Tarleton State University battled Delta State University on Saturday to fight for their sixth win of the season, but came home with the season’s first loss. A late field goal by DSU put them ahead in the last seven seconds of the game to make the Texans’ season record 5-1.

The Texans returned home 5-1, but broke a school record for total offensive plays. They beat the 1996 record of 102 plays by four. Quarterback Jake Fenske also completed a career-high 34 passes for 240 yards.

In the first quarter, Blake Barnes had a successful field goal to score the only points Tarleton would have until the second quarter. DSU scored their first touchdown of the game with 4:13 remaining in the first. The scoreboard read 7-3, DSU, at the end of the first.

DSU scored one more touchdown before the half, but it wasn’t enough to match the three touchdowns from Tarleton in the second quarter. Fenske ran in the first Texan touchdown early in the second quarter.

Quarterback Aaron Doyle had a fumble to turn the ball over to Delta State for their only touchdown of the quarter. Fenske assisted with touchdown number two by tossing a short 4-yard pass to Andre Plata. Doyle’s 3-yard rush made the score 24-14, TSU, at the end of the first half.

Tarleton wasn’t able to score in the third quarter, but DSU’s two touchdowns made the score 28-24, DSU.

The fourth quarter came down to a final field goal. After two touchdowns by DBU, one field goal from Barnes, and a touchdown by Doyle, the score was 33-35, DSU. Barnes put up one last field goal with 1:10 left in the game. It looked like 6-0 for the Texans, but a last minute field goal by DBU put the Texans behind by two with seven seconds left to play. The final buzzer went off with the scoreboard reading 39-36, DSU.

Marquis Wadley led the team with 11 tackles and Dashaun Phillips had nine.

Tarleton will play against Texas A&M-Commerce Saturday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. for the TSU Homecoming.