Two missed field goals proved to be costly for the Army West Point Black Knights as the Tarleton State Texans were able to secure a 30-27 victory in the second overtime period in front of 23,032 at Michie Stadium on Friday night.
The Black Knights were unable to get things going on their first possession. Running backs Hayden Reed and Noah Short took the first two handoffs for five yards. Quarterback DeWayne Coleman rushed up the middle on a quarterback keeper for two more yards, but it wasn’t enough for the first down. Army West Point went three-and-out with punter James Wagenseller booting a 46-yard kick to the Tarleton State 22-yard line where running back Caleb Lewis hauled it in on a fair catch.
Texans running back Tre Page III took the first play up the middle for three yards and then was stopped for no gain. Quarterback Victor Gabalis connected with wide receiver Trevon West for a 14-yard pick up to advance the ball to the Texans 39-yard line. Gabalis then passed twice to wide receiver Cody Jackson twice for three-yards and eight-yards respectively, to push the ball to midfield. Page rushed left for three yards to get into Army territory and Lewis broke a run open for a 13-yard gain. Gabalis hit tight end Dawson Hearne for 17 yards into the Army West Point red zone. However, a false start call on right guard Braden Smith and three incomplete passes by Gabalis forced kicker Brad Larson to hit a 30-yard field goal. The drive was 12 plays for 65 yards and took 5:02 off the clock. Tarleton State led 3-0 with 8:05 left in the first quarter.
The Black Knights began their second drive on their 25-yard line. Reed rushed right for a yard. Coleman passed up the middle to Short for a 19-yard gain. Short then took the handoff over the left side for six yards, advancing into Texans territory. Short took a pitch over the right side for 11-yards, followed by Reed rushing up the middle for 11 more. Coleman rushed up the middle for a yard to get to the Tarleton State 26-yard line. On the next play, Coleman found daylight on the right side and rushed for a 26-yard touchdown. Jones extra point made it 7-3 in favor of Army West Point with 4:08 left in the first quarter.
Gabalis was forced to run the Texans first play up the middle for a one-yard loss after the center snapped the ball too high. Gabalis passed to wide receiver Peyton Kramer for seven yards, but threw incomplete on the next play, intended for Jackson. Punter Charlie Mullen came on to boot a 45-yard punt that Tarleton State cornerback Kasyus Kurns downed at the Army West Point 27-yard line.
Army West Point ran five rushing plays for 14-yards and one first down over the next 2:39 to set up 3rd-and-7 at their 41-yard line when the first quarter came to an end. Coleman rushed up the middle for four yards and Wagenseller came on to punt again with 14:12 left until halftime.
Tarleton State took over at their 10-yard line. Page rushed twice for six yards. Gabalis threw to Kramer for five more yards. Lewis found a large hole that opened up in the middle of the field and ran for 40-yards to the Army West Point 39-yard line and a fresh set of downs. Gabalis hit Kramer for a 13-yard gain and then the quarterback scrambled for a 21-yard gain. After passing incomplete intended for wide receiver Marquis Willis at the Army West Point five-yard line, Page rushed off the right side for the 10-yard touchdown. Larson’s extra point was good and Tarleton State now led 10-7 with 9:43 left until the half. The drive consumed 12 plays, 90 yards and took 4:29 off the clock.
It was now up to the Black Knights to answer. Slowly and methodically over the next eight minutes they were able to march down to the Tarleton State seven-yard line. Coleman hit Brady Anderson over the middle for a 35-yard reception, his first career catch. Coleman also passed right to Short on 4th-and-5 for a seven-yard pick up, their first fourth down conversion of the season after converting 31 of 40 attempts last year. But after 15 plays, they had to settle for a Dawson Jones 24-yard field goal to tie the score 10-10 with 1:47 left until the half.
Gabalis led the two minute offense for the Texans starting at their 25-yard line. He hit Hearne over the middle for 15 yards, then Kramer for three more. Page rushed left for four yards and then broke one open for a 53-yard touchdown run. However, left guard Hunter Smith was called for a holding penalty which nullified the score. An incomplete pass followed by a false start penalty on Jackson forced a 4th-and-18 from the Tarleton State 32-yard line. Mullen punted a 39-yard kick to the Army West Point 29-yard line, which running back Lloyd Benson III returned 32 yards to the Tarleton 39-yard line.
The Black Knights had exactly one minute left until halftime to execute their offense. Coleman hit Short 27 yards to the Tarleton 12-yard line. Coleman then rushed twice for eight more yards but injured his leg on the second carry. Cale Hellums replaced the injured quarterback and immediately took a quarterback keeper three yards up the middle to make it 1st-and-goal at the one-yard line. Hellums rushed up the middle on the next play for his first career touchdown. Jones extra point made it 17-10 in favor of Army West Point. Gabalis took the Tarleton State kneel down after the kickoff to send the game to the halftime break.
Tarleton State began their first possession from their 16-yard line when the third quarter started. After a short run of two yards from Page and an incomplete pass, Black Knights linebacker Kaleb Fortner got into the backfield to take down Gabalis for a six-yard sack making it 4th-and-18 from the Tarleton State eight-yard line. Mullen booted a 44-yard punt just past midfield where Benson snagged it and returned to the Texans 24-yard line. However, a holding penalty on Army West Point safety Stephen Nnadozie pushed the Black Knights back to their own 38-yard line.
