STEPHENVILLE — Just a couple of weeks ago, the United Athletic Conference announced its All-Conference honors, with 10 making the First and Second Teams. Recently the Phil Steele FCS 2024 UAC All-Conference teams were announced, with 12 Texans making the cut.
The same 10 players who made UAC All-Conference are also on the Phil Steele UAC All-Conference list, plus offensive lineman Hunter Smith and linebacker Bam Smith. On the First Team is wide receiver Darius Cooper, running back Kayvon Britten and offensive lineman Tuli Teuhema. On the Second Team is quarterback Victor Gabalis, offensive lineman Hunter Smith, offensive lineman Layton Ernst, defensive lineman Brandon Tolvert, linebacker Ty Rawls, defensive back Donta Stuart, defensive back Kasyus Kurns and punter Adrian Guzman. On the Third Team is linebacker Bam Smith.
Phil Steele’s FCS 2024 All American Teams were also announced earlier, with Britten and Cooper named to the exclusive list.
Britten finished as the leading rusher across the FCS and second across all of NCAA Division I football. Across 14 games, Britten rushed for 1,982 yards and 18 touchdowns on 340 carries, averaging 5.8 yards per rush and 141.6 yards per game. He also had a touchdown and 165 yards on 16 receptions, finishing with 2,147 yards from scrimmage and 19 total touchdowns. Britten set a new single-season program rushing record, surpassing Derrick Ross’ mark that had stood for 20 years (1,560 in 2004). He rushed for over 100 yards in 11 different games, and with 15 in his Tarleton State career, he had the most ever by a Texan. Britten is one of three players in program history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Britten finished eighth in the voting for the Walter Payton Award (National Offensive Player of the Year award). He was one of 35 finalists for the 2024 Walter Payton Award, one of 15 running backs among the finalists, with an additional 16 quarterbacks, three wide receivers and one offensive lineman. Britten was named the FCS Offensive National Player of the Week and UAC Offensive Player of the Week against North Alabama on Sept. 21 after 273 rushing yards and four touchdowns, averaging 13.0 yards per carry. Britten set a new program record for single-game rushing yards, surpassing Ross’ 269 yards rushing vs. Western New Mexico on Sept. 10, 2005. Britten’s 273 rushing yards are the most in a single-game across FCS and second most across all of NCAA Division I this season, with the FBS leader at 278 (Auburn’s Jarquez Hunter). Britten’s four rushing touchdowns are the tied-third most in a game at the FCS level this season. Britten tied the program record in scoring with his four touchdowns, joining six others. Before Britten, the most recent to score four times in a game was Xavier Turner on Oct. 20, 2018. In the second quarter at North Alabama, Britten scored his first touchdown on a 96-yard run, which marked the longest run in program history. It’s the third longest rushing play across D1 this year, a yard short of UIW’s Dekalon Taylor (Sept. 21) and Saint Francis’ DeMarcus McElroy (Sept. 14). On Oct. 5 at Southern Utah, Britten crossed the 1,000-yard mark in the sixth game of the year. Only five FCS players have reached 1,000 yards in fewer games; South Dakota State’s Zach Zenner in 2012, Portland State’s Charles Dunn in 2000, Sacramento State’s Charles Roberts in 1999, Siena’s Reggie Greene in 1997, and Butler’s Arnold Mickens in 1994.
Cooper finished as the leading receiver across all of NCAA Division I football, both FBS and FCS. Cooper had 1,450 yards and 14 touchdowns on 76 receptions, posting the most receiving yards in D1 college football, the tied-second most receiving TD’s in FCS (tied-third most across both FBS and FCS). Conference-wise, Cooper was first in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, receiving yards per game (103.6), and was tied-first in receptions. He was second in average yards per catch (19.1). Cooper had seven 100-yard games on the year, with six coming over the last seven games of the season. He posted four multi-TD games, and had nine games with at least five receptions. Cooper set a new program playoff record in single-game receiving yards with 190 in Tarleton’s first playoff game on Nov. 30, surpassing Jahmeel Hobson’s 188 vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville on Nov. 14, 2009. He set a new program record in career receiving yards at 3,185, surpassing Clifton Rhodes III’s 2,757 from 2011-14. He became the second player in program history to have multiple seasons with 1,000 receiving yards (Devin Guinn, 2007 and 2009), falling just 12 yards shy of the single-season receiving yard record of 1,462 set by Zimari Manning in 2019. Cooper set a new program record for 100-yard receiving games in a Texan player’s career at 14, surpassing Manning’s 12 in 2018-19. At 29 career receiving touchdowns, Cooper is second, only behind Manning (2018-19) at 34.
