Tarleton State Scores 40 in Win Over Abilene Christian

Tarleton State defeated Abilene Christian 40-27 on Saturday night in Stephenville, Texas, maintaining a perfect 10-0 record. The Texans opened the game with touchdowns on their first two plays from scrimmage, establishing a 14-3 lead before the end of the first quarter.

Tylan Hines broke the opening drive with a 75-yard run for the initial score. Kaden Anderson and Marquis Willis followed with a 75-yard passing play. Anderson finished the contest with 213 passing yards and two touchdowns on seven completions. Willis caught three passes for 166 yards.

Abilene Christian, now 5-5, mounted a comeback attempt but fell short. Tucker Parks ran for a 4-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to four points. Brandon Perez kicked a 33-yard field goal to make the score 28-20 early in the second half. James Paige then ran one yard for a touchdown to give Tarleton State a 28-13 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, Parks threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Dudley. It was the only score of that period, bringing the Wildcats within eight points. Parks completed 30 of 25 passes for 215 yards. The game effectively ended when Hines scored on 6-yard and 13-yard runs with 7:15 remaining, extending the lead to 40-20.

Brandon Johnson ran for an 8-yard touchdown with 1:59 left to cap the scoring for Abilene Christian. Tarleton State has reached 40 points in seven of its ten games this season. The team is ranked No. 1 in the Stats Perform FCS poll.

Both teams return to action on Saturday. Abilene Christian travels to Austin Peay, while Tarleton State hosts West Florida.