Coleman re-entered the game and took a quarterback keeper one yard up the middle. Short took a handoff up the right side seven yards to the Black Knights 49-yard line and a first down. However, upon further review, it was determined that he stepped out of bounds at the 46-yard line and set up a 4th-and-2 situation instead. Coleman took the quarterback keeper to the right but was swarmed by the Texans defense, who chose to blitz. Safety Ty Rawls took down the quarterback for a three-yard loss and a turnover on downs.
With good field position at the Army West Point 43-yard line, Gabalis and the Texans went to work. Gabalis passed short left to Kramer, but it was broken up and nearly intercepted by cornerback Jordan Mayes. Page took a handoff up the middle for no gain. Lewis rushed up the middle for a gain of nine yards. Facing 4th-and-1 at the Army West Point 34-yard line, the Texans decided to go for it. Gabalis took the quarterback keeper up the middle but fumbled at the line of scrimmage. He recovered his own fumble for a one-yard loss, but this time it was Tarleton State that turned it over on downs.
The Black Knights took less than three minutes to march 65 yards downfield. The Texans helped them out with a pass interference penalty on linebacker Stephen Woods Jr to make it 1st-and-10 at the Army West Point 45. Coleman passed right for a 21-yard reception by Short, who was shaken up on the play and had to sit out the next play after the injury timeout. Reed rushed up the middle on the next down for a 37-yard touchdown run. Jones extra point made it 24-10 in favor of the Black Knights with 8:14 left in the third quarter.
The Texans didn’t fade away into the night. Page took a handoff for 28 yards into Army West Point territory. Gabalis passed to Jackson for eight yards. Page rushed on the left side of the line for a 33-yard gain, but wide receiver Reginald Harden was called for holding. Tarleton State was credited with a 28-yard gain on the play. Two plays later, Gabalis hit Jackson for 21 yards to the Army West Point one-yard line. Right guard Braden Smith was assessed with his second false start penalty and pushed the Texans back to the six-yard line. Lewis took the next handoff over the left side for a touchdown. After Larson’s extra point, Army led 24-17 with 5:15 left in the third quarter.
On the next Black Knights drive, Tarleton State linebacker Omar Emmons was called for pass interference on third down, which gave the Black Knights a 1st-and-10 at the Army 38-yard line. Coleman rushed left for a 29-yard gain which would have given them a first down in Tarleton State territory, but Short was called for holding. An eight-yard reception by running back Brady Mott was called back after left guard Will Jeffcoat was penalized for being an ineligible man downfield. Facing 3rd-and-12 from their 36-yard line, Coleman overthrew Short on a deep pass. It was intercepted by Kurns who was taken town at the Tarleton 22-yard line.
After Page rushed up the middle for a yard, Gabalis was sacked by linebacker Eric Ford. Gabalis fumbled the ball but recovered his own fumble for a four-yard loss. Gabalis then threw to Kramer for nine-yards on the last play of the third quarter. Mullen came on to punt the ball away on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Army West Point started their first fourth quarter possession near midfield. Reed rushed twice for 10 yards and the first down. Coleman rushed twice for 13 yards and 12 yards respectively. Coleman threw to tight end Parker Poloskey in the end zone, but Kurns intercepted it at the one-yard line and returned it 40 yards to the Tarleton State 41-yard line.
The Texans went three-and-out on their next drive. Mullen punted to the Army West Point 16-yard line where it was downed by wide receiver Trevon West. Black Knight’s running back Hayden Reed rushed for four yards but fumbled at after it was forced out of his arms by Woods. Kurns recovered it at the 20-yard line.
Lewis rushed right twice for five yards total, then Gabalis hit tight end Dawson Hearne up the middle for a 15-yard touchdown score. Larson’s extra point tied the score 24-24 with 9:05 remaining in regulation.
The Black Knights pounded the ball on the ground on their next possession. Short rushed for seven yards. Reed rushed for seven yards. Short picked up 11 yards on a handoff. Coleman rushed for minus yards on two consecutive quarterback keepers as the Texans defense plugged up the line. Coleman hit Mott for a 15-yard reception and a fresh set of downs. Short took a pitch which was snuffed out by the Texans defense for a loss of six yards. Coleman passed twice but was unable to convert a first down. Wagenseller came on to punt to the end zone for a touchback with 4:13 left on the clock.
The luck didn’t hold for Tarleton State either. Lewis rushed up the middle twice – for 11 yards and then for three-yards. Gabalis threw the ball away causing the Black Knights to call for an intentional grounding penalty, but the officials saw that Gabalis had cleared the tackle box and said “no.” Gabalis threw incomplete, intended for Jackson at the Tarleton State 42-yard line. Mullen punted to the Army West Point 43-yard line where Rawls downed it with 2:52 left on the clock.
