Villanova Wildcats at Tarleton State Texans
· FCS Championship - Quarterfinals
McQuaide's 4th-quarter TD pass to Reed lifts Villanova to 26-21 FCS quarterfinal win
The 12th-seeded Wildcats (12-2) won their 11th straight game — their longest streak since winning 12 in 1997 — to advance to play unseeded Illinois State in a semifinal next Saturday.
The fourth-seeded Texans (12-2) began their final drive with about eight minutes left and reached the Villanova 11 with two minutes remaining. On fourth-and-6, Victor Gabalis found Trevon West for an apparent touchdown. But the score was overturned when replays showed West just missed getting a toe down inbounds on the left edge of the end zone.
Gabalis had extended a two-point halftime lead to 21-12 with his 15-yard pass to West before Ja'briel Mace's 47-yard rushing TD again made it a two-point game in the third quarter. Mace had 151 yards rushing.
Tarleton scored first after Omar Emmons blocked a punt with Daniel Creek eventually scoring from the 1.
The Texans made it 14-0 in the first quarter after McQuaide tried to flip the ball to a receiver in the end zone but it was snagged by Blake Smith. On the next play, Gabalis found Peyton Kramer deep down the middle for an 80-yard score.
Villanova got on the board with a Jack Barnum field goal then Anthony Hopkins' interception set up Reed's 27-yard wide-receiver TD pass to Lucas Kopecky. Another Barnum field goal cut Tarleton's lead to 14-12 at halftime.
The Texans dropped their first home game after seven wins this season and had a nine-game home streak snapped.
How To Watch
How can I watch Villanova Wildcats vs. Tarleton State Texans?
- TV Channel: Wildcats at Texans 2021 College Football, week 1, is broadcasted on ESPN.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
 |
TD | 1st Period 11:32 | Peyton Kramer 80 Yd pass from Victor Gabalis (Brad Larson Kick) |
|
TD | 1st Period 7:30 | Daniel Greek 1 Yd Run (Brad Larson Kick) |
 |
FG | 2nd Period 12:52 | Jack Barnum 31 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 2nd Period 11:20 | Lucas Kopecky 27 Yd pass from Braden Reed (Jack Barnum PAT blocked) |
|
FG | 2nd Period 1:40 | Jack Barnum 42 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 3rd Period 12:35 | Trevon West 15 Yd pass from Victor Gabalis (Brad Larson Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 11:46 | Ja'briel Mace 47 Yd Run (Jack Barnum Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 12:49 | Braden Reed 11 Yd pass from Pat McQuaide (Jack Barnum Kick) |
Statistics
 VILL |
 TAR |
|
|---|---|---|
| 23 | 1st Downs | 17 |
| 7-15 | 3rd down efficiency | 3-11 |
| 1-1 | 4th down efficiency | 1-3 |
| 426 | Total Yards | 266 |
| 207 | Passing | 210 |
| 17/34 | Comp/Att | 12/23 |
| 6.1 | Yards per pass | 9.1 |
| 219 | Rushing | 56 |
| 38 | Rushing Attempts | 31 |
| 5.8 | Yards per rush | 1.8 |
| 9-84 | Penalties | 4-30 |
| 1 | Turnovers | 1 |
| 0 | Fumbles lost | 0 |
| 1 | Interceptions thrown | 1 |
| 33:33 | Possession | 26:27 |
Game Information
Location: Stephenville, TX
Capacity:
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