RIO GRANDE VALLEY – For the third time this season and second week in a row, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) football program is receiving votes in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl.
The Vaqueros are receiving 10 points in the week 7 poll after previously receiving five in the week 4 poll and four in the week 6 poll. UTRGV is 5-1, with the lone loss coming to No. 22 Southeastern.
The Vaqueros are off to one of the best 6-game starts by a brand new Division I FCS program since 2008, matching Kennesaw State (5-1 in 2015) and one game behind South Alabama (6-0 in 2009), who did not play any Division I competition that season.
UTRGV is one of four Southland Conference institutions ranked or receiving votes, along with its next opponent, No. 18 Lamar, No. 22 Southeastern, and (RV) Stephen F. Austin.
AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl – October 13, 2025
| Rank |
School (1st votes) |
Rec. |
Pts. |
Prev. |
Week 7 |
Next Game |
| 1 |
North Dakota St. (26) |
6-0 |
650 |
1 |
D. No. 9 Southern Illinois, 45-17 |
Oct. 18 at Indiana St. |
| 2 |
South Dakota St. |
6-0 |
621 |
2 |
D. Northern Iowa, 31-3 |
Oct. 18 at Murray St. |
| 3 |
Tarleton St. |
7-0 |
598 |
3 |
D. Utah Tech, 41-23 |
Oct. 18 vs. No. 23 West Georgia |
| 4 |
Montana |
6-0 |
567 |
4 |
D. Cal Poly, 28-9 |
Oct. 18 vs. Sacred Heart |
| 5 |
Montana St. |
5-2 |
525 |
5 |
D. Idaho St., 48-14 |
Oct. 25 at Cal Poly |
| 6 |
UC Davis |
5-1 |
504 |
6 |
D. No. 16 Northern Arizona, 45-24 |
Oct. 25 at Northern Colorado |
| 7 |
Lehigh |
7-0 |
470 |
8 |
D. Columbia, 31-7 |
Oct. 25 at Fordham |
| 8 |
Tennessee Tech |
6-0 |
465 |
7 |
D. Charleston Southern, 27-13 |
Oct. 18 at Lindenwood |
| 9 |
Illinois St. |
4-2 |
431 |
10 |
D. Murray St., 46-32 |
Oct. 18 vs. No. 25 Youngstown St. |
| 10 |
Monmouth (N.J.) |
5-1 |
410 |
11 |
D. Towson, 42-31 |
Oct. 18 vs. Stony Brook |
| 11 |
North Dakota |
4-2 |
391 |
12 |
D. No. 20 Youngstown St., 35-17 |
Oct. 18 at No. 12 Southern Illinois |
| 12 |
Southern Illinois |
4-2 |
323 |
9 |
Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 45-17 |
Oct. 18 vs. No. 11 North Dakota |
| 13 |
Jackson St. |
5-1 |
318 |
14 |
D. Alabama St., 38-34 |
Oct. 25 vs. Grambling St. |
| 14 |
Villanova |
4-2 |
289 |
17 |
D. Elon, 29-21 |
Oct. 18 vs. Hampton |
| 15 |
Rhode Island |
5-2 |
267 |
18 |
D. New Hampshire, 38-27 |
Oct. 18 at UAlbany |
| 16 |
Mercer |
5-1 |
249 |
19 |
D. Princeton, 38-14 |
Oct. 25 vs. VMI |
| 17 |
ACU |
4-3 |
228 |
21t |
D. No. 21t West Georgia, 30-13 |
Oct. 18 at Southern Utah |
| 18 |
Lamar |
5-1 |
203 |
24 |
D. East Texas A&M, 33-23 |
Oct. 18 vs. UT Rio Grande Valley |
| 19 |
Presbyterian |
6-0 |
176 |
23 |
D. Butler, 31-25 |
Oct. 18 vs. Stetson |
| 20 |
Harvard |
4-0 |
145 |
25 |
D. Cornell, 34-10 |
Oct. 18 vs. Merrimack |
| 21 |
Northern Arizona |
4-3 |
100 |
16 |
Lost to No. 6 UC Davis, 45-24 |
Oct. 25 at Idaho St. |
| 22 |
Southeastern Louisiana |
4-2 |
98 |
NR |
Idle |
Oct. 18 vs. Northwestern St. |
| 23 |
West Georgia |
5-2 |
70 |
21t |
Lost to No. 21t ACU, 30-13 |
Oct. 18 at No. 3 Tarleton St. |
| 24 |
Austin Peay |
4-3 |
64 |
15 |
Lost to Eastern Kentucky, 34-20 |
Oct. 25 vs. North Alabama |
| 25 |
Youngstown St. |
3-3 |
53 |
20 |
Lost to No. 12 North Dakota, 35-17 |
Oct. 18 at No. 9 Illinois St. |
Dropped Out: Idaho (13)
Others Receiving Votes: Gardner-Webb, 37; South Dakota, 34; Stephen F. Austin, 34; Lafayette, 28; Western Carolina, 19; North Carolina Central, 14; Idaho, 10; Sacramento St., 10;
UT Rio Grande Valley, 10; Brown, 8; Dartmouth, 7; Penn, 7; Alabama St., 5; Central Arkansas, 4; Elon, 3; Furman, 3; East Tennessee St., 1; Eastern Kentucky, 1.
