Tarleton State and Abilene Christian launch the “Hundred-Mile Showdown” on Saturday in Stephenville, renewing a century-old rivalry with major UAC stakes. The No. 1 Texans are unbeaten; ACU has surged after a difficult start. The winner will take sole possession of first place in the conference with two games left.

By the Numbers
  • Tarleton State: 9-0 overall, 4-0 in the UAC; ACU: 5-4 overall, 4-0 in the UAC.
  • The teams have met 41 times; ACU leads the series 24-13-4.
  • Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at Memorial Stadium, which seats 24,000.
  • Tarleton averages 40.3 points and 513.1 yards per game; quarterback Kaden Anderson has thrown for 2,619 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Yes, But

Tarleton is ranked No. 1 and enters undefeated, but ACU has won four straight and has taken the last three meetings in Stephenville. The rivalry has been close lately: 10 of the teams’ 13 matchups since 2006 were decided by one score.

State of Play
  • The winner will lead the UAC outright and move within one win of at least a share of the conference title.
  • The new rivalry name reflects the roughly 100 miles between the schools; future games will feature a trophy.
  • Tarleton will honor 25 seniors before kickoff.
What’s Next

Two conference games will remain after Saturday, leaving the winner in control of its path toward the UAC title. Tarleton is scheduled to visit West Florida on Nov. 14.

Bottom Line

This is more than a rivalry-name debut: an unbeaten No. 1 team faces a surging challenger with first place on the line. Tarleton has the ranking and record; ACU brings recent success in Stephenville and a history of close finishes.