What to know about Tarleton State, Villanova’s next matchup in the FCS playoffs
The program, located in Stephenville, Texas, where the quarterfinal game will be held on Saturday, transitioned from Division II to Division I in 2020, and has lost only one game this season.
Villanova football is riding a 10-game winning streak — its longest since the 1997 season — and will travel to Stephenville, Texas to take on fourth-seeded Tarleton State in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs on Saturday (noon ET, ESPN).
Villanova (11-2), the No. 12 seed in the bracket, is coming off a 14-7 upset against then-undefeated Lehigh (the No. 5 seed) on the road. The Wildcats scored 14 points in the second half, including a 28-yard Braden Reed touchdown reception with just over three minutes remaining, to pull off the victory.
Pat McQuaide led Villanova’s passing attack, throwing for 208 yards and the game-winning touchdown. The touchdown pass was the 50th of McQuaide’s career and 23rd as a Wildcat, meaning he has thrown almost half of his career touchdowns in his single season in blue and white.
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It was also his eighth game of the season with 200 or more passing yards. McQuaide isaveraging 211.1 yards per game, which is 29th in the FCS.
Tarelton (12-1) had a first-round bye and is coming off a dominant 31-13 win over North Dakota in the second round last weekend.
Who is Tarleton State?
Some schools in the FCS playoffs are not the most recognizable.
Tarleton State is located in Stephenville, about a two-hour drive from Dallas.
The Texans are part of the United Athletic Conference. They were formerly in the Western Athletic Conference since 2021, before it merged with the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2022.
It became an FCS football program in 2020, when the program switched from Division II to Division I.
Tarleton State has made it to the FCS playoffs in consecutive seasons, just five years after becoming a Division I program. Last season, the Texans won their first FCS playoff game against Drake, but fell to No. 4 South Dakota in the second round. Eagles rookie wide receiver Darius Cooper starred for Tarleton State from 2020-24.
Limit the turnovers
Villanova has prided itself on winning the turnover battle, and it has done so consistently this season. Its five total turnovers are currently an FCS low.
McQuaide has thrown just two interceptions, and only one in FCS play, this season. He has thrown 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions over his last five games.
Villanova has only lost three fumbles. Over the course of its 10-game win streak, Villanova has won the turnover battle, 16-2.
Defense needs to be near perfect
Villanova’s defense has shut down efficient offensive teams of late. The unit held Lehigh to one touchdown and its second-lowest offensive output this season (339 total yards).
The week before, the Wildcats held Harvard to a season-low 213 total yards.
Tarleton State is averaging an FCS-high 44.1 points. The Texans recorded a 61-0 blowout win against North Alabama on Nov. 15 and have scored 30 or more points in each win this season.
The Texans scored a season-low 28 points in their only loss against then- No. 24 Abilene Christian in early November.
Villanova has held opponents to an average of eight points in its last three games.
Graduate linebacker Shane Hartzell leads the Wildcats’ defense by a wide margin, with 87 total tackles (50 solo). Hartzell scooped up his first fumble recovery of the season against Lehigh and recorded six total tackles (five solo). This season, Hartzell has a team-high eight sacks.
Villanova needs to run the football
Villanova has some of the best running back depth in the FCS. Even with standout David Avit missing the last four games, Ja’briel Mace and Isaiah Ragland have stepped up.
Mace and Ragland have rushed for career-high games during Avit’s absence due to a knee injury. Mace even broke Brian Westbrook’s 21-year-old single-game rushing record on Nov. 8 with 291 yards against Towson.
Tarelton currently allows 163.6 rushing yards per game, which ranks 69th in the FCS.
Villanova has leaned on its rushing game all season. It averages 177.8 rushing yards per contest, which is 32nd nationally. Despite rushing for a season-low 27 rushing yards last weekend, Villanova has averaged 194.4 rushing yards over the last three. Ragland rushed for a career-high 152 rushing yards against Harvard two weeks ago, when Villanova finished with a season-high 48 carries.