GAMEDAY INFORMATION

When: Saturday, Oct. 3 | 7 p.m. (CST)

Where: Stephenville, Texas | Memorial Stadium

Series: Texans trail 11-12 | Streak: TAMUC, Won 3

Last Meeting: Texas A&M-Commerce 56, Tarleton 49 on Nov. 8, 2014 in Commerce

Radio: Tarleton Sports Network on KTRL 90.5 FM | Listen Live | Pregame Show begins at 6:30 p.m.

Web Stream: TarletonSports.com/ListenLive

Social Media: Facebook | Twitter

Follow the Action: Live Stats | Game Notes

THE GAME
Tarleton Football returns to Stephenville in search of its first win of the season Saturday night when the Texans host No. 18 Texas A&M-Commerce at 7 p.m. to highlight Family Weekend at Tarleton State University.
 
COVERING THE GAME
Saturday's contest will be aired on the Tarleton Sports Network presented by North Texas Ford Dealers. The game will be broadcast live on KTRL (90.5 FM) with Casey Hogan calling play-by-play and Keltin Wiens joining him for color commentary. Travis Smith joins the broadcast team on the sidelines. In addition to the radio feed, the game is online at www.tarletonsports.com/listenlive.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Texans topped the 500-yard mark of total offense en route to putting up 46 points on No. 23 Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, but Tarleton fell to 0-3 after allowing 676 yards to the Mustangs in a 63-46 loss. Daniel McCants earned league-wide and national recognition for his kick return efforts as the redshirt freshman from Killeen took back seven kickoff for 176 yards as part of his 296-yard all-purpose effort in the loss.
 
TARLETON vs TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE
Saturday marks the 24th meeting all-time between the Texans and Lions, dating back to the first meeting in 1970, and Tarleton will look to even the all-time series that the Texans currently trail 11-12.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Tarleton and Texas A&M-Commerce started its rivalry in 1970, which lasted until 1975 before the teams took a 21-year hiatus. The series was rekindled when Tarleton joined the NCAA and they met again on Nov. 11, 1995. The Lions won the first eight games of the series before Tarleton earned its first win in the series with a 49-21 win in Commerce on Nov. 15, 1997. That sparked a run of 11 wins in the next 12 meetings for Tarleton before Commerce responding with three straight wins in the last two seasons.
 
TEXANS AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
Since 2000, Tarleton is 13-25 when playing against a ranked opponent, with six of those wins coming against a top-25 ranked Midwestern State team. The Texans are 6-3 all-time against the Mustangs when they have been ranked. The win over West Texas A&M in least year's opener was Tarleton's first win against a ranked team on the road since 2009 when they beat then-No. 13 Texas A&M-Kingsville in double overtime in the first round of the 2009 NCAA playoffs.
 
TEXANS UNDER FOWLER
The Texans are now 27-28 under head coach Cary Fowler and have one Lone Star Conference championship to their credit in his tenure. Fowler's first LSC championship is the third LSC championship for the Texans in school history. Fowler is 23-20 against LSC opponents and 4-8 overall against non-conference schools.

TEXANS IN THE LSC
The Texans are 102-139 (.425) all-time in Lone Star Conference contests.
 
TARLETON'S SCORING STREAK
The Texans have now scored a touchdown in 50 straight games dating back to the 2010 season. The last time a Tarleton team was held without a TD came in a 65-3 loss to Abilene Christian back on Sept. 25, 2010. Tarleton has scored at least a field goal or touchdown in 58 straight games heading into Saturday's game. The Texans have not been shutout since Nov. 8, 2008.
 
AMONG THE NATIONAL LEADERS
•  Tarleton is third in the nation in third down conversion percentage with 52.8%. The Texans have converted on 25 of 48 attempts on third down.
•  Tarleton is eighth in net punting at 40.6 yards per punt this season.
•  Tarleton boasts the No. 23-ranked passing offense (303.3 ypg), No. 25-ranked scoring offense (39.3 ppg), and No. 27-ranked passing completion percentage (.640) in the nation.
 
LEADING THE NATION
Freshman RB Daniel McCants is currently the national leader in all-purpose yards with 228.7 per game. The freshman phenomenon has totaled 224 rushing yards, 82 receiving yards, and 380 kick return yards in three games this season. His seven kickoff returns against Midwestern State put him in a three-way tie with Chad Martinska and Alester Givens for the most in a game.
 
VARNADO ON A ROLL
Chase Varnado has recorded at least five tackles from the defensive end position in four straight games and five of the last seven games, dating back to Oct. 18, 2014.
 
NARDI, THE LION TAMER
In three career games against Texas A&M-Commerce, Le'Nard Meyers has boasted some of the finest work of his Texan career. The senior from Gatesville has two of his eight career 100-yard receiving games against Commerce, including two last season. He has 36 catches for 399 yards and a touchdown in three career outings against the Lions for an average of 133.0 yards per game and 11.1 yards per catch.
 
UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
Tarleton will hit the road for its longest road trip of the regular season next weekend when the Texans visit Texas A&M-Kingsville on Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.