Tarleton Football Home Opener Marks Family Weekend and Military Appreciation on 20-Year Anniversary of 9/11 - Tarleton State University Athletics

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The Teams: Tarleton Texans (0-1, 0-1 WAC) vs. Fort Lewis (0-1, 0-1 RMAC)
Where: Stephenville, Texas
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: ESPN+ (Kyle Youmans, Richard Bartel)
Radio: Tarleton Sports Network on 90.5 FM (Byron Anderson, Kyle Masters, Kyle Crews, Keltin Wiens)
 
TEXAN FOOTBALL GAME DAY
The Tarleton Texans will begin their 2021 home slate at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 11, at 6 p.m. CT against the Fort Lewis Skyhawks of the RMAC.
 
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+, with Kyle Youmans and Richard Bartel 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, Kyle Crews and Keltin Wiens leading the broadcast.
 
Tickets are available at the box office and online at TarletonSports.com/tickets.
 
GAME DAY FESTIVITIES
Saturday's game marks both Family Weekend and Military Appreciation at Memorial Stadium.
 
All active duty service members and retired members of the armed forces will receive free general admission tickets for themselves and their immediate families, which can be picked up at the east side ticket office of Memorial Stadium.
 
On the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack of the World Trade Center and Pentagon, Tarleton will be commemorating the 13 service members who were killed at the attack of a Kabul airport in Afghanistan two weeks ago. There will also be a special recognition for veteran Wayne Frank, the eldest living veteran in Erath County.
 
Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp will be conducting the coin toss, and the university will be hosting postgame fireworks.
 
Texan Alley Tailgate will open at 9 a.m. in Lot A. For maps of the area and complete tailgating policies, visit TarletonSports.com/TexanAlley. Non-tailgating lots will open at 2 p.m., while the stadium gates will open at 4 p.m. At 4:30 p.m. at Texan Alley, the Tarleton Game Day Radio Show will begin live from onsite.
 
ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• This is the first ever meeting between Tarleton and Fort Lewis, who plays in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in NCAA Division II.
• Of the 10 teams currently in the RMAC, Tarleton has played three of them -- New Mexico Highlands, Colorado School of Mines, Chadron State. This is the first of two games for Tarleton against an RMAC team this year. TSU hosts New Mexico Highlands on Sept. 25.
• Fort Lewis has lost eight straight games, last winning on Oct. 5, 2019. It's their longest losing streak since Sept. 8, 2012, through Sept. 7, 2013 (11 straight losses).

 
QUICK HITS

• Tarleton has won three of its last four home openers and is 8-3 in its first home game under HC Todd Whitten.
• Tarleton WR J.F. Thomas scored the first touchdown by a Western Athletic Conference player since 2012 with a 12-yard score from QB Steven Duncan in the first quarter against Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 4. Before Saturday, the last WAC player to score a TD was San Jose State RB De'Leon Eskridge in the Military Bowl against Bowling Green on Dec. 27, 2012. San Jose State QB David Fales had been the last WAC player to throw a TD -- Fales went on to play three seasons in the NFL for the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.
• Tarleton's defense stepped up in the season opener against Stephen F. Austin, forcing two turnovers in the first half, including in their opponent's first series possession of the year. The Texans allowed 20 points, their sixth straight game holding their opponents to 21 points or fewer.
• Wide receiver Tariq Bitson has picked up where he left off, making seven catches for 127 yards against SFA. It's his second straight game with 100+ receiving yards, the first TSU player with consecutive such games since Zimari Manning had five straight 100+ receiving yard games in 2019.

 
BIG NIGHT AHEAD
Tarleton's home opener is also the team's Family Weekend game and Military Appreciation Night. The Texans will host several family-friendly events throughout the day, along with hosting several moments to honor military members. Before the game, there will be a moment of silence for the 13 service members tragically killed in a Kabul airport attack two weeks ago. The team will also recognize the significance of the day, as the game is played on Sept. 11, 20 years after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that killed almost 3,000 people. Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp will be present for the coin toss before the game
 
DOWN BUT NOT OUT
Tarleton dropped its season opener at Stephen F. Austin last Saturday. The loss snapped a seven-game road winning streak for TSU, their first loss away from home since Dec. 1, 2018. There is no reason for the Texans to panic, as they've started a season 0-2 just once under HC Todd Whitten in his previous 11 years at the helm (2016).
 
Fort Lewis arrives to Stephenville with an eight-game losing streak. Over the eight-game drought, Fort Lewis has been outscored 294-73 (27.6 average margin of defeat).
 