Teuhema, Hunter Smith and Ernst each started all 14 games and helped the Tarleton offense to national marks of sixth in red zone offense (.930), eighth in pass yards per completion (14.3), 17th in rushing offense (198.2 rush yards per game), 22nd in sacks allowed (1.23 per), 25th in turnovers lost (13), 27th in total offense (411.1 YPG) and 28th in scoring offense (30.7 PPG). Conference-wise, Tarleton’s offense ranked third in scoring offense, third in total offense, and third in rushing offense.
Gabalis led the Texans to a 9-3 overall record as the starting quarterback, 6-2 in UAC play. He completed 193-of-309 (.625) for 2,883 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 12 games, averaging 240.3 passing yards per game. He also scored a rushing touchdown and added 53 yards on the ground. Gabalis set career-bests in pass yards, pass touchdowns, and increased his completion percentage by eight percent. He threw a season-high four touchdowns twice, including in the second round of the playoffs at No. 4 ranked South Dakota, where he also had a season-high 379 passing yards. He had six multi-TD games on the year, including four games with three or more touchdowns. Conference-wise, Gabalis was second in pass yards per game, second in pass TD and second in total pass yards. Nationally, Gabalis was third in pass yards per completion (14.9), sixth in pass yards per attempt (9.3), 11th in pass yards, 18th in pass yards per game and 18th in pass TD.
Tolvert lived in the backfield all season, finishing with 11.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, four quarterback hurries, 63 total tackles and a pass breakup. Conference-wise, Tolvert was tied-third in tackles for loss and tied-10th in sacks. He posted multiple tackles for loss in four different games, including a 1.5 sack night against Utah Tech.
Rawls recorded three forced fumbles, two interceptions, a fumble recovery, six pass breakups, a sack, three tackles for loss, and 41 total tackles at linebacker. Conference-wise, Rawls was one of four players with three or more forced fumbles, and was tied-ninth in interceptions. In Week 5, Rawls was named the UAC Defensive Player of the Week after recording a fumble recovery, a forced fumble, a tackle for loss and six total tackles in Tarleton State’s 36-33 home win vs. Southeastern Louisiana. His forced and recovered fumble marked a crucial part of the game, key to Tarleton’s 15-point swing from trailing by five to leading by 10. When the Texans were down 19-14, they scored to go up 22-19, and three plays later, Rawls forced the takeaway. On the very next play, the Texans scored again to lead 29-19.
Stuart had a special senior season, leading the team in tackles with 97 (48 solo), adding two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, three pass breakups and two tackles for loss. At DB, Stuart was tied-second in fumble recoveries, seventh in tackles and tied-ninth in interceptions in the entire conference. Stuart had three games on the year with double-digit tackles, recording a season-high 18 against Southern Utah on Oct. 5. He completed his Texan career with 15 tackles and a TFL against 4-seed South Dakota in the second round of the playoffs.
Kurns was the complete player for Tarleton this season, recording three fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, two interceptions, nine pass breakups, a sack, six tackles for loss, 64 tackles (46 solo), and a quarterback hurry. He led the team in pass breakups, forced fumbles (tied with Rawls) and fumble recoveries. Kurns was one of 14 players nationally with three fumble recoveries and led the UAC in the category. He was one of four players in the conference with three or more forced fumbles, and finished second in the conference in passes defended (11). Kurns opened the season on national television with two fumble recoveries, adding a forced fumble, a tackle for loss and six total tackles against McNeese on Aug. 24, to take UAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. In the next week at Baylor, Kurns earned an interception.
Guzman booted 58 balls on the season covering 2,441 yards, averaging 42.1 yards per punt with 10 going 50 or more yards, and 23 pinning the opponent inside the 20-yard line, with just one touchback. Nationally, the Texans were 10th in Net Punting (40.8 yds per). Conference-wise, Guzman was second in punts inside the 20 and fourth in 50-yard punts. In Week 0, Guzman was named the UAC Special Teams players of the week, averaging 46.3 yards across his six boots, launching two 50+ yards and two inside the 20.
Bam Smith had the third most tackles on the team, finishing with 73 (35 solo). He also had the fourth most tackles for loss (5.5), a fumble recovery, a forced fumble, a half-sack, a pass breakup, and a tied-team-high five quarterback hurries. Bam Smith had a season-high 10 tackles against Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 2, the same game he earned his half-sack.
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