they even start. A bigger program plays a smaller school at home, gets some younger players involved, and then moves on to the more important games on the schedule.
That’s what Bowling Green probably expected against Tarleton State.
It didn’t exactly work out that way.
CFB World Reacts to Shocking Bowling Green Upset
Tarleton went into Doyt L. Perry Stadium and came away with a huge upset over the Falcons. This wasn’t a game where the Texans showed up, collected their paycheck, and went home. They actually took advantage of the opportunity and played well enough to win on the road.
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Tartleton State even got paid to go in there for the upset victory. According to one college football page on twitter, “Bowling Green paid Tartleton State $360,000 to get beat 20-13.”
Bowling Green paid Tarleton State $360,000 to get BEAT 20-13
💰💰💰🔥🔥🔥🚨🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/hJadaYVZjD
— NCAAF Nation (@NCAAFNation247) September 5, 2026
Tylan Hines was a big reason for it. Bowling Green had a hard time dealing with him all game, as he finished with 250 rushing yards while averaging 9.6 yards per carry. Every time Bowling Green looked like it had a chance to slow him down, Hines seemed to find another hole and pick up another big chunk of yards.
The running game also helped Tarleton State control things up front. Bowling Green never really found a good rhythm, and even though the Falcons finished with nearly 400 total yards, they struggled to turn that production into points.
That’s where Tarleton State’s defense came through. Holding Bowling Green to only 13 points made a huge difference. The Texans gave up some yards, but they were able to make stops when Bowling Green actually needed to finish a drive. It wasn’t necessarily a perfect defensive performance, but it was good enough to keep the Falcons from getting back into the game.
Then you have the money side of these games, which makes the whole thing even funnier.
Bowling Green paid Tarleton State to come to its stadium and beat them. Big time college football analyst RJ Young took the massive upset to twitter by saying,” 1. It’s not just that FCS Tarleton State beat Eddie George’s Bowling Green, 20-13. 2. It’s that Bowling Green paid $360,000 for the privilege! 3. PUT THE MONEY IN THE BAG!”
1. It’s not just that FCS Tarleton State beat Eddie George’s Bowling Green, 20-13.
2. It’s that Bowling Green paid $360,000 for the privilege!
3. PUT THE MONEY IN THE BAG!💰
— RJ Young (@RJ_Young) September 5, 2026
That’s usually not how these matchups are supposed to go. The bigger program pays the smaller school to come in, the smaller school gets some money, and the bigger team gets a game that’s expected to be pretty manageable. It’s a win-win situation for both sides, at least that’s the idea.
Tarleton State obviously didn’t get that memo. Chris Hummer a national CFB writer & Transfer Portal for 247 sports and CBS Sports said,”Tarleton State just upset Bowling Green, 20-13, for a huge FCS over FBS win. It’s the 2nd straight year the Texans have beat a FBS team after knocking off Army in week 2 last season. The Texans continue their emergence as a FCS power.”
Tarleton State just upset Bowling Green, 20-13, for a huge FCS over FBS win.
It’s the 2nd straight year the Texans have beat a FBS team after knocking off Army in Week 2 last season.
The Texans continue their emergence as a FCS power. https://t.co/tKVwI4nV6g
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) September 5, 2026
“I gotta respect Tarleton asking for such low payouts. They do not care about your money. They just want to kick some FBS tail. Army gave them $225,000 last year I believe.” Redshirt Sports writer Omar Rashon Borja wrote.
”FCS TARLETON STATE TAKES DOWN BOWLING GREEN ON THE ROAD 🚨.” Popular college football account named “CFB Kings” alerted the fans.
For Tarleton State, though, this is another big win for a program that’s starting to get more attention. The Texans already knocked off Army in double overtime at West Point last season, and now they can add Bowling Green to the list. Army finished 7-6 last year and made a bowl game, so that was clearly a big win for them.
According to PFN’s Offensive Impact Rankings from the 2025 season, Bowling Green had a 64.2 grade compared to Army’s 75.1. So while this win may not carry quite the same weight as the Army victory, it’s still another impressive result for Tarleton and a great feather in the cap for the program.
Tarleton State could be the next FCS hopeful to take a stab at coming into the FBS ranks in the same way North Dakota State just did.
That’s usually not how these matchups are supposed to go. The bigger program pays the smaller school to come in, the smaller school gets some money, and the bigger team gets a game that’s expected to be pretty manageable. It’s a win-win situation for both sides, at least that’s the idea.
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Maybe Bowling Green thought it was getting an easy game.
Tarleton State clearly didn’t look at it that way and had other plans.
