# 2024 Tarleton State Texans football team

The 2024 Tarleton State Texans football team represented Tarleton State University as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC) during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Texans were coached by fifteenth-year head coach Todd Whitten and played at Memorial Stadium in Stephenville, Texas.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 24 | 2:30 p.m. | McNeese* | No. 21 | Memorial StadiumStephenville, TX | ESPN2 | W 26–23 | 16,125 |
| August 31 | 6:00 p.m. | at Baylor* | No. 21 | McLane StadiumWaco, TX | ESPN+ | L 3–45 | 42,272 |
| September 7 | 6:00 p.m. | at Houston Christian* | No. 20 | Husky StadiumHouston, TX | ESPN+ | W 35–18 | 2,080 |
| September 21 | 6:00 p.m. | at North Alabama | No. 16 | Braly StadiumFlorence, AL | ESPN+ | W 28–14 | 7,432 |
| September 28 | 6:00 p.m. | Southeastern Louisiana* | No. 16 | Memorial StadiumStephenville, TX | ESPN+ | W 36–33 | 22,312 |
| October 5 | 7:00 p.m. | Southern Utah | No. 14 | Eccles ColiseumCedar City, UT | ESPN+ | W 38–37 $^{OT}$ | 3,562 |
| October 12 | 6:00 p.m. | Utah Tech | No. 13 | Memorial StadiumStephenville, TX | ESPN+ | W 42–0 | 22,018 |
| October 26 | 3:00 p.m. | at Austin Peay | No. 8 | Fortera StadiumClarksville, TN | ESPN+ | W 27–17 | 8,219 |
| November 2 | 6:00 p.m. | Eastern Kentucky | No. 7 | Memorial StadiumStephenville, TX | ESPN+ | L 13–17 | 15,281 |
| November 9 | 1:00 p.m. | at West Georgia | No. 14 | University StadiumCarrollton, GA | ESPN+ | W 38–21 | 2,634 |
| November 16 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 14 Abilene Christian | No. 13 | Memorial StadiumStephenville, TX | ESPN+ | L 31–35 | 22,348 |
| November 23 | 2:00 p.m. | Central Arkansas | No. 16 | Memorial StadiumStephenville, TX | ESPN+ | W 39–14 | 14,800 |
| November 30 | 2:00 p.m. | Drake* | No. 14 | Memorial StadiumStephenville, TX (NCAA Division I First Round) | ESPN+ | W 43–29 | 3,583 |
| December 7 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 4 South Dakota* | No. 14 | DakotaDomeVermillion, SD (NCAA Division I Second Round) | ESPN+ | L 31–42 | 6,231 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### vs. McNeese

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 23 |
| No. 21 Texans | 16 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
at Memorial Stadium • Stephenville, TX
* Date: Saturday August 24, 2024
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 96 °F (36 °C), SE at 9 miles per hour (14 km/h)
* Game attendance: 16,125
* Referee: Matthew Jones
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Lowell Galindo (play-by-play) and Fozzy Whittaker (analyst)
| Statistics | MCN | TAR |
| First downs | 20 | 19 |
| Total yards | 66–445 | 69–339 |
| Rushing yards | 46–200 | 43–195 |
| Passing yards | 245 | 144 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 14—20–1 | 12–26–0 |
| Time of possession | 25:32 | 34:28 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| McNeese | Passing | Clifton McDowell | 13/19, 242 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| McNeese | Rushing | Clifton McDowell | 20 carries, 67 yards |
| McNeese | Receiving | Matthew McCallister | 1 reception, 80 yards, TD |
| Tarleton State | Passing | Victor Gabelis | 11/18, 140 yards, TD |
| Tarleton State | Rushing | Kayvon Britten | 25 carries, 164 yards |
| Tarleton State | Receiving | Darius Cooper | 6 receptions, 85 yards |

### at Baylor (FBS)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 21 Texans | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Bears (FBS) | 21 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 45 |
at McLane Stadium • Waco, TX
* Date: Saturday August 31, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 PM CST
* Game weather: 89 °F (32 °C)
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Pete Souza (play-by-play) and Brad Hopkins (analyst)
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Tarleton State | Passing |
| Tarleton State | Rushing |
| Tarleton State | Receiving |
| Baylor | Passing |
| Baylor | Rushing |
| Baylor | Receiving |

### at Houston Christian

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 20 Texans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Huskies | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Husky Stadium • Houston, TX
* Date: Saturday September 7, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 PM CST
* Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Tarleton State | Passing |
| Tarleton State | Rushing |
| Tarleton State | Receiving |
| Houston Christian | Passing |
| Houston Christian | Rushing |
| Houston Christian | Receiving |

### at North Alabama

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 16 Texans | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
| Lions | 3 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 14 |
at Braly Stadium • Florence, AL
* Date: Saturday September 21, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 PM CST
* Game weather: SE at 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy • Temp: 89 °F (32 °C)
* Game attendance: 7,432
* Referee: Gabriel Tomlin
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Benjamin Ray (play-by-play) and Bryan Neece (analyst)
| Statistics | TAR | UNA |
| First downs | 10 | 24 |
| Total yards | 334 | 385 |
| Rushing yards | 284 | 189 |
| Passing yards | 50 | 196 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 6-13 | 20-35-1 |
| Time of possession | 22:08 | 37:52 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Tarleton State | Passing | Victor Gabalis | 6/13, 50 yards |
| Tarleton State | Rushing | Kayvon Britten | 21 carries, 273 yards, 4 TD |
| Tarleton State | Receiving | Darius Cooper | 2 receptions, 33 yards |
| North Alabama | Passing | Ben Harris | 7/12, 100 yards, 1 INT |
| North Alabama | Rushing | TJ Smith | 14 carries, 72 yards |
| North Alabama | Receiving | Dakota Warfield | 6 receptions, 91 yards |