In the National Rankings
UTRGV currently leads the FCS in four statistical categories, ranks in the top 10 in 19 categories, and the top 25 in 25 categories:
| Category |
Value |
FCS Rank |
SLC Rank |
| Blocked Kicks Allowed |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Blocked Punts Allowed |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Points Per Game |
48.7 |
2 |
1 |
| Total Yards Per Game |
533.5 |
2 |
1 |
| Rushing Yards Per Game |
257.3 |
3 |
1 |
| Fumbles Recovered |
7 |
4 |
1 |
| Points Allowed Per Game |
14.3 |
4 |
1 |
| Team Passing Efficiency Defense |
101.16 |
4 |
1 |
| Fumbles Lost |
1 |
6 |
1 |
| Passing Yards Per Completion |
15.06 |
6 |
1 |
| Turnovers Gained |
13 |
6 |
1 |
| Turnover Margin |
1.33 |
6 |
1 |
| Total Yards Allowed Per Game |
270.5 |
6 |
1 |
| First Downs Allowed |
88 |
9 |
1 |
| Winning Percentage |
.833 |
9 |
1 |
| Defensive Touchdowns |
2 |
9 |
3 |
| Passing Yards Per Game |
276.2 |
10 |
1 |
| Team Passing Efficiency |
172.93 |
10 |
1 |
| Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game |
103.5 |
10 |
2 |
| Turnovers Lost |
5 |
12 |
1 |
| Team Tackles for Loss Per Game |
7.2 |
12 |
2 |
| Third Down Conversion Pct. Defense |
.315 |
13 |
2 |
| Passing Yards Allowed Per Game |
167.0 |
13 |
3 |
| Passes Intercepted |
6 |
20 |
2 |
| Punt Return Defense |
5.22 |
20 |
3 |
UTRGV also has 17 student-athletes ranking among the national leaders:
| Player |
Stat |
Total |
FCS Rank |
SLC Rank |
| Eddie Lee Marburger |
Passing Yards Per Completion |
15.68 |
3 |
1 |
|
Yards Per Pass Attempt |
10.31 |
3 |
1 |
|
Passing Efficiency |
180.4 |
6 |
1 |
|
Passing Touchdowns |
14 |
10 |
1 |
|
Points Responsible For Per Game |
17.0 |
10 |
1 |
|
Points Responsible For |
102 |
11 |
1 |
|
Total Yards Per Game |
280.7 |
11 |
1 |
|
Passing Yards Per Game |
245.7 |
15 |
1 |
|
Passing Yards |
1,474 |
16 |
1 |
|
Completion Percentage |
.657 |
25 |
3 |
|
Completions Per Game |
15.67 |
53 |
4 |
|
Rushing Touchdowns |
3 |
114 |
6 |
|
Rushing Yards Per Game |
35.0 |
185 |
12 |
|
Rushing Yards |
210 |
200 |
13 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Xayvion Noland |
Yards Per Reception |
30.17 |
1 |
1 |
|
Receiving Yards |
543 |
12 |
1 |
|
Receiving Yards Per Game |
90.5 |
12 |
1 |
|
Receiving Touchdowns |
4 |
33 |
3 |
|
All Purpose Yards Per Game |
113.67 |
29 |
2 |
|
Total Touchdowns |
4 |
122 |
7 |
|
Kick Return Yards |
139 |
106 |
6 |
|
Receptions Per Game |
3.00 |
174 |
11 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Tony Diaz |
Receiving Touchdowns |
5 |
13 |
1 |
|
Receiving Yards Per Game |
65.2 |
56 |
4 |
|
Receptions Per Game |
4.50 |
56 |
4 |
|
Receiving Yards |
391 |
60 |
3 |
|
Total Touchdowns |
5 |
70 |
2 |
|
Yards Per Reception |
14.48 |
114 |
6 |
|
Scoring |
5.0 |
147 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
| TJ Dement |
Rushing Touchdowns |
5 |
44 |
2 |
|
Total Touchdowns |
5 |
70 |
2 |
|
Rushing Yards Per Game |
40.5 |
152 |
8 |
|
Scoring |
5.0 |
157 |
8 |
|
Rushing Yards |
243 |
160 |
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Brysen Gardner |
Field Goals Per Game |
1.33 |
12 |
1 |
|
Scoring |
8.0 |
20 |
1 |
|
Field Goal Percentage |
.800 |
23 |
3 |
|
Points Responsible For Per Game |
8.0 |
81 |
6 |
|
Points Responsible For |
48 |
90 |
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Fabian Garcia |
Rushing Touchdowns |
3 |
114 |
6 |
|
Rushing Yards Per Game |
42.6 |
142 |
7 |
|
Rushing Yards |
213 |
193 |
11 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Alijah Prosser |
Forced Fumbles |
0.33 |
11 |
3 |
|
Passes Defended Per Game |
1.00 |
41 |
2 |
|
Interceptions Per Game |
0.17 |
146 |
15 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Elijah Graham |
Fumble Recoveries |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|
Interceptions Per Game |
0.33 |
27 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Jaiden Haygood |
Fumble Recoveries |
1 |
34 |
4 |
|
Total Tackles |
7.5 |
83 |
12 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Logic Hudgens |
Interceptions Per Game |
0.33 |
27 |
2 |
|
Fumble Recoveries |
1 |
34 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Percy Jackson III |
Forced Fumbles Per Game |
0.40 |
10 |
2 |
|
Fumble Recoveries |
1 |
34 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ian Box |
Sacks Per Game |
0.50 |
57 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Abdon Mata |
Sacks Per Game |
0.50 |
57 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Amari Pouncy |
Fumble Recoveries |
1 |
34 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Spencer Rich |
Fumble Recoveries |
1 |
34 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Djouvensky Schlenbaker |
Rushing Touchdowns |
3 |
114 |
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ismael Smith Flores |
Receiving Touchdowns |
3 |
66 |
6 |
Up Next
UTRGV resumes action on Saturday at 3 p.m. at No. 18 Lamar. Fans can watch online domestically on
ESPN+ and internationally on
Southland International. Fans can also listen locally on Ultra 90.1 FM, in Laredo on Pure Country 95.7 FM, and online via the
Radio Para Mi app.
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