Tarleton State Builds WAC Contender Status After 22-6 Two-Season Run

Forty-eight combined wins in two seasons would be the envy of most FCS programs. For Tarleton State, 22-6 over 2024 and 2025 is the foundation of something bigger, and the Texans are now asking whether a quarterfinal ceiling can become a semifinal floor.

The math behind the record: a 10-4 debut playoff season in 2024 followed by a 12-2 campaign in 2025 that included a United Athletic Conference co-championship, a 7-1 conference mark, and a No. 4 national seed. The Texans led the FCS in turnover margin at plus-30, a figure no other team came within 12 points of matching. Then came December 13 in Stephenville, and the one result that defines the offseason blueprint.

Tarleton jumped to a 14-0 first-quarter lead against No. 12 seed Villanova before watching the Wildcats storm back. Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Braden Reed for the first Wildcat lead, and with under two minutes left, Tarleton drove to Villanova's 15-yard line only to see a would-be go-ahead touchdown wiped out on review. Final: Villanova 26, Tarleton 21. The Texans finished the season ranked No. 6 nationally but couldn't convert a winning red-zone possession when it mattered most.

That late-game execution gap is the one area Todd Whitten must address before 2026. Quarterback Victor Gabalis, who threw for 2,883 yards and 23 touchdowns last season, returns as the engine of the offense. His 11 interceptions and the program's inability to finish a final red-zone drive against Villanova represent the clearest path to improvement. Converting those field-goal drives into touchdowns at a higher rate is worth at least one swing win in a tournament bracket.

Replacing All-American running back Kayvon Britten, who generated nearly 2,000 rushing yards in 2024, is the other major production gap. Braelon Bridges stepped in last year with 334 yards and three touchdowns on 76 carries in a backup role, and Cody Jackson provides a proven receiving weapon after posting 490 yards and eight touchdowns on 29 catches. Tight end Dawson Hearne returns as well, giving Gabalis a reliable short-to-intermediate target.

Defensively, the Texans carry over a core that made that plus-30 turnover margin possible. Kasyus Kurns earned All-UAC Second Team honors with 64 tackles, six tackles for loss, two interceptions, nine pass breakups, and three forced fumbles. Linebacker Ty Rawls and defensive lineman Brandon Tolvert also return as All-Conference pieces. Whitten noted the incoming portal class ranks among the best in the nation at the FCS level.

The 2026 schedule sets up a realistic 10-win floor. Tarleton is 5-1 all-time against North Alabama, including last year's 61-0 shutout, and faces four non-conference opponents the program has never played before. Eight UAC games will again define the at-large case. A program that has won 22 of 28 games and ranked No. 8 in the preseason AFCA coaches poll is no longer a nice story; it is a proven contender operating one red-zone conversion away from the FCS's final four.