0 interceptions.
 
Tarleton State's No. 8 rushing offense has largely been by committee, with Tre Page III the leader in rushing yards (364 yards on 53 carries, 6.9 YPC), Caleb Lewis the leader in rushing touchdowns (six), and new to the mix is quarterback James Paige, who has lined up at RB the last two games and rushed for 137 yards on 17 carries (8.1 YPC) and a touchdown. Lewis now has the tied-second-most rushing touchdowns in the country, while Page is No. 6 in rush yards, along with No. 10 in yards per carry.
 
TE Dawson Hearne has been the threat in the red zone receiving wise, now with five touchdowns in four games, scoring in each contest this year. He has the most touchdowns by a Texan TE in the last 24 years, and he's the first TE across all of college football this season with 4+ receiving touchdowns and to score in four games.
 
DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
Tarleton State has shut down its opponents in all four games, now No. 3 in the country in scoring defense at 10.0 PPG allowed. First the Texans shut out Portland State on the road, then allowed just 27 points in a double-overtime game on the road at the FBS' Army, who had the No. 1 rushing offense across all of the FBS just a season prior in the Black Knights' American Conference championship 12-2 campaign. After that, the Texans stifled Mississippi Valley State to a measly three points, and allowed just 10 on the road in the UAC opener at Central Arkansas this past Saturday.
 
Tarleton State has forced multiple takeaways in each game this season, and the Texans have scored three defensive touchdowns. Tarleton State's defense has scored more touchdowns themselves (three) than they've allowed (one) to FCS opponents. Tarleton State's 14 takeaways are the most in college football.
 
It's been a full effort by the Texans on defense, with six players recording an interception, five players with a fumble recovery, five players at 3.5+ TFL on the year, five with a sack on the season, four with a forced fumble and three with a defensive touchdown. Kasyus Kurns has the tied-most interceptions in the nation at three, Brandon Tolvert is tied-18th at 4.5 tackles for loss, Angelo Anderson has four sacks in two games played (which would be tied-fourth if he qualified), and both Anderson and Omar Emmons have two forced fumbles, tied-second in FCS.
 
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.
 
This season, Tarleton State is now ranked No. 3 in both the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll and the AFCA Coaches Poll. These are the highest rankings in Tarleton State Football's NCAA Division I era.
 
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.
 
UAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Through just four games, Tarleton State has had four individuals named a United Athletic Conference Player of the Week.
 
This past week, 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 is 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. Holmes and the entire Texan defense were strong once again on Saturday, forcing two takeaways, recording six sacks and 11 negative plays for the Bears.
 
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.
 
GABALLER
Texans quarterback Victor Gabalis is proving why he was selected as the unanimous UAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Through four games, Gabalis has completed 60-of-97 (.619) passes for 776 yards, 11 touchdowns, and has yet to turn the ball over. He is No. 2 in the FCS in passing touchdowns and No. 12 in total passing yards. In Tarleton State's last home game, Gabalis completed 20-of-27 (.741) passes for 295 yards, five touchdowns and zero turnovers in Tarleton State's 59-3 win in its home opener against Mississippi Valley State. His five passing touchdowns are the most in a game by a Tarleton State quarterback 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 41 career collegiate games, sitting at 8,298 passing yards and 71 passing touchdowns. In games Gabalis has started in his career, his teams have gone 24-8 (.750). At Tarleton State, Gabalis is 21-6 (.778) as a starter with 6,151 passing yards on 417-of-707 (.590) passing, 52 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. Gabalis has just surpassed Steve Kelly (51) on Tarleton's State's career passing touchdown list at No. 4, and he's five short of tying Scott Grantham at 57 (2007-09) at No. 3. Gabalis has just surpassed Ben Holmes (5,997) at No. 5 on Tarleton State's all-time career passing yards leaderboard and is 1,116 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.
 
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 .738 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 62 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	.738
2.	Angelo State	LSC	.734
3.	Texas	SEC	.684
4.	Incarnate Word	SLC	.679
5.	SMU	American	.670
6.	Texas A&M	SEC	.640
7.	Sam Houston	C-USA	.634
8.	TCU	Big 12	.584
9.	UTSA	C-USA	.581
10.	Baylor	Big 12	.560

 

#	School	Conf.	Wins
1.	Texas	SEC	65
2.	Tarleton State	UAC	62
3.	SMU	American	61
4.	Angelo State	LSC	58
5.	Texas A&M	SEC	57
	Incarnate Word	SLC	57
7.	UTSA	American	54
8.	TCU	Big 12	52
	Sam Houston	C-USA	52
10.	Baylor	Big 12	51

 
LAST TIME OUT
Tarleton State has handled Central Arkansas in recent history, and that remained true on Saturday, as the Texans cruised to a blowout win on the road in the conference opener Saturday night. The No. 3 Texans won 56-10 at Central Arkansas in Conway, improving to 4-0 against UCA all-time and becoming one of just two teams to start 4-0 in all of college football so far this season (Iowa State).
 
Tarleton State scored a defensive touchdown on the first snap of the game and never relented, going up 21-0 at the end of the first quarter, 42-7 at halftime, 49-7 at the end of three and 56-10 the final. The Texans have scored 30 points or more in every game this season, 40 points or more three times and now back-to-back games with 50-plus points. Tarleton State has also allowed 10 points or fewer in three games this year, and has given up just one touchdown in three games against fellow FCS programs (4.3 points per game allowed against FCS programs).
 
