Tarleton State Football blows West Georgia out of Memorial Stadium

BY GAVIN PATRICK

Sports Editor

All season, Tarleton State Football has dominated the competition as much as any team in college football. But with their undefeated record coming against teams with a combined 12-34 record heading into homecoming weekend, the doubters raised one caveat:

“But who have they really beaten?”

Now, they may have to rethink that argument.

Led by the return of quarterback Victor Gabalis, the Texans played as good a game as they have all season Saturday against the 23rd-ranked West Georgia Wolves.

The 45-10 final marked the sixth-straight game the offense scored over 40 points, and the defense came away with four takeaways—the fourth game they’ve had at least four—bringing their league-leading mark to 24 on the season.

“It’s really big,” head coach Todd Whitten said of the victory. “Winning’s hard. I think this is the best football team we’ve played other than Army. … You oughta win every homecoming game you ever play in or coach in. And so, I’m proud that we were able to get that done for our student body and our alumni and our folks that show up and support us so well.”

The story of the game was the return of many star players for the Texans. Gabalis returned from a lower leg injury four weeks after leaving the Chattanooga game in a boot and on crutches. All-Conference corner Kasyus Kurns also returned from a four-week absence, snagging an interception.

Running back Tre Page III rushed for 92 yards in his return after being a late scratch last week with a hamstring injury. Defenders Bam Smith and Vililami Wolfgramm also returned after missing last week.

That’s just to name a few of what has been quite a battle on the injury front for Tarleton State this season. The depth has been apparent in players’ absences – because at 8-0, the team hasn’t missed a beat.

“I think [it’s] a really good statement,” Whitten said. “... Just so proud of our players and the way that they prepared last week. We’ve had our share of adversity with regard to injuries. So, a lot to be proud of, a lot to be thankful for.”

One player who has emerged in the light of injuries is quarterback-turned-running-back James Paige.

With (the other) Page being limited with a hamstring and Caleb Lewis out for a second-straight week, Paige saw 21 carries for 106 yards and a touchdown. This was on the heels of his breakout performance at Utah Tech, where he carried the ball 30 times for 114 yards and four touchdowns.

“We went into the game with our plan being to mainly utilize James—and I thought he played really well—and then sprinkle in with Tre,” Whitten said. “And so, I thought they were really good, sort of complementing one another.”

On the other side, stopping the run has been a sore spot for the Texans’ defense all season. They came into Saturday allowing 184 yards a game on the ground, ranking 91st in the country, with a particular struggle defending mobile quarterbacks.

Wolves QB Davin Wydner amounted 66 yards on designed runs and scrambles, which often kept drives alive when all else failed. But in all, Tarleton State’s defense held West Georgia to their second-lowest rushing output of the season (101 yards) and got back to “playing together.”

“The last couple weeks, we didn’t feel like we played our best,” defensive end Angelo Anderson, who had 2.5 sacks, said. “And today, I feel like we got back on the right track with that.”

Anderson leads the team with 8.5 sacks, the most he’s amassed in a season in six years of college football. He spent the previous five seasons at Tulane, jostling for playing time. Now, he’s an impact player on a championship-contending team.

“It’s truly special to be here and be a part of what we got here at Tarleton,” Anderson said. “It’s really a dream come true. I didn’t see this one, myself, a year ago. I’m just enjoying it.”

The Texans tied their season-high in sacks (six) but also struggled with West Georgia’s pass rush, giving up a season-high five sacks. They entered the game allowing five sacks all season.

Just like in most departments, it was the best front seven the Texans had faced this year. The Colonels are tied for the second-most sacks in the FCS (24), averaging three a game. It was the first bump in the road for an offensive line with four new starters.

“We knew that was going to be a challenge for us going into the game,” Whitten said, “and sure enough, we gave up five sacks. … So, not acceptable. But, all in all, we played really well. These guys have, really, as good a roster as anybody in our league.”

The unit that hasn’t gotten enough love this season is the special teams, led by coach Michael Walton. The Texans blocked a punt, stole a possession off a squib kick and downed all three punts inside the 20-yard line.

Kicker Brad Larson has also converted 48 of 49 extra points this season.

“Coach Walton’s as good a coach as we have on our staff,” Whitten said. “Nobody outworks him. He pays attention to every detail. Coaching the kicking game, being a special teams guy, is really tough. And so, I’m really proud of Coach Walton and the way that he approaches things.”

After keeping their No. 3 ranking in the national polls for the seventh-straight week, the Texans now look ahead to what will be a challenging road trip the next two weeks.

Tarleton State plays Eastern Kentucky on Saturday (EKU’s homecoming game), a team they haven’t beaten through their first three matchups. The Colonels upset the Texans in Stephenville last year 17-13, ending their previous-best Division I win streak of six games.

The following week, the Texans head out to play their I-20 rival Abilene Christian, looking to avenge the 31-35 loss from last season that squandered their chance at a conference title.

The last three matchups in the series have been decided by five points or less. The Wildcats fell to No. 23 in the national rankings this week after a 24-31 loss to Southern Utah.

For now, fans can enjoy another dominant victory from the Texans on homecoming week. Their last three outings in this spot? 45-10, 42-0, 42-0.

That’s Texan Football at its finest.

It may not be a coincidence, too. Whitten has always put an emphasis on his teams playing at their best for homecoming.

“I realize how important homecoming is,” Whitten said. “That’s one of the biggest games ever. … So, I just think it’s important to put your best foot forward. We need to do that every week, but I think it’s especially important at homecoming.”

For a crowd of 24,012—which broke the attendance record for the second time this season—they certainly deserved it.