Tarleton State Stays Perfect, but the UAC Race Is Just Heating Up

Tarleton State Texans (6-0, 1-0 UAC) 40, Austin Peay Governors (5-2, 1-1 UAC) 32

As with all great battles, to stamp the drama with true epic grandeur, it simply had to rain over Clarksville, Tennessee. Fortera Stadium was packed to the gills, and not even the downpour could wash away the lingering stench of gunpowder. The Texans were rolling in, armed to the teeth, rolling out every piece of heavy artillery in their arms and legs to finally kick off their conference slate.

Yet, it was the Govs who drew first blood, striking first on a field goal. Tarleton’s answer was swift and merciless: 23 unanswered points, a relentless barrage from the purple and white in an unshakable frenzy. Man may have conquered machines before, but what do you do against a machine made of flesh and bone?

Every single time Austin Peay clawed back some tempo, regained their mojo, snatched back a sliver of dominance and glory, they were still behind. Self-inflicted wounds, seven penalties in all, often at the worst possible moments, proved downright fatal.

Special teams were a glaring liability, no doubt about it. The Govs coughed up a blocked field goal and a muffed kickoff recovery: 10 gifted points, ruthlessly converted by the Texans. All is fair in love and war.

Lesson One? This Tarleton defense gives its offense just enough breathing room to take care of business. Three sacks and a disruptive first-half performance, far from flawless, occasionally giving up ground, but delivered with a ferocious dose of violence and aggression.

Lesson Two? Tylan Hines was back, but he was kept on a short leash. They gave him no daylight to flash, and he didn't do much to manufacture any, either. No reason to hit the panic button: running back Miequle Brock picked up the slack, rolling up 106 yards and a score on 16 touches. Tip of the cap to him.

Anyway, quarterback Kaden Anderson kept dropping bombs regardless: 22-of-34 for 347 yards, three touchdowns and a lone interception.

Lesson Three? Who in the world is going to stop Tarleton in the UAC?

On the national stage, November is still a long way off. And Austin Peay proved in the second half, just as folks were already tallying up travel expenses between Stephenville and Nashville, that this Texans defense can bleed, too.

Because to push the tragic into the truly epic, the Govs staged a furious rally over the final 25 minutes of regulation, pulling within a touchdown and a two-point conversion of tying it up. And then, naturally, came the final Hail Mary: a crisp, desperate heave, one last cannon shot launched into the gray sky, only to slip through a bouquet of red and purple hands, blooming like poppies in the rain, before falling lifeless to the turf.

Quarterback Chris Parson laid it all on the line, pulling answers out of a hat late in the game. He wrapped up his day 16-of-33 for 231 yards and a touchdown through the air, but did real damage too as his team’s leading rusher, virtually their only rusher, churning out 102 yards and two scores on 26 rugged carries.

Austin Peay’s defense, however, didn’t answer the bell when it mattered most. Defensive back Tywan Royal was stellar and the front line flashed in spurts. But when the battle smoke cleared and the dust settled, the ledger shows a unit that was simply overwhelmed.

A signature win for Tarleton State, who now have a clear path to navigate toward the FCS playoffs, though they had better rein in the undisciplined swagger that cost them careless flags along the way.

For Austin Peay, the conference title dream takes a heavy blow, and their UAC destiny is no longer in their own hands. But if they carry this fighting spirit forward, they still have every bullet needed to make a serious postseason run.

Eastern Kentucky Colonels (2-4, 1-1 UAC) 30, West Georgia Wolves (1-5, 0-1 UAC) 20

Simply put, the better football team won. More rhythm, fewer mistakes, a diversified play-calling sheet and a much sharper edge throughout.

West Georgia actually struck first after an opening 10 minutes of sloppy, tentative football from both sides. From there, however, the Wolves had to scrap for every single blade of grass just to scratch out their remaining 14 points.

Quarterback Colton Fitzgerald was serviceable, but barely: 18-of-33 for 282 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a lost fumble. It looked steadier on paper, but he still couldn't tilt the field when it mattered most.

Credit goes to Eastern Kentucky’s defense, which stayed in their grill all afternoon. The box clamped down early, bottling up UWG's ground game to just 79 yards on a meager 3.6 yards per carry while racking up two sacks.

Once the Wolves were forced into obvious passing downs, EKU’s secondary locked in and took care of business inside the red zone: four pass breakups, a fumble recovery, an interception by defensive back Cristian Conyer, and holding West Georgia to a lone touchdown alongside two field goals.

On the other side of the ball, the Colonels operated with clean, balanced efficiency. QB Jordyn Potts turned in a solid 17-of-24 outing for 195 yards and a score, while running back Brady Hensley continued his strong campaign: 29 totes for 138 yards and a touchdown.