Texan running back Caleb Lewis rushed for a career-high three touchdowns, finishing with 69 yards on 20 carries. Quarterback Victor Gabalis completed 10-of-16 passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns, and once again, no turnovers. Tight end Dawson Hearne caught two touchdowns (two receptions, 29 yards) and Marquis Willis caught his first touchdown as a Texan, finishing with 34 yards. Tre Page III led the team in rushing with 81 yards on 18 carries, and Peyton Kramer led the team in receiving with 71 yards on two receptions. Quarterback James Paige, in a running back role, busted free for a last-minute touchdown to finish with 76 yards and a score.
 
Defensively, the Texans had six sacks, with Angelo Anderson totaling a pair to go with a forced fumble, Josh Griffis a sack and forced fumble, Yasir Holmes a sack and three tackles for loss, Stephen Woods Jr. a sack and Pius Njenge a sack. Tarleton State had two takeaways with AJ Owens earning a fumble recovery for a touchdown and Branson Tita-Nwa recording an interception.
 
Tarleton State started with a defensive touchdown just 10 seconds in, with Griffis earning a QB sack forced fumble, and Owens recovering the fumble in the end zone. On Tarleton State's first offensive series, the Texans drove 90 yards and capped it off with a Gabalis-to-Hearne touchdown. Tarleton State's defense forced a turnover on downs, and the Texans struck again, this time a Lewis 16-yard scamper to put the Texans ahead 21-0. The Texan defense forced another turnover on downs, and the first quarter ended with TSU ahead by three scores.
 
To open the second, Hearne and Gabalis hooked up for a touchdown again to make it 28-0 Texans. The Bears answered for the first time, but the Texans responded right back, a 34-yard TD grab by Willis from Gabalis. On Tarleton State's next possession, Lewis earned his second touchdown from six yards away to make it 42-7 Texans.
 
In the third quarter, the Texans forced another turnover on downs, Lewis scored from 14 yards out, and Tita-Nwa earned his interception. Lewis is now the third Texan in their NCAA Division I era to rush for three touchdowns in a game. The third ended with TSU ahead 49-7. In the fourth quarter, the Texans forced their fourth turnover on downs, and Paige busted out a 53-yard TD to cement the win.
 
NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK
Tarleton State Football is one of the best stories in the nation to start the 2025 campaign, and that was further proven recently, as the Texans were named the Stats Perform FCS National Team of the Week following wins at Portland State and Army. On Aug. 29, Tarleton State won its first road game against an FBS program in its fourth try, and second win against an FBS program in five total matchups, having also defeated New Mexico State in El Paso in 2021. Army, meanwhile, won the American Conference championship last year and finished 12-2 overall. This was the Black Knights' first loss to an FCS program since 2015.
 
On Week 0 on Aug. 23, Tarleton State shut out Portland State 42-0 on the road at Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Oregon. It marked Tarleton State's largest season-opening win since 2002 (62-0), and the Texans forced the Vikings' first FCS shutout loss in nearly 20 years (2006) and first shutout loss at their home field since 2003.
 
A DEBUT FOR THE AGES
Kicker Brad Larson handled kickoff duties in the season opener, but made his place-kicking debut at Army, and instantly became a Texan legend with his 2-for-2 record in the overtimes, including a 37-yard field goal make in double overtime to upset the Black Knights at Michie Stadium in front of 23,032 fans. Altogether he was perfect on the day, making 3-of-3 field goal attempts and 3-of-3 extra points. He made 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.
 
Larson joined the Texans from Angelo State this past offseason. He played four years with the Rams from 2021-24, the team's leading scorer in both 2024 and 2023. He played in 22 games, all across his last two seasons there, and led Angelo State in scoring in 2024. Angelo State was the Lone Star Conference champions with an undefeated 9-0 conference mark, 9-3 overall with an NCAA Division II Football Playoffs loss to No. 6 Bemidji State.
 
Even more incredibly, Larson is a childhood cancer survivor. He's raised almost $38,000 for Childhood Cancer Research (Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation) via kicking in high school and college.
 
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), Beau Blair (entering first season). The Texans have not replaced more than two assistant coaches on a staff in a given year  in their D1 era.
 
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, Georgia, North Dakota State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson, South Dakota State, 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	.883
2.	Georgia	SEC	.879
3.	North Dakota State	MVFC	.876
4.	Alabama	SEC	.859
5.	South Dakota State	MVFC	.818
6.	Notre Dame	Ind.	.811
7.	Clemson	ACC	.808
8.	Oregon	Big 10	.793
9.	James Madison	SBC	.789
10.	Montana State	MVFC	.761
11.	Tarleton State	UAC	.738
12.	Oklahoma	SEC	.734
13.	Dartmouth	Ivy	.733
14.	Penn State	Big 10	.731
15.	Florida A&M	SWAC	.726

 
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.
 
50: The Texans have scored 50+ points in consecutive games after not reaching the 50-point plateau a single time last year. They last scored 50+ in consecutive games in their first two of 2023.
 
8: Over his last nine games, QB Victor Gabalis has gone turnover-free in eight of those games. Over his past nine, Gabalis has completed 159-of-233 (.682) for 2,282 yards, 26 touchdowns and three interceptions. Gabalis has now gone turnover-free 15 times at Tarleton State. The Texans are 14-1 in those games.
 
3: The Texan defense has more touchdowns scored themselves (three) than they've allowed FCS offenses to score this season (one).
 
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 first of two bye weeks, having played the most games in all of college football when Saturday's game concludes. After that, the Texans will be back at home on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 6 p.m. against UAC foe Southern Utah for their Legends Game.