Tarleton State Registers Huge Upset
September 2, 2025
It took two overtime periods, but Tarleton State kicker Brad Larson hit a 37-yard field gold in the second OT to give the Texans a 30-27 upset victory over Army West Point. It was Tarleton’s first road victory over an FBS opponent in program history, and just the second win over an FBS opponent ever. The win jumped the Texans up five spots to a tie at No. 3 with Montana State in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, and they also earned a first-place vote.
North Dakota State remains the No. 1 team with 25 first-place votes. The Bison blanked The Citadel, 38-0. South Dakota State moved to the second spot after a decisive 20-3 victory over then-No. 14 Sacramento State. The loss dropped the Hornets to No. 16. Montana State dropped one spot to a tie at No. 3 after its 59-13 loss to Oregon, but the Bobcats will look to rebound as they host the No. 2 Jackrabbits this coming Saturday. UC Davis beat Utah Tech, 31-24, and moves up two spots to round out the top five.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 1 Next Game
1 North Dakota St. (25) 1-0 649 1 D. The Citadel, 38-0 Sept. 6 at Tennessee St.
2 South Dakota St. 1-0 586 3 D. No. 14 Sacramento St., 20-3 Sept. 6 at No. 3t Montana St.
3t. Montana St. 0-1 567 2 Lost to Oregon, 59-13 Sept. 6 vs. No. 2 South Dakota St.
3t. Tarleton St. (1) 2-0 567 8 D. Army, 30-27 2OT Sept. 6 vs. Mississippi Valley St.
5 UC Davis 1-0 469 7 D. Utah Tech, 31-24 Sept. 6 at Washington
6 South Dakota 0-1 465 5 Lost to Iowa St., 55-7 Sept. 6 at Lamar
7 Illinois St. 0-1 446 6 Lost to Oklahoma, 35-3 Sept. 6 vs. Morehead St.
8 Rhode Island 1-0 440 10 D. Campbell, 31-20 Sept. 6 at Stony Brook
9 UIW 1-1 412 4 D. Eastern Washington, 31-21 Sept. 13 at UTSA
10 Montana 0-0 402 9 Idle Sept. 6 vs. Central Washington
11 Idaho 0-1 384 12 Lost to Washington St., 13-10 Sept. 6 vs. St. Thomas (Minn.)
12 Villanova 0-0 338 13 Idle Sept. 6 vs. Colgate
13 Lehigh 1-0 291 15 D. No. 22t Richmond, 21-14 Sept. 6 vs. Sacred Heart
14 Jackson St. 1-0 268 17 D. Hampton, 28-14 Sept. 6 at Southern Miss
15 Southern Illinois 1-0 239 20 D. Thomas More, 49-3 Sept. 6 at Purdue
16 Sacramento St. 0-1 213 14 Lost to No. 3 South Dakota St., 20-3 Sept. 6 at Nevada
17 ACU 0-1 211 16 Lost to Tulsa, 35-7 Sept. 6 vs. No. 23 Stephen F. Austin
18 Monmouth (N.J.) 1-0 184 21 D. Colgate, 42-39 Sept. 6 at Fordham
19 Northern Arizona 0-1 167 18 Lost to Arizona St., 38-19 Sept. 6 vs. Utah Tech
20 Tennessee Tech 1-0 159 22t D. Cumberland, 65-0 Sept. 6 vs. Chattanooga
21 Mercer 0-1 156 11 Lost to Presbyterian, 15-10 Sept. 13 vs. Wofford
22 North Dakota 0-1 95 NR Lost to Kansas St., 38-35 Sept. 6 vs. Portland St.
23 Stephen F. Austin 0-1 60 24 Lost to Houston, 27-0 Sept. 6 at No. 17 ACU
24 East Tennessee St. 1-0 58 NR D. Murray St., 45-17 Sept. 6 at Tennessee
25t. Nicholls 1-1 57 NR Lost to Troy, 38-20 Sept. 6 vs. West Georgia
25t. Western Carolina 0-1 57 19 Lost to Gardner-Webb, 52-45 Sept. 6 at Wake Forest
Dropped Out: Richmond (22t), Stony Brook (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Austin Peay, 55; Richmond, 44; Furman, 41; South Carolina St., 40; Southern Utah, 36; New Hampshire, 30; Stony Brook, 30; UT Martin, 22; Northern Iowa, 21; Northern Colorado, 17; Youngstown St., 17; Cal Poly, 16; North Carolina Central, 15; Harvard, 14; Dartmouth, 13; Eastern Washington, 12; Idaho St., 12; Chattanooga, 10; Lafayette, 10; Tennessee St., 10; Southeastern Louisiana, 8; Holy Cross, 7; Albany, 6; Central Arkansas, 5; Princeton, 4; William & Mary, 4; Gardner-Webb, 3; Presbyterian, 3; Indiana St., 2; McNeese, 2; West Georgia, 1.
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It took two overtime periods, but Tarleton State kicker Brad Larson hit a 37-yard field gold in the second OT to give the Texans a 30-27 upset victory over Army West Point. It was Tarleton’s first road victory over an FBS opponent in program history, and just the second win over an FBS opponent ever. The win jumped the Texans up five spots to a tie at No. 3 with Montana State in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, and they also earned a first-place vote.
