Tarleton improved to 10-2 on the season after quarterback Scott Grantham scored on a 20-yard run in the second overtime to pull Tarleton within one before running the two-point conversion in by himself to give the Texans the win.

Overtime was set up with a 64-yard field goal by Tarleton's Garrett Lindholm to tie the game as time expired after the Javelinas had scored with under a minute left in regulation. The kick was the second longest field goal in NCAA Division II history.

“The kids fought really hard, and I couldn't be more proud of the way they played this game,” said Tarleton head coach Sam McElroy. “The Javelinas are a very good football team, and we both deserved to win this game the way each team fought and played. We are excited to represent Tarleton and the Lone Star Conference in the next round of the playoffs.”

Another record was set in the game when Devin Guinn set a new school mark for career receiving touchdowns with 26, passing Jeremy Madkins who earned 25 in 2003-06.

The Texans jumped out an early 14-point lead inside the first seven minutes of the contest. Tarleton's defense held the home team on its first possession and forced a punt. On the first play from the line of scrimmage for Tarleton, Grantham hit Jahmeel Hobson for a 51-yard touchdown pass with 12:24 on the clock. Lindholm added the extra point to give Tarleton a 7-0 lead.

Matt Knicky then intercepted a Billy Garza pass to return the ball to the purple and white. Grantham found Hobson again for a long pass, but he was tackled at the one. Keith Demby finished off the drive on the fourth play with a one-yard touchdown run. Lindholm's kick made it 14-0 with 8:39 remaining in the first quarter.

With 19 seconds left in the first quarter, Fred Winborn punched the ball in from one yard out to cut the score in half after Christian Brom's kick. The play closed a 12-snap, 80-yard drive that took 5:06 off the clock.

On the ensuing drive, Tarleton's Roderick Smith fumbled and the Javelinas' DeIra Glover scooped and scored from 26 yards out. Brom's kick tied the score at 14 with 8:19 left in the second period.  

TAMUK took its first lead of the game with 3:14 left in the first half when the home team drove 67 yards on nine plays, capped by a 36-yard touchdown run by Winborn. Brom's kick made it 21-14.

Kelan Luker came into the game to relieve an injured Grantham, and his first pass went off the hands of a linebacker and into the hands of Glover who then returned the pick 40 yards for another score. Brom added the extra point to make it 28-14 TAMUK.

Grantham returned to the field for the Texans, and on his first pass, he connected 17 yards down the field to Hobson, who then turned and ran the ball into the end zone to make it a 62-yard scoring strike. Lindholm's kick cut the score to 28-21 with 1:54 left in the half.

TAMUK took the ball 36 yards and set up a 45-yard field goal by Brom. The kick made it just over the crossbar as time expired, and the Javelinas led 31-21 at the half.

Tarleton got the ball first in the second half after they won the flip to start the game, and Tarleton drove 60 yards on nine plays and scored when Evan Robertson broke a third-and-five play for a 30-yard rushing touchdown. Lindholm's kick cut the lead to three (31-28) with 10:12 on the clock.

The Javelinas then drove the field on their next drive, and were helped by back-to-back personal foul penalties called on the Texans on the same play. Winborn punched the ball in from one yard out with 7:18 on the clock. A botched snap led to a two-point conversion by the home team when Brom found Larod Robertson in the endzone to give the blue and white a 39-28 advantage.

The Texans took the next drive 80 yards on 12 plays when Grantham found Guinn for a three-yard touchdown to give Guinn the record. The drive took 6:51, and the Texans went for two. Grantham hit Bradley Peschke for the conversion to make it 39-36 with 1:29 on the third quarter clock.

With the Javelinas driving, Dominic Smith recovered a Javelina fumble at the Tarleton 23-yard line with just seconds left in the third quarter. The Texans then drove 77 yards over 14 plays and 6:59 and took the lead when Roderick Smith put the ball into the end zone from 11 yards out.  Lindholm's kick was good, and with 8:22 left in the contest, Tarleton led 43-39. Tarleton had three third-down conversions and one fourth-down conversion during the scoring drive. 

The Javelinas got the ball back with 4:56 left in the game and drove 61 yards on nine plays and scored the go-ahead touchdown. Brom's kick put the score at 46-43 with 45 seconds left on the clock.

Tarleton started at its own 26 with a false start penalty. Facing fourth and 18, Grantham hit Arthur Buckingham on a 35-yard pass for a first down. Then, facing a third and 10 from the Kingsville 47, Lindholm hit the kick that tied the game at 46 from 64 yards out as time expired. Buckingham had the hold, Kyle Piercefield the snap.

Tarleton loss the coin toss in overtime and had the ball first. The Texans got to the eight, but Lindholm was forced to kick a 27-yard field goal after a delay of game penalty to go ahead 49-46. 

TAMUK then drove to the Tarleton two, but the Javelinas also had to kick, Brom's good from 19 yards.

The Javelinas then got the ball first in the second overtime, and TAMUK scored on a two-yard run from Winborn. The kick by Brom made it 56-49 and forced the Texans to do the same.

Robertson started from the 25 and gained five yards before two incomplete passes forced the Texans into a fourth and five from the 20. Grantham scrambled to the right and saw an opening, and after breaking several tackles and spinning into the end zone, the Texans trailed by just one point. The Tarleton coaches called for the two-point conversion, and Grantham again went to the right side on a keeper and found the winning two-point conversion to give the Texans the 57-56 double overtime victory.

Tarleton finished the afternoon with 530 yards of total offense, including 234 yards rushing and 296 yards through the air. The Javelinas had 402 yards of offense, including 238 yards on the ground and 164 yards passing.

Robertson has 19 carries for 131 yards and a touchdown while Roderick Smith had 13 carries for 67 and a score. Grantham had five rushes for 35 yards and a score while Demby had two carries for one yard and a touchdown.

Grantham threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns and was 20-of-40 with one interception.

Hobson had 10 receptions for 188 yards and two touchdowns while Guinn had four catches for 27 yards and a score.

The Javelinas were led by Winborn on the ground with 35 carries for 223 yards and four touchdowns while Garza had five carries for 16 yards and a score. 

Garza was 20-of-31 for 164 yards with two interceptions and now passing touchdowns while Ryan Lincoln led the squad with six catches for 38 yards.

Tarleton will travel to Ellensburg, Wash. to face No. 1 Central Washington at noon pacific, 2 p.m. CST on Saturday, Nov. 21.