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FLORENCE, Ala. --Homecoming is coming early this season for the University of North Alabama football team.

Just three games into the 2022 season, the Lions will host Tarleton State at Braly Stadium this Saturday at 6:00 p.m. for the Lions' 73rd football Homecoming game.

The Texans are familiar to the Lions, with the two schools having faced each other in 2012 and 2013. In those two meetings, the visiting team had the upper hand.

UNA hopes to change that when it faces an opponent that is following a similar path as the Lions.

North Alabama completed its four year transition to Division I and FCS Football this past summer and is now a fully-eligible member of Division I. Tarleton State is also making the move to the FCS and the Texans are in their third season of the transition process. TSU is competing as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

UNA comes into the game with a 1-2 record, coming off a tough road loss at ninth ranked Chatttanooga.

The Texans are 2-1 overall and have wins over Mississippi Valley State and Eastern New Mexico.

"Tarleton has a really explosive offense," said UNA Head Football Coach Chris Willis. "Their quarterback has a quick release, they have good size at receiver and we expect to get challenged a lot down the field. They also have really good speed on defense.

"As far as our team, we have to get off to faster starts than we have," Willis added. "We can't keep starting games with three-and-outs. We also have to play better on third down."

UNA hasn't scored a single point in the first quarter this season and has trailed early in all three games. The Lions are also only converting on 36 percent of third down tries.

"This is a big game for us, not only because it's the next one, but we follow it up with a week off before conference play," Willis said. "We need a win going into our bye week and then take that momentum into getting ready for conference play."

The UNA defense will be tested by a Texan offensive attack that throws for 274 yards per game and is averaging 419 total yards.

Tarleton quarterback Beau Allen has thrown for 822 yards and six touchdowns in three games, and Deangelo Rosemond has rushed for 156 yards and three TDs. Receiver Jaden Smith is also a big play threat with 22 catches for 316 yards and four scores,

The Lions will be looking for some Homecoming magic as they hope to extend their current Homecoming winning streak to 17 games.UNA hasn't lost a Homecoming contest since 2004 and is 52-19-1 all-time on Homecoming. There was no Homecoming game in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Lions have seen a lot of positives in the early going in 2022.

True freshman quarterback Noah Walters has move into the starting spot under center and threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns last week.

Sophomore running back ShunDerrick Powell ranks seventh in the FCS in rushing with 121.3 yards per game. He is third in total rushing yards, fourth in rushing touchdowns and 16th nationally in all-purpose yards.
    
The North Alabama defense has already forced seven turnovers this season and UNA's +4 turnover margin has the Lions tied for 11th nationally in that category.
    
As far as holding on to the football, the Lions have not lost a fumble all season in 113 rushing attempts.

The Lions will have nexrt weekend off before beginning a stretch of five straight ASUN games against Kennesaw State, Jacksonville State, Eastern Kentucky, Central Arkansas and Austin Peay.