In an instant classic that could later decide the winner of the United Athletic Conference, the Wildcats and kicker Brandon Perez defeated the Tarleton State University Texans on a last-second field goal from 47 yards away. 

Perez, junior from Crandall, has now hit on six of 10 field goals this season after missing a field goal earlier in the second half against TSU. 

Before the made kick, Tarleton Head Coach Todd Whitten called a timeout to ice the kick, a common tactic to get in the head of the kicker before a big field goal attempt. 

“I wanted to just do my job,” Perez said. “Just do my eleventh.” 

On the opening drive of the game, Stone Earle, senior quarterback from Fort Worth, threw an interception to TSU defensive back Devin Sterling. The Texans were set up to strike first before having to settle for a field goal, only to have it blocked by Kortlin Rausaw, senior defensive lineman from Wylie. 

The blocked kick was the first of the season for the Wildcats. It flipped the momentum back in favor of the Wildcats, eventually turning into a Jed Castles touchdown from two yards out. 

Castles, senior tight end from Wichita Falls, had not found paydirt since Sept. 20 versus Austin Peay State University. 

The Wildcats would later add to their lead with a three-play touchdown drive as Rovaughn Banks, Jr., junior running back from Tulsa, Oklahoma, picked up the phone for a 40-yard house call, giving the Wildcats a 14-0 lead through the first quarter. 

From there, the Texans caught fire, scoring 10 points in the second quarter without allowing an additional score from the Wildcats in the first half. Quarterback Victor Gabalis connected with star wide receiver Peyton Kramer for a nine-yard score at the 8:12 mark. It was Kramer’s fifth touchdown of the season and his first since Oct. 4. 

“They throw the deep ball as good as anybody,” Head Coach Keith Patterson said. “The thing we did well today was stop the run. That was the whole game plan.” 

Banks, Jr. would later find the endzone for a second time, marking the first time in his collegiate career that he scored two touchdowns in a single game. 

The fourth quarter featured 18 points from TSU as the Texans battled back from down 28-10. Gabalis connected with wide receiver Cody Johnson for a 25-yard strike, followed by a successful two-point conversion. Larson would kick his second successful field goal of the night, followed by a one-yard rushing touchdown from quarterback Daniel Greek, frequently used for goal-to-go scores. 

Late in the fourth quarter, Gabalis connected with receiver Trevon West, brother of Wildcat safety Harold West, senior from Arlington, for a 31-yard gain. After the catch was made, Harold West laid the hit on Trevon, causing a substantial delay as Trevon did not get up for about 10 minutes.

The scary brother-on-brother hit left Wildcat Stadium silent as Trevon lay on the turf surrounded by medical staff, and Harold walked back to the home sideline emotional, waiting for any sign of good news from his brother. Running backs Coach Jason Smith told the crowd that the two were brothers and asked them to pray for Trevon. Trainers later waved to the ambulance for a stretcher, but Trevon was able to walk off under his own power.

The Texans climbed to a tie with the Wildcats with 56 seconds to go. The Cats started their final drive from their 25. Play number one, Earle found tight end Bryan “Itty” Henry, junior from Belton, for a 38-yard catch and run, nearly putting the Wildcats in range for the game-winning kick. 

The Wildcats would rush up the middle twice for a total of seven yards and take a deep shot for Javon Gipson, senior wide receiver from Richmond, looking to seal the game with six points with 22 seconds remaining. 

Perez got to his spot with eight seconds on the clock. The snap was pure, the hold was flawless, the kick was up, soaring through the air as Perez and a sold-out crowd of 12,000 held their breath to see the result. 

He nailed it. Just inside the left post, the kick secured the victory for the Wildcats. The win was the team’s seventh consecutive on Homecoming and their fourth out of the last five versus the Texans. 

With three games to go, the Wildcats control their destiny with a lead in the UAC and the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Texans.