Tarleton makes a big jump in national poll to number 9

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STEPHENVILLE – After going into the home of the defending national champions and coming out on top, Tarleton Football is back among the top 10 football programs in the nation according to the latest American Football Coaches Association poll.

The Texans moved up seven spots to No. 9 in the nation and now lead the way among Lone Star Conference schools with MSU Texas at No. 10 and Texas A&M-Commerce at No. 18. West Texas A&M continues to receive votes as well.

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The seven-spot jump by Tarleton was the largest among any team in the Division II poll this week.

Tarleton improved to 6-0 on the season with a 47-21 win against Texas A&M-Commerce Saturday night. It’s the third longest winning streak to begin a season in program history, joining only the 2007 team’s 8-0 start and the 1990 team’s school-record 11-0 start. It is also the best start to a season under head coach Todd Whitten.

This marks the fifth different season that Tarleton has been ranked under head coach Todd Whitten. The ninth-year leader of the Texans led Tarleton to its first national ranking in 2001 and took them as high as No. 6 in the nation during the 2002 season. This is the 90th week in Tarleton’s NCAA history the Texans have been ranked, including the fourth straight this year. It is the 14th week in program history that Tarleton has been a national top-10 team, nine of which have now come under Whitten’s guidance.

Tarleton will be back on display in Stephenville Saturday night for the annual homecoming game at 6 p.m. when the Texans renew their rivalry with Texas A&M-Kingsville.

For the complete AFCA ranking, v

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