Hensley is averaging a hefty 6.5 yards per carry on the year and remains the steady bell cow of this backfield.

EKU barely broke a sweat against this West Georgia unit; despite registering three sacks, UWG generated almost no consistent pressure, allowing the Colonels to bleed the clock for nearly 40 minutes of possession.

A clinical, business-like victory for the Colonels, who took care of what was in front of them. For the Wolves, it’s another deflating setback.

Abilene Christian Wildcats (3-4, 2-0 UAC) 20, Central Arkansas Bears (2-4, 0-2 UAC) 14

You know what? Sitting at 2-0 in UAC play, Abilene Christian stands atop the conference standings. There was nothing flashy or aesthetic about their latest victory over Central Arkansas, but you don't get style points in football. Only the final score counts.

Taking their cue from dual-threat signal-caller Tucker Parks (19-of-26, 186 yards, one TD passing; 17 carries for 45 yards and one TD rushing), the Wildcats were gritty and disciplined.

While they mustered only 4.6 yards per play, they were lethal where it counted, going 10-of-14 on third down. Wide receiver Jayden York had his number dialed up seven times, hauling in 72 yards.

But the real difference-maker was an opportunistic defense. They didn't put up gaudy box-score numbers, but they came away with timely splash plays: a recovered fumble (courtesy of linebacker Boone Morris, right on cue), an interception (courtesy of linebacker Santana Miller, right on cue) and a forced missed field goal, completely shutting down the Bears' aerial attack.

For Central Arkansas, quarterback Donovyn Omolo spent another afternoon under constant siege. With his offensive line offering minimal protection, Omolo had to make things happen with his legs, posting a far better day on the ground than through the air, though hardly enough to salvage the offense: 8-of-16 for 83 yards and an interception passing, against 14 carries for 79 yards (5.6 average) and a touchdown rushing.

The magic is wearing thin. RB Jalen Washington did his part with 105 yards on 12 touches, but individual sparks couldn't overcome an engine that kept stalling out in key moments.

Central Arkansas lacked a clutch gene on defense as well. The unit logged three sacks among their seven tackles for loss and batted down two passes but failed to generate a true momentum-shifting stop or takeaway.

Give credit to defensive end Jakobe Shell, who fought hard with eight tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.

Northeastern State RiverHawks (3-3, D-II) at West Florida Argonauts (3-2, 1-2 UAC)

The game was canceled due to severe weather from Tropical Storm Isaias.

Week Ahead

Austin Peay Governors (5-2, 1-1 UAC) at West Georgia Wolves (1-5, 0-1 UAC)

Time: 2:00 p.m. ET

Where to watch: ESPN+

Looking to hit the reset button after last week, Austin Peay marches into Georgia wolf territory, a very manageable matchup on paper.

We know UWG’s vulnerabilities by now: an anemic rushing attack (2.8 yards per carry, four total touchdowns), a quarterback in Colton Fitzgerald who produces yards but gives the ball away (nine TDs against five INTs), and a front five leaking relentless pass protection.

Their defense has looked slightly better, particularly up front where they’ve generated 15 sacks, but they surrender too many chunk plays through the air, regularly leaving their defensive backs out on an island as the last line of defense while struggling mightily to take the ball away.

Austin Peay shouldn't have much to fear, provided they avoid the clumsy mistakes they've been guilty of in the past. Dual-threat quarterback Chris Parson should have no trouble picking apart this defense behind a solid line.

Defensively, look for the Governors' front seven to unleash all the frustration and aggression pent up from last week's loss. This is a battle-tested group that won't fall into the psychological trap of letting the Tarleton defeat linger.

I rarely like to guarantee blowouts, but this one could get ugly fast.

Eastern Kentucky Colonels (2-4, 1-1 UAC) at Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (5-1, 3-1 OVC-Big South)

Time: 2:30 p.m. ET

Where to watch: ESPN+

Tennessee Tech hasn’t quite lived up to the lofty billing some had for them early on. Considered one of the portal’s biggest winners, the chemistry simply hasn’t gelled across every phase.

The defense is the first question mark: while fundamentally capable of bringing pressure and plugging up running lanes, they give up absolute wagonloads of passing yards, bleed chunk plays and points, and have been catastrophic at generating takeaways (only six on the season, ranking 87th in FCS).

Offensively, the burden falls squarely on quarterback Jax Leatherwood, who has worked wonders under center (1,660 yards, 16 total touchdowns, just three interceptions).

Thank goodness for his arm, because their run game ranks near the bottom of Division I at just 93.7 yards per contest, with transfer addition MJ Flowers struggling to find traction.

To make matters worse, TTU has been among the nation's most undisciplined squads, already tagged for 52 penalties and 525 yards, giving away more than a full football field of discipline each Saturday.

