FRISCO – UTRGV opened its long-awaited football program with a 66-0 win over Sul Ross State on Saturday night, while No. 4/5 Incarnate Word extended its home win streak against Eastern Washington and McNeese set a school record for total offense in Matt Viator’s return as head coach. Here is the complete Week 1 run down.
UTRGV 66, Sul Ross State 0
In a game nearly four years in the making, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros football team won its inaugural game, presented by Bert Ogden Auto Group, defeating Sul Ross State 66-0 on Saturday in front of 12,726 fans inside Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium and approximately 20,000 more around the stadium, including those watching on screens in the tailgating areas. Senior Sharyland Pioneer alum Eddie Lee Marburger went 18-for-19 for 365 yards and five touchdowns, opening with a 50-yard pass to sophomore Xayvion Noland. The Vaqueros started fast, with the defense forcing four straight three-and-outs while the offense scored on eight of its nine drives.
No. 4/5 UIW 31, Eastern Washington 21
The University of the Incarnate Word football team extended its home win streak with a 31-21 victory over Eastern Washington on Saturday afternoon. