BEAUMONT – (RV) The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros football team came back from a 17-0 deficit before a late 57-yard field goal sent the No. 18 Lamar Cardinals past the Vaqueros 23-21 on Saturday at Provost Umphrey Stadium.
Down 17-0 midway through the second quarter, graduate student
Nathan Denney took over, rushing six times for 37 yards, including a 5-yard rush for a touchdown, as part of a 12-play, 75-yard drive spanning 5:01 to bring the Vaqueros (5-2, 1-2 SLC) within 17-7.
Ben Woodard kicked a 53-yard field goal as the second quarter ended, though, giving the Cardinals (6-1, 3-0 SLC) a 20-7 halftime lead.
Toward the end of the third quarter, junior
Nathaniel Wallace-Dilling launched a 44-yard punt that was downed at the 3 by junior
Marcus Heard Jr. On the next play, freshman
Jackson Waid forced a fumble that was recovered by junior
Withchiel "Hank" Filamar. Two plays later, at the start of the fourth quarter, senior Sharyland Pioneer alum
Eddie Lee Marburger found junior
Tavian Cord for a 4-yard touchdown to bring the Vaqueros within 20-14.
The Vaqueros' next drive ended with a punt, but
Kyndon Fuselier muffed it, allowing junior
TJ Neal to recover at the Lamar 25. Denney followed with two rushes totaling 16 yards before Marburger connected with sophomore
Xayvion Noland on a 9-yard touchdown pass to put the Vaqueros up 21-20.
Woodard nailed a 57-yard field goal with 1:03 remaining to put the Cardinals up 23-21.
Marburger finished 9-for-22 for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Denney finished with 75 rushing yards on 19 carries and 21 receiving yards on two receptions.
Defensively,
Jaiden Haygood led the way with a career-high 17 tackles (seven solo), including one for a loss, and one sack. Graduate student
Spencer Rich finished with 10 tackles (two solo).
The Cardinals scored midway through the first quarter when
Aiden McCown connected with
Blake Thomas for a 58-yard touchdown pass to make the score 7-0.
The Cardinals followed with a 10-play, 71-yard drive, but the Vaqueros defense stopped the Cardinals at the 13, holding them to Woodard field goal to make the score 10-0.
On their next drive, though, the Cardinals drove 65 yards with the ninth play resulting in a 15-yard touchdown pass from McCown to Fuselier to make the score 17-0.
UTRGV hosts defending Southland Conference Champion Incarnate Word on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. for homecoming at Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium.
A limited number of individual tickets go on sale Friday at 8 a.m. at
UTRGVTickets.com.
The action starts with KRGV's Vaqueros Game Day at 10 a.m. in Schlotzsky's Vaquero Village at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. Tailgating at Vackar Stadium begins at 2 p.m. The Vaqueros Walk is at 4:45 p.m. in the H-E-B Tailgate Zone followed by a pep rally in the amphitheater. Fans do not need a game ticket to access Vaqueros Game Day or the tailgating areas.
Gates to Vackar Stadium open at 5:30 p.m.
Fans can learn more about game day, including parking information, maps, and the clear bag policy, by visiting
RallyTheValley.com.
Fans can watch online domestically on
ESPN+ and internationally on
Southland International.
Fans can listen in English locally on Ultra 90.1 FM, in Laredo on Pure Country 95.7 FM, and online via the
Radio Para Mi app, and in Spanish locally on KYWW 1530 AM Puro Tejano and KGBT-FM 98.5 La Preferida and online via the
Uforia app.
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