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:
College Football News
SEC's Sankey says language in tampering rules is 'archaic'
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey called NCAA language covering tampering rules "archaic," but stopped short of urging the oversight body to halt tampering investigations, the way the Big Ten did earlier this week.
USC lands commitment from five-star safety Fa'alave-Johnson
USC picked up a cornerstone commitment in the 2027 class Saturday with a pledge from five-star safety Honor Fa'alave-Johnson, the top-ranked high school prospect in the state of California.
Louisiana Tech on C-USA, Sun Belt schedules amid standoff
Conference USA and the Sun Belt both included Louisiana Tech on their 2026 football schedules amid a standoff on the Bulldogs' switch between leagues.
Scouting top college football prospects and how they'll fit in 2026
The top 2026 recruits at each position have their new homes. Here's how their games will work.
2026 NFL mock draft: Top 10 pick predictions off free agency
How has NFL free agency affected 2026 draft plans? Here are Field Yates' updated predictions for picks Nos. 1-10.