North Dakota State remains the No. 1 team with 25 first-place votes. The Bison blanked The Citadel, 38-0. South Dakota State moved to the second spot after a decisive 20-3 victory over then-No. 14 Sacramento State. The loss dropped the Hornets to No. 16. Montana State dropped one spot to a tie at No. 3 after its 59-13 loss to Oregon, but the Bobcats will look to rebound as they host the No. 2 Jackrabbits this coming Saturday. UC Davis beat Utah Tech, 31-24, and moves up two spots to round out the top five.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 1 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (25) | 1-0 | 649 | 1 | D. The Citadel, 38-0 | Sept. 6 at Tennessee St. | |
| 2 | South Dakota St. | 1-0 | 586 | 3 | D. No. 14 Sacramento St., 20-3 | Sept. 6 at No. 3t Montana St. | |
| 3t. | Montana St. | 0-1 | 567 | 2 | Lost to Oregon, 59-13 | Sept. 6 vs. No. 2 South Dakota St. | |
| 3t. | Tarleton St. (1) | 2-0 | 567 | 8 | D. Army, 30-27 2OT | Sept. 6 vs. Mississippi Valley St. | |
| 5 | UC Davis | 1-0 | 469 | 7 | D. Utah Tech, 31-24 | Sept. 6 at Washington | |
| 6 | South Dakota | 0-1 | 465 | 5 | Lost to Iowa St., 55-7 | Sept. 6 at Lamar | |
| 7 | Illinois St. | 0-1 | 446 | 6 | Lost to Oklahoma, 35-3 | Sept. 6 vs. Morehead St. | |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 1-0 | 440 | 10 | D. Campbell, 31-20 | Sept. 6 at Stony Brook | |
| 9 | UIW | 1-1 | 412 | 4 | D. Eastern Washington, 31-21 | Sept. 13 at UTSA | |
| 10 | Montana | 0-0 | 402 | 9 | Idle | Sept. 6 vs. Central Washington | |
| 11 | Idaho | 0-1 | 384 | 12 | Lost to Washington St., 13-10 | Sept. 6 vs. St. Thomas (Minn.) | |
| 12 | Villanova | 0-0 | 338 | 13 | Idle | Sept. 6 vs. Colgate | |
| 13 | Lehigh | 1-0 | 291 | 15 | D. No. 22t Richmond, 21-14 | Sept. 6 vs. Sacred Heart | |
| 14 | Jackson St. | 1-0 | 268 | 17 | D. Hampton, 28-14 | Sept. 6 at Southern Miss | |
| 15 | Southern Illinois | 1-0 | 239 | 20 | D. Thomas More, 49-3 | Sept. 6 at Purdue | |
| 16 | Sacramento St. | 0-1 | 213 | 14 | Lost to No. 3 South Dakota St., 20-3 | Sept. 6 at Nevada | |
| 17 | ACU | 0-1 | 211 | 16 | Lost to Tulsa, 35-7 | Sept. 6 vs. No. 23 Stephen F. Austin | |
| 18 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 1-0 | 184 | 21 | D. Colgate, 42-39 | Sept. 6 at Fordham | |
| 19 | Northern Arizona | 0-1 | 167 | 18 | Lost to Arizona St., 38-19 | Sept. 6 vs. Utah Tech | |
| 20 | Tennessee Tech | 1-0 | 159 | 22t | D. Cumberland, 65-0 | Sept. 6 vs. Chattanooga | |
| 21 | Mercer | 0-1 | 156 | 11 | Lost to Presbyterian, 15-10 | Sept. 13 vs. Wofford | |
| 22 | North Dakota | 0-1 | 95 | NR | Lost to Kansas St., 38-35 | Sept. 6 vs. Portland St. | |
| 23 | Stephen F. Austin | 0-1 | 60 | 24 | Lost to Houston, 27-0 | Sept. 6 at No. 17 ACU | |
| 24 | East Tennessee St. | 1-0 | 58 | NR | D. Murray St., 45-17 | Sept. 6 at Tennessee | |
| 25t. | Nicholls | 1-1 | 57 | NR | Lost to Troy, 38-20 | Sept. 6 vs. West Georgia | |
| 25t. | Western Carolina | 0-1 | 57 | 19 | Lost to Gardner-Webb, 52-45 | Sept. 6 at Wake Forest |
Dropped Out: Richmond (22t), Stony Brook (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Austin Peay, 55; Richmond, 44; Furman, 41; South Carolina St., 40; Southern Utah, 36; New Hampshire, 30; Stony Brook, 30; UT Martin, 22; Northern Iowa, 21; Northern Colorado, 17; Youngstown St., 17; Cal Poly, 16; North Carolina Central, 15; Harvard, 14; Dartmouth, 13; Eastern Washington, 12; Idaho St., 12; Chattanooga, 10; Lafayette, 10; Tennessee St., 10; Southeastern Louisiana, 8; Holy Cross, 7; Albany, 6; Central Arkansas, 5; Princeton, 4; William & Mary, 4; Gardner-Webb, 3; Presbyterian, 3; Indiana St., 2; McNeese, 2; West Georgia, 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
