FRISCO – Lamar pulled off a huge win over Southeastern to set up a showdown next weekend for the Southland title with SFA, which rolled on the road. UIW, McNeese, and UTRGV also earned victories. Here’s the Week 11 Rundown.
#18/20 Lamar 14, #14/19 Southeastern 12
In the first-ever meeting between two nationally ranked teams at Provost Umphrey Stadium, the 20th-ranked Lamar University Cardinals shut down the No. 19 Southeastern Louisiana Lions’ high-powered offense to record a 14–12 victory. In the process, Lamar tied the school’s single-season record for wins (as a four-year institution) at eight and still has a shot at the all-time mark of 10, set in 1949 as a junior college program.
Big Red’s defense flexed throughout the contest, holding the Lions to just 236 yards of total offense, including only 56 through the air. Southeastern completed just five passes on the night and didn’t score until the third quarter. Their lone touchdown came on a fake field goal at the 7:23 mark of the fourth.
The victory marks the second time this season LU (8–2, 5–1 SLC) has bounced back from a loss to defeat a nationally ranked opponent the following week. Junior Andrew Huff led the defense with a team-high seven tackles, including two sacks, while Mar Mar Evans tallied six stops and an interception. Beaumont senior Kristian Pugh added five tackles, including one for loss.
Offensively, senior Robert Coleman went 7-for-11 for 86 yards and one touchdown — a nine-yard pass to Jacorey Hyder — and also rushed for six yards. Senior Major Bowden led the ground game with 23 carries for 79 yards (3.4 ypc) and one touchdown, while classmate Xavier Coleman added 41 yards on 10 carries.
#21/17 SFA 50, HCU 3
Stephen F. Austin handled business on Saturday afternoon inside Husky Stadium, unleashing a 47-point victory behind another dominant defensive showing and an efficient outing from quarterback
Gavin Rutherford, who threw three touchdown passes and rushed for 55 yards.
The win marked SFA’s eighth straight — the longest streak since 1989 — and improved the ’Jacks to 6–0 in Southland play. Any murmurs of a “trap game” were quickly silenced when Bugs Mortimer delivered his nation-leading third punt return touchdown of the season, weaving through defenders for the game’s first points.
Making his first start of the season and fourth of his career, Rutherford guided a 66-yard drive in just over three minutes, capped by a 14-yard touchdown toss to Isaiah Davis. Earlier in the drive, Rutherford scrambled for 26 yards to set up the score.
The Lumberjack defense limited HCU to one third-down conversion on eight first-half attempts and forced five punts. Mortimer’s first touch of the second quarter went for 19 yards to midfield, setting up another quick drive finished off by a Kylon Harris touchdown following a highlight back-shoulder grab by Davis on the previous play.
UIW 38, Northwestern State 3
The University of the Incarnate Word earned its second straight win in convincing fashion, defeating Northwestern State 38–3 on Saturday afternoon.
Jalen Walthall exploded for 178 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback
EJ Colson threw for 262 yards.
On defense, Matt Kordas paced the Cardinals with nine tackles and 1.5 for loss as UIW (4–6, 2–4 SLC) held the Demons without a touchdown. The Cardinals surpassed 200 yards both rushing and passing, scoring on four of five first-half possessions to take control early. Running back Timothy Carter added 141 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including a 68-yard burst in the third quarter to cap a two-play scoring drive following a Demon punt.
McNeese 38, East Texas A&M 20
Jake Strong and
Coleby Hamm each eclipsed 100 yards rushing, while the McNeese defense notched its first pick-six in five years as the Cowboys defeated East Texas A&M 38–20 on Saturday.
The win marked McNeese’s second straight and secured its first winning streak of the season, improving to 4–6 overall and 3–3 in Southland play. ETAM dropped to 2–8 and 2–4. Strong finished with 136 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Hamm added 127 yards and two scores — both career highs.
Offensively, McNeese churned out 308 rushing yards and 479 total, reaching the 300-yard mark on the ground for the second straight week and third time this season. Defensively, the Cowboys forced four turnovers (three interceptions and a fumble) and returned a pick for a touchdown — their first since 2021.
RV UTRGV 28, Nicholls 21
UTRGV became the first brand-new FCS program ever to win seven games against NCAA Division I competition, defeating Nicholls 28–21 in front of a sellout crowd of 12,177 at Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium.
Since the 1978 Division I split, 11 programs have launched from scratch at the DI-AA/FCS level; only South Alabama (7–0 in 2009, with no Division I opponents) had reached seven wins prior to UTRGV’s feat.
Graduate student Nathan Denney led the Vaqueros (7–3, 3–3 SLC) with two touchdowns and a career-high 120 rushing yards on 25 carries. Senior Eddie Lee Marburger, a Sharyland Pioneer alum, completed 20-of-30 passes for 247 yards and two scores. Junior Tavian Cord added a career-best four receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown, while TJ Neal anchored the defense with 10 tackles (seven solo).