Tarleton pulled the early upset of the 2025 college football season Friday night in a 30-27 overtime win over Army, the defending American Conference champions. The aspirations in Stephenville are clear: reach the FBS, maybe in the Mountain West or Conference USA. Wins over programs like Army serve as proof on concept to any interested parties. 

The Texans won their first playoff game as an FCS program last season – in their first year eligible for the playoffs – and are on a meteoric rise of the ranks as an athletic program. They began 2024 on ESPN2 and a year later knocked off a nationally respected Army program a year later on CBS Sports Network. You can’t buy that type of publicity. 

Tarleton, now 2-0 with road wins over Portland State and Army already on the season, head home for the first time next weekend against Mississippi Valley State. Todd Whitten’s program begins UAC play the following week on the road against Central Arkansas. The group started the season ranked eighth in the FCS Coaches Poll and should march into the Top 5 when it is updated next week. Incarnate Word’s loss means the Texans will the be the top-ranked team in Texas.