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Tarleton State University Athletics

MVSURecapPhoto
3
Mississippi Val. MVS 0-2 , 0-1
59
Winner Tarleton St. TAR 3-0 , 0-0
Mississippi Val. MVS
0-2 , 0-1
3
Final
59
Tarleton St. TAR
3-0 , 0-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
MVS Mississippi Val. 0 3 0 0 3
TAR Tarleton St. 7 24 28 0 59

Game Recap: Football | | Grant Cohen

Tarleton State Football wins third straight, dominates MVSU 59-3 in home opener

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – One team stands alone with a 3-0 record in FCS college football and it's the No. 3/5 nationally-ranked Tarleton State following its 59-3 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. 

Tarleton State became the first FCS team to start 2025 3-0, being just one of three teams in all of college football to have a 3-0 record (Iowa State, UNLV). It is the first time Tarleton State has started 3-0 in a season in the Division I era, last doing so in 2019. 

Senior quarterback Victor Gabalis completed 20 of 27 passes for 295 yards, throwing five touchdowns without an interception. Gabalis has now gone turnover-free in 14 games as a Texan and has not had an interception in 2025. 

Senior wide receiver Trevon West had a career night on Saturday, coming down with six receptions for 135 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore wide receiver Bryce Parker found the end zone twice in his Tarleton State home debut. 

The Texans' defense recorded five takeaways, including its second defensive touchdown of the season. Tarleton State forced MVSU to just 50 rushing yards and just a 48.2% completion percentage in the passing game. 

"I thought we played very well throughout the whole day on defense and we were able to play a lot of guys," head coach Todd Whitten said. "I'm especially proud of (Trevon) West. I thought he had a really good game and him stepping up made a difference for us. I thought Gabalis played really well and that's three weeks in a row without an interception. He's a really good thrower and I thought he showed that tonight. There's some things we have to get cleaned up, but overall it's a good team win for us and it's great to be 3-0 right now." 

The Texans were one of the hottest teams in the country following its historic win at Army last week. Tarleton State was once again scorching and firing on all cylinders in front of a home opening record crowd of 21,330 fans at Memorial Stadium. 

Gabalis connected with Parker for a 17-yard score on Tarleton State's opening offensive drive to give the Texans the go-ahead advantage. MVSU answered later in the first quarter with a 64-yard pass to put themselves in the red zone. The Texans took advantage following a pair of Delta Devil penalties, with senior linebacker Omar Emmons forcing a fumble that resulted in Tarleton State taking possession of the football. 

MVSU once again looked to bounce back on offense, but the Texans were in no mood to mess around. Senior defensive lineman Angelo Anderson forced another fumble, allowing fellow defensive lineman James Turrentine to fall on the ball shortly before the first quarter ended. 

The Texans scored on its first play of the second quarter, with senior running back Caleb Lewis finding the end zone for the third time in 2025. MVSU got on the board with a field goal before Tarleton State took advantage of the long ball once again in the passing game. Gabalis found junior wide receiver Marquis Willis for a 48-yard touchdown, Willis' first score of the season. 

Senior Brad Larson, last week's hero who drilled the game-winning field goal at Army, easily converted a 39-yard field goal to give the Texans a 21-point lead. Gabalis found a familiar target in senior tight end Dawson Hearne on Tarleton State's next drive, converting a 4-yard pass to the end zone to put the Texans ahead 31-3 going into the locker room. Hearne is the first tight end in the program's Division I era to have a touchdown in three consecutive games. 

The scoring spree continued for the Texans in the third quarter, scoring three touchdowns in the first three minutes of the second half. Gabalis found West for a 47-yard score on Tarleton State's opening second half drive, finding Parker for a 21-yard touchdown just two minutes later. Capitalizing off an interception from senior defensive back Jeremiah Postell, the Texans' offense scored again when senior quarterback Daniel Greek found senior wide receiver Keylan Johnson for the touchdown. 

Once the Tarleton State offense completed the offensive spark, it was the defense's turn to find the end zone. Sophomore defensive back Jadan Aubert picked off an MVSU pass, running it 68 yards to the house to give the Texans a 56-point advantage. 

The Texans gave up just three offensive yards in the fourth quarter to secure their home opener. 

Tarleton State starts United Athletic Conference play next week, traveling to Central Arkansas on Sept. 13 for a 6 p.m. showdown. 
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