ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Thanks to a battering, bruising defense, Central Washington is still the only unbeaten team in Division II.

The top-ranked Wildcats stymied No. 12 Tarleton State in cruising to a 27-6 victory Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Tarleton State (10-3) jumped out to a 3-0 lead, before CWU and the No. 1 scoring defense in the country clamped down, forcing two fumbles and holding the high-powered Texans' offense to only 58 yards in the first half.

The Texans, who entered the game averaging more than 400 yards per game offensively, were unable to establish anything on the ground, being held to (minus)-14 yards rushing. It was the fourth time this season CWU (12-0) has held an opponent to negative rushing yards.

Tarleton State took an early 3-0 lead after Bradley Bullitt intercepted a Cole Morgan pass and returned 58 yards to the CWU 26. But the CWU defense would clamp down, holding the Texans to just a field goal from then on.

Morgan answered on the ensuing drive finding Johnny Spevak for a 48-yard TD strike that gave the Wildcats the lead for good.

"This defense never surprises me," Central Washington head coach Blaine Bennett said. "…They've done an amazing job all year. Even when we gave up that interception, to hold the opponent to only a field goal in a critical time in the first quarter was a huge stop."

The Texans were coming off a 57-56 double-overtime victory against Texas A&M-Kingsville where the Texans had put up 530 yards of offense. The Wildcats held them to 178 yards.

"This is the toughest time we've had running the football all year," Tarleton State head coach Sam McElroy said. "Central Washington has, statistically through the season, been a tremendous defense and they've played good people and they did a good job again today. We were not able to do much of anything offensively."

A fumble by TSU's Roderick Smith inside the Texans' 20 would set up Randall Eldridge for his first score, a 2-yard run that extended the Wildcats lead to 14-3.

Garrett Lindholm hit from 31 yards to pull Tarleton State within eight, but Garrett Rolsma was good from 27 yards just before halftime to give CWU a 17-6 edge at the break.

Scott Grantham connected with Jahmeel Hobson for 59 yards on TSU's first drive of the second half, accounting for more yards on one play than the Texans had amassed in the entire first half. The drive ended when Smith fumbled again, ending the Texans best scoring opportunity of the second half.

Eldridge then broke a 60-yard run that led to another Rolsma field goal. He would finish with 101 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns.

"I feel like there is always room for improvement," CWU linebacker Buddy Wood said. "I don't think our defense is playing its best ball. We played very well today but we can always get better, work harder and hopefully next week we can have our best game thus far."

Morgan threw for a season-high 287 yards and a touchdown. Spevak had five catches for 97 yards and a score to lead the way for CWU.

"Honestly, everything worked," Morgan said. "I screwed us up with a pick and I checked out of a play I shouldn't have. Other than that, we moved the ball really well."

The Wildcats, the top seed in Super Region Four, will host second-seeded Northwest Missouri State (11-1) in the national quarterfinals next Saturday.