### vs. Southeastern Louisiana

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 33 |
| No. 16 Texans | 0 | 14 | 15 | 7 | 36 |
at Memorial Stadium • Stephenville, TX
* Date: Saturday September 28, 2024
* Game time: 6:03 p.m.
* Game weather: Wind: NW 8 mph • Weather: Clear • Temperature: 86
* Game attendance: 22,312
* TV: ESPN+
| Statistics | SELA | TAR |
| First downs | 22 | 24 |
| Total yards | 73–396 | 67–416 |
| Rushing yards | 44–236 | 41–213 |
| Passing yards | 160 | 203 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18–29–1 | 15–26–1 |
| Time of possession | 31:12 | 28:48 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Passing | Eli Sawyer | 17/27, 155 yards, 1 INT |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Rushing | Antonio Martin, Jr. | 32 carries, 206 yards, 3 TD |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Receiving | Jaylon Domingeaux | 4 receptions, 59 yards |
| Tarleton State | Passing | Victor Gabalis | 15/26, 203 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT |
| Tarleton State | Rushing | Kayvon Britten | 28 carries, 174 yards, 1 TD |
| Tarleton State | Receiving | Darius Cooper | 8 receptions, 90 yards, 2 TD |

### vs. Southern Utah

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Thunderbirds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 14 Texans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Memorial Stadium • Stephenville, TX
* Date: Saturday October 5, 2024
* Game time: 7:00 p.m.
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Southern Utah | Passing |
| Southern Utah | Rushing |
| Southern Utah | Receiving |
| Tarleton State | Passing |
| Tarleton State | Rushing |
| Tarleton State | Receiving |

### vs. Utah Tech

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Trailblazers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 13 Texans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Memorial Stadium • Stephenville, TX
* Date: Saturday October 12, 2024
* Game time: 5:00 p.m.
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Utah Tech | Passing |
| Utah Tech | Rushing |
| Utah Tech | Receiving |
| Tarleton State | Passing |
| Tarleton State | Rushing |
| Tarleton State | Receiving |

### at Austin Peay

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 8 Texans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Governors | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Fortera Stadium • Clarksville, TN
* Date: Saturday October 26, 2024
* Game time: 3:00 PM CST
* Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Tarleton State | Passing |
| Tarleton State | Rushing |
| Tarleton State | Receiving |
| Austin Peay | Passing |
| Austin Peay | Rushing |
| Austin Peay | Receiving |

### vs. Eastern Kentucky

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colonels | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 7 Texans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Memorial Stadium • Stephenville, TX
* Date: Saturday November 2, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Eastern Kentucky | Passing |
| Eastern Kentucky | Rushing |
| Eastern Kentucky | Receiving |
| Tarleton State | Passing |
| Tarleton State | Rushing |
| Tarleton State | Receiving |

### at West Georgia

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Texans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wolves | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at University Stadium • Carrollton, GA
* Date: Saturday November 9, 2024
* Game time: 1:00 PM CST
* Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Tarleton State | Passing |
| Tarleton State | Rushing |
| Tarleton State | Receiving |
| West Georgia | Passing |
| West Georgia | Rushing |
| West Georgia | Receiving |

### vs. No. 14 Abilene Christian

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Wildcats | 10 | 7 | 3 | 15 | 35 |
| No. 13 Texans | 14 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
at Memorial Stadium • Stephenville, TX
* Date: Saturday November 16, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Wind: SE 13 miles per hour (21 km/h)
* Game attendance: 22,348
* Referee: John Kellermeier
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Alex Gould (play-by-play) and Ethan Schmidt (analyst)
| Statistics | ACU | TAR |
| First downs | 31 | 20 |
| Total yards | 544 | 486 |
| Rushing yards | 153 | 182 |
| Passing yards | 391 | 304 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 35–55–0 | 15–20–0 |
| Time of possession | 35:54 | 24:06 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Abilene Christian | Passing | Maverick McIvor | 35/55, 391 yards, 3 TD |
| Abilene Christian | Rushing | Sam Hicks | 22 carries, 135 yards, TD |
| Abilene Christian | Receiving | Blayne Taylor | 10 receptions, 168 yards |
| Tarleton State | Passing | Victor Gabalis | 15/20, 304 yards, 3 TD |
| Tarleton State | Rushing | Kayvon Britten | 22 carries, 101 yards |
| Tarleton State | Receiving | Darius Cooper | 6 receptions, 141 yards, 2 TD |

### vs. Central Arkansas

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 16 Texans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Memorial Stadium • Stephenville, TX
* Date: Saturday November 23, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Central Arkansas | Passing |
| Central Arkansas | Rushing |
| Central Arkansas | Receiving |
| Tarleton State | Passing |
| Tarleton State | Rushing |
| Tarleton State | Receiving |

### vs. Drake (NCAA Division I playoff–first round)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 14 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 29 |
| No. 14 Texans | 3 | 19 | 7 | 14 | 43 |
at Memorial Stadium • Stephenville, TX
* Date: Saturday November 30, 2024
* Game time: 2:00 p.m.
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Peter Sousa (play-by-play) and Dave Steckel (analyst)
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Drake | Passing |
| Drake | Rushing |
| Drake | Receiving |
| Tarleton State | Passing |
| Tarleton State | Rushing |
| Tarleton State | Receiving |

### at No. 4 South Dakota (NCAA Division I playoff–second round)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Texans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 4 Coyotes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD
* Date: Saturday December 7, 2024
* Game time: 2:00 p.m.
* TV: ESPN+
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Tarleton State | Passing |
| Tarleton State | Rushing |
| Tarleton State | Receiving |
| South Dakota | Passing |
| South Dakota | Rushing |
| South Dakota | Receiving |