Army West Point went three-and-out over the next 1:03 of play with clock stoppages for the two minute timeout and by Tarleton State with 1:55 left on the clock. Tarleton State had to march 70 yards in the last 1:49 and they could win. However, Lewis rushed right for a four-yard gain but it was nullified by a Braden Smith holding penalty. Lewis rushed for two yards and Army West Point burned a timeout. Facing 2nd-and-18, Lewis rushed up the middle and was stuffed for a three-yard loss. Army West Point called their second timeout. Lewis then rushed right for nine-yards. Army West Point burned their final timeout and prepared to receive another punt from Mullen.
The Black Knights now faced 1st-and-10 from their 32-yard line with 1:17 left on the clock. Coleman took the quarterback keeper up the middle for six yards but re-injured his leg on the play. Army West Point now had 57 seconds to work with after the 10 second runoff penalty from Coleman’s injury. Hellums came back into the game and rushed four times for 31 yards and threw one incomplete pass. After Hellums rushed up the middle for his last six yard gain, the quarterback spiked the ball to stop the clock with nine seconds. Tarleton State was called for an illegal substitution penalty which put the ball on the Texans 26-yard line. Jones came on to attempt a 43-yard field goal. He missed the kick, wide to the right, to force the first overtime period.
Army West Point won the toss and elected to defer. Tarleton State began the overtime period at the Black Knights 25-yard line. Gabalis hit Jackson for a seven-yard completion. Lewis rushed the next five downs for a total of six yards. Facing 3rd-and-seven, Gabalis threw to Lewis who only picked up a yard. Larson made a 28-yard field goal to give the Texans the 27-24 lead.
Hellums took a quarterback keeper on the right side for a one-yard gain, then threw incomplete, intended for Poloskey at the Tarleton State four-yard line. Hellem rushed up the middle for another yard and Jones connected on a 40-yard field goal to tie the score 27-27 and force a second overtime period.
Army West Point had the possession to commence the second overtime period. Hellums passed to Short up the middle for two yards, then tried to pass to Howard but it was incomplete. Short rushed for five yards but was unable to pick up the third down conversion. Jones came back on for a 35-yard field goal attempt and kicked it wide left.
The Texans now just needed a score to win. Lewis carried twice for five yards. Gabalis took a quarterback keeper up the middle for no gain. Larson trotted on for a 37-yard field goal attempt which went right down the middle for the 30-27 victory.
Tarleton State had 344 yards of total offense, 152 through the air and 192 on the ground. They fumbled twice but recovered both of them. The Texans had the ball for 23:26 in time of possession.
“Our guys played their hearts out,” said Tarleton State head coach Todd Whitten. “I don’t have the words to tell you how proud I am of these guys. They are just outstanding. Our coaches had a great game plan. It’s a great win for our program. We have not played very well against teams [in FBS] the last few years and [Army West Point] has a good team. They were 12-2 a year ago. This is an outstanding day for our football program, our university and everyone involved.”
Army West Point gained 411 yards of total offense with 131 yards passing and 280 yards rushing. They fumbled twice, turning the ball over once, and threw two interceptions giving up 34-yards. They sacked the Texans twice for 10-yards lost. The Black Knights held the ball for 36:34 time of possession.
“They completely outplayed us. They were the better football team tonight. Unfortunately, we just didn’t do the things that it takes to win a football game – starting with turning the ball over. We turned the ball over three times. They didn’t turn over any. We didn’t sustain blocks. They got off blocks and made plays. We allowed them to get some big plays. They sustained their blocks. We weren’t doing a great job getting off the blocks,” said Army West Point head coach Jeff Monken. “That’s the story. They outplayed us, and it’s certainly disappointing.”
Texans quarterback Victor Gabalis went 16-for-30 passing for 152 yards and one touchdown. Cody Jackson hauled in six receptions for 53 yards; Peyton Kramer grabbed five passes for 37 yards; Dawson Hearne grabbed three passes for 47 yards and one touchdown while Trevon West had one pass reception for 14 yards. Caleb Lewis rushed 20 times for 107 yards and a touchdown. Tre Page III took 14 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown. Gabalis rushed six times for minus one yards rushing.
DeWayne Coleman went 7-for-12 passing for 129 yards and two interceptions. Noah Short hauled in six passes for 81 yards. Brady Anderson caught one pass for 35 yards, and Brady Mott caught one pass for 15 yards. Coleman led the Black Knights with 24 rushes for 100 yards and one touchdown. Hayden Reed rushed 19 times for 88 yards and a touchdown. Cale Hellums rushed eight times for 37 yards and a touchdown. Noah Short carried the ball 11 times for 43 yards on the ground.
I think they made some halftime adjustments. Like with me and [Dewayne Coleman] going on those option pitches, they started to bring the guy who was guarding me pretty wide, so it helped Dewayne get some yards, but they definitely had somebody just super wide to where they weren’t going to give that up,” said Short. “Obviously there’s 11 Saturdays guaranteed left, and I
think it’s going to test our mental strength, and I think this team is going to respond well.”
Tarleton State (2-0) will host the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (0-1) Saturday Sept. 6 at 6 p.m. CT. Army West Point (0-1) travels to Kansas State for a 6 p.m. CT match up Saturday Sept. 6 against the Wildcats (1-1).