BIT BY BIT(SON)
Tariq Bitson arrived to Tarleton in time for the 2020 season, and since then he's proven to be one of the Texans' top receivers week-in and week-out. Last Saturday against SFA, Bitson had seven receptions for 127 yards, averaging 18.1 yards per catch. It would have tied for the 15th most receiving yards in the FCS' opening week, if not for Tarleton's reclassification period. This marks the fourth time out of the last five games that Bitson has led the team in receiving yards, also marking back-to-back 100+ yard games for the senior. In just eight games with Tarleton, Bitson has already racked up 741 receiving yards, averaging 92.6 yards per game.
 
Now he faces off against his old RMAC foe, Fort Lewis.  In 2019, playing with Adams State of the RMAC, Bitson dominated the conference, winning Offensive Player of the Year, plus NCAA Division II All-American, All-RMAC First Team, and All-Region First Team honors.  That season he hauled in 63 passes for 1,355 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had three performances with 10+ catches, including a season-high 12 against Western Colorado on Sept. 28. He had six performances with over 100 yards receiving, including four where he exceeded 200 yards in a game. He also recorded season-highs in catches (12), receiving yards (257) and touchdowns (4) against Western Colorado. He led the nation in receiving yards per game (144.9).
 
He'll look for revenge against Fort Lewis, as they were the only team that season to hold Bitson both without a touchdown catch and under 100 receiving yards.
 
HAFFORD OVERCOMES HURDLE
DB Devin Hafford said in the preseason how much he was looking forward to the season opener against SFA. In the 2019 season opener at SFA, he suffered a season-ending injury in the first quarter. He wanted to prove himself in this game in particular, and that he did.
 
Hafford had two fumble recoveries, one on the defense's opening series of 2021, which led to Tarleton's lone touchdown on the day. The other came immediately after Tarleton missed a field goal in the second quarter, quashing all momentum SFA had earned from their goal-line stop. He also added a pass breakup and three tackles.
 
Hafford is the only Tarleton player in at least the past 10 years to recover multiple fumbles on defense in a single game. Among FCS players, Portland State's Tyreese Shakir was the only other player on defense to recover 2+ fumbles. Only one FBS player recovered 2+ fumbles in the opening week (Florida's Gervon Dexter).
 
LOCKDOWN D
Tarleton's defense has been a staple of the program over the past few years, and this year it looks like it will be no different. Against SFA last Saturday, Tarleton recorded two turnovers (both fumbles), three sacks, nine stops in the backfield, and only allowed 20 points. This marks the sixth straight game that Tarleton has allowed 21 points or fewer. This is the longest Tarleton stretch since a 10-game run from Sept. 29, 1990, through Sept. 7, 1991.
 
YEAR 2
Tarleton is in its second year of a four-year transition period to being a permanent NCAA Division 1 school. In its first year at the Division 1 level in the 2020 season (held in the spring of 2021), the Texans finished 5-3, winning their first game against an FBS school with a 43-17 walloping of New Mexico State at a neutral location on Feb. 21. The Texans also knocked off four wins in a row from March 6-27, scoring 33+ points in each contest while allowing an average of 12.5 points in the span.
 
Many are calling the Texans' 2021 schedule Tarleton's toughest in school history, including head coach Todd Whitten himself, with eight of their 11 opponents NCAA Division 1 teams. Tarleton has five games against WAC opponents, next against Dixie State on Oct. 16.
 
PRESEASON RECOGNITION
Most players will say it doesn't matter what's predicted about them before the season starts, since they have to prove it on the field. But it sure is nice to be on notice before the games even get under way.
 
Four Tarleton players were named to the All-WAC Preseason Teams, two on offense and two on defense. Wide receiver Tariq Bitson and offensive lineman Zach Perry were named to the Preseason All-WAC Offense, while defensive back Devin Hafford and linebacker Ronnell Wilson were named to the Preseason All-WAC.
 
DUNCAN DIMES
Quarterback Steven Duncan is back for his second season at Tarleton and got the start under center in the season opener. He threw the first TD pass by a WAC player in nine years with a 12-yard strike to J.F. Thomas in the first quarter, finishing with 219 passing yards on 21-of-33 passes, also adding three interceptions.
 
He returned to TSU after playing in seven of the Texans' eight games last season, starting in six of them. He finished the year with 1,542 passing yards, 11 touchdown passes and three interceptions. His 11 touchdown passes would have tied for 20th most at the FCS level if not for the transition period, while his passing yards mark would have been 18th. Among FCS quarterbacks with 214+ pass attempts (Duncan's number of attempts), only one QB besides Duncan had fewer than four interceptions (Houston Baptist's Bailey Zappe).
 
