Shortly after naming Tarleton State Football the Stats Perform FCS National Team of the Week, Stats Perform then announced its first top-25 poll since games have been played. Tarleton State Football jumped from its No. 10 preseason ranking to No. 5 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll.
This is the highest ranking in Tarleton State Football’s NCAA Division I era.
The Texans jumped ahead of Montana, Illinois State, UC Davis, Rhode Island and Incarnate Word following two games and Weeks 0-1. Tarleton State now only trails No. 1 North Dakota State, No. 2 South Dakota State, No. 3 Montana State and No. 4 South Dakota. Only seven points separate the Texans (1,164) and the Coyotes (1,171) in the poll. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.
The Texans just earned one of its best victories in program history, beating the defending American champions, Army, in West Point on Friday night in double overtime. The Texans won 30-27 on a Brad Larson 37-yard field goal to upset the Black Knights at Michie Stadium in front of 23,032 fans. This was Tarleton State’s first road victory 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. On Week 0 the previous Saturday, Aug. 23, Tarleton State shut out Portland State 42-0 on the road at Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Oregon. It marked TarletonState’slargestseasonopening 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.
Now through two games, the Texans are the lone FCS program 2-0 on the year, and one of five NCAA Division I programs 2-0 across FBS and FCS.
—Tarleton Athletics