HAMMOND, La. – (RV) The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros football team endured its first-ever loss, falling to the (RV) Southeastern Lions 45-31 in the Southland Conference opener on Saturday at Strawberry Field.
Senior Sharyland Pioneer alum
Eddie Lee Marburger found freshman
Kyran Lee for the first conference touchdown in program history, a 3-yard completion, to bring the Vaqueros (4-1, 0-1 SLC) within 21-7 at the 5:47 mark of the second quarter. The touchdown capped a 4-play, 75-yard drive that took 1:26 and included a 21-yard pass to freshman
Tony Diaz and a 51-yard pass to junior
Tavian Cord on plays two and three.
The Vaqueros forced the Lions (3-2, 1-0 SLC) to punt on their next drive, but on the second play of the ensuing Vaqueros drive,
Ian Conerly-Goodly came up with an interception to set up a 26-yard touchdown pass from
Carson Camp to
Evan Aubrey, putting the Lions up 28-7.
Sophomore
Brysen Gardner kicked a 26-yard field goal as the first half came to an end, bringing the Vaqueros within 28-10.
After the Vaqueros forced a punt on the Lions' first drive of the third quarter, Marburger took the field and immediately threw a 71-yard touchdown pass to Diaz to make the score 28-17.
The Lions responded with a 3-play drive culminating in a
Deantre Jackson 66-yard rushing touchdown to make the score 35-17.
Toward the end of the quarter, Camp found
Kentrell Prejean for a 29-yard touchdown to put the Lions up 42-17.
The Vaqueros opened the fourth quarter with the ball and had to punt, but after the recovery was muffed by
Dkhai Joseph, senior
Logic Hudgens picked it up to give the Vaqueros the ball on the Lions 18. On the next play, Marburger found sophomore
Ismael Smith Flores for the touchdown, bringing the Vaqueros within 42-24.
Guillermo Garcia Rodriguez kicked a field goal on the next Lions drive to make the score 45-24.
Freshman
Aidan Jakobsohn rushed for a 6-yard touchdown with 1:00 remaining to bring the Vaqueros within 45-31.
Marburger finished 16-for-29 for 218 passing yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 57 yards on eight carries.
Diaz posted his second game with 100+ yards receiving, finishing with 113 yards.
Junior
TJ Neal recorded a team and career-high 11 tackles (seven solo).
The Lions scored on an 8-play drive to open the game that culminated in a 38-yard rushing touchdown by
Kyle Lowe to make the score 7-0.
After the Vaqueros forced a three and out on their next drive, the Lions responded with a 14-play, 7:48 drive punctuated by a 29-yard touchdown pass from Lowe to
Adyn Wilkinson to make the score 14-0 early in the second quarter.
Jaedon Henry capped a 6-play drive with a 1-yard rush up the middle to put the Lions up 21-0 midway through the second.
UTRGV hosts Houston Christian University on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. 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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