Still, it's fair to wonder whether Leatherwood’s explosive passing attack will prove too potent for an EKU defense that plays soundly but lacks top-end depth.

Furthermore, the Colonels' offense has a bad habit of doing only the bare minimum. By-the-book football, whether through the air or on the ground, won't cut it against a high-octane offense, a flaw that has cost EKU repeatedly this season.

If they hope to pull the upset, they will need sharp tempo and near-flawless execution.

West Alabama Tigers (5-1, D-II) at West Florida Argonauts (3-2, 1-2 UAC)

Time: 4:00 p.m. CT

Where to watch: ESPN+

Pensacola is in for a heavy dose of déjà vu.

Following the cancellation against Northeastern State, West Florida welcomes another heavyweight Division II opponent.

No. 22 West Alabama is a staple of the fierce yet depleted Gulf South Conference, familiar territory for an Argos program that called the league home until just last season.

Their old frenemies already have quite a few pelts on the wall: the Tuskegee Golden Tigers, the Pittsburg State Gorillas (ranked 25th at the time, but much higher earlier this fall) and the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (then-No. 21).

Outside of a head-scratching stumble against North Greenville, UWA is a well-rounded if volatile squad, capable of dominant stretches and ball-hawking defense, but prone to their own turnover bugs.

Quarterback Luther Richesson has thrown for 1,335 yards and 13 touchdowns against six picks, while the ground game grinds out 145.3 yards per contest at a modest 3.93 per clip.

The Tiger defense holds opponents to 20 points per game and ranks fifth nationally with 16 takeaways (seven interceptions, nine fumble recoveries).

Nothing here is out of reach for West Florida, especially on their home turf, but UWF must play disciplined football to avoid stumbling into an old rival's trap.

Central Arkansas Bears (2-4, 0-2 UAC) at Tarleton State Texans (6-0, 1-0 UAC)

Time: 6:00 p.m. CT

Where to watch: ESPN+

We asked earlier whether anyone in the UAC can derail Tarleton State. Central Arkansas hardly looks like the prime candidate to do it. Then again, in an intra-conference showdown, an undefeated team can always sleepwalk into trouble on an off day.

The Bears are still trying to figure out their identity under quarterback Donovyn Omolo. He possesses clear athletic upside and looks to make things happen with both his arm and his feet, but the end product remains inconsistent.

His offensive line does him few favors, making his jump from D-II to the FCS level a bumpy ride. It doesn't help that UCA still lacks an undisputed No. 1 wideout, a trusty security blanket whom the young passer can lean on when the pocket collapses.

Running back Jalen Washington is a dependable workhorse, but he can't shoulder the entire load alone.

Tarleton’s defense certainly has flaws, but nothing that Central Arkansas looks equipped to exploit.

Conversely, the Texans' unit features legitimate playmakers, particularly across the second level. While UCA's linebackers can occasionally blow up running plays, Tarleton brings far more offensive firepower than anyone the Bears have matched up with so far, generating 11 sacks on the year and snatching at least one interception every single game.

Simply put, the purple and white have seen this movie before.

Abilene Christian Wildcats (3-4, 2-0 UAC) at North Alabama Lions (3-4, 2-0 UAC)

Time: 6:00 p.m. CT

Where to watch: ESPN+

Things might finally be clicking for Abilene Christian.

The marquee matchup here pits North Alabama’s aggressive front seven against ACU signal-caller Tucker Parks.

Parks has showcased the ability to escape trouble with his legs when pass protection breaks down (17 sacks surrendered already), but ball security remains an issue, and his running game has provided little margin for error.

Remove Parks' own scrambling yards, and ACU’s running back committee averages just 3.8 yards per carry, a clip that won't sustain drives on its own.

The Wildcats' defense remains an unpredictable barometer of their season: when they play assignment football, they can grind out wins against anybody, but when they're pushed back on their heels, answers are hard to come by.

Individual standouts are making their mark: safety Dillon Williams (63 total tackles, six pass breakups), defensive lineman Hudson Page (three sacks) and linebacker Boone Morris (two fumble recoveries). Yet the unit still searches for collective chemistry.

On the flip side, North Alabama leans on premier playmakers to set the tone.

Their defensive front is formidable, headlined by Avery Howard and Cayden Adkins, who have combined for 11 sacks, while true freshman wideout Xavier Johnson (already 606 receiving yards) looks like a future superstar, making fans wonder how long UNA can keep him out of the transfer portal.

This defensive front is capable of living in Parks' head rent-free. However, the Lions will need quarterback Destin Wade to keep his composure in the pocket; his porous offensive line hasn't helped, but neither have his own turnover-worthy decisions.

Expect a hard-fought, fascinating matchup.