Duncan not only studies defenses, he studies books. The junior at the NCAA football level just earned his MBA during Tarleton's summer graduation on Aug. 6. Now he's working on earning a second master's degree, this one in management and social media marketing over this next year.
 
WAC IS BACK
This marks the first season the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is sponsoring football since 2012, a nine-year break from its glory days.
There are six football teams playing in the WAC this season -- Abilene Christian, Dixie State, Lamar, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, and Tarleton.
 
COMPETITION NEVER HURT ANYBODY
Entering Tarleton's second game, there are still open competitions for the lead spots on the depth chart...
 
QB: Steven Duncan vs. Mike Irwin...Duncan got the nod in the season opener at SFA. He completed 21-of-33 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown, a 12-yard strike to J.F. Thomas in the first quarter, which marked the first WAC touchdown in nine years. He also threw three interceptions, matching his entire total from his seven games with Tarleton in the 2020 season. Irwin spelled him midway through the fourth quarter, where he tried to lead a Texan comeback attempt with the team down 10. With the defense focused on the passing game with such a secure lead, Irwin completed 3-of-9 throws for 15 yards.
 
RB: Jayy McDonald vs. Daniel Wright Jr....McDonald got the start with both posting similar numbers in the season opener. Wright led in the rushing attack with 41 yards on seven carries (5.9 yards per carry), which included a 17-yard burst as his biggest play. He also caught a ball out of the backfield. McDonald finished with 34 yards rushing on eight carries (4.3 yards per), adding two receptions.
 
WR: Tariq Bitson vs. Gabe Douglas vs. Cody Jones...Bitson got the nod at one of the three wide receiver spots and he excelled, leading Tarleton receivers by a wide margin with 127 receiving yards on seven catches. The next closest mark on the team was 48 yards. Bitson has consecutive games with 100+ receiving yards. Douglas finished with two catches and seven yards, and although Jones participated in the game, he did not record a reception.
 
P: Jake Walrath vs. Trooper Elwonger...Walrath was given the start at punter in the season opener, as he serves as the holder on field goals, as well. He had three punts for a total of 102 yards, pinning the 'Jacks inside the 20-yard line once. He averaged 34.0 yards on his three punts, with a long of 38 yards.
 
COULDN'T STAY AWAY
There are four Texans playing their sixth season at TSU; Devin Hafford, Tre Johnson, Erick Willis, Ronnell Wilson. Only Willis didn't play in the season opener, while the other three combined for two fumble recoveries and 19 tackles. Wilson tied the team-lead with 11 total tackles, with Hafford earning both recoveries. Before this season, the four players had combined for 159 games played, 704 tackles, 11 interceptions, 10.5 sacks, 104 passes defended, four forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries.
 
THE PATTON EFFECT
When Marcus Patton accepted the job as Tarleton's defensive coordinator in the spring of 2016, he inherited a Texan defense that had given up 296.3 rushing yards, 263.3 passing yards and 559.6 total yards per game – last in the nation at the D2 level. Since 2018, Tarleton has cut those numbers essentially in half. While boasting a 28-6 record over the last three-plus years, Patton's defense has allowed 113.0 rushing, 187.5 passing, and 300.5 total yards per game.
 
THE BEST IN TEXAS
Since the start of the 2018 football season, there has not been a better scholarship football program in the entire state of the Texas than Tarleton State University. The Texans enter Saturday's game with 28 wins since the start of 2018, the most wins in the state by an NCAA Division I or II program. The list of the top scholarship programs in Texas over that span are as follows:
 

#	School	League	Wins
1.	Tarleton	WAC	28
2.	Texas A&M	SEC	27
3.	Texas	Big XII	26
4	Sam Houston	WAC	24
5.	SMU	AAC	23
6.	A&M-Commerce	LSC	22
7.	Baylor	Big XII	21
8.	TCU	Big XII	19
9.	North Texas	C-USA	18
	West Texas A&M	LSC	18

 
UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
Tarleton will head to Choctaw Stadium, formerly called Globe Life Park and former home of the Texas Rangers, to "host" fellow WAC opponent Southern Utah on Saturday, Sept. 18, at 6 p.m. CT.
 
Tickets are still on sale and can be purchased at https://www.mlb.com/rangers/ballpark/globe-life-park/events/football through Major League Baseball's website. Ticket prices extend up to $20 for Field Reserved seats. Parking passes are also available for $15.
 

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Tickets remain available for purchase at TarletonSports.com/tickets. Student tickets remain free of charge, but Tarleton students with a valid ID will need to order a ticket through the ticket software.
 

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Tarleton Football Home Opener Marks Family Weekend and Military Appreciation on 20-Year Anniversary of 9/11 - Tarleton State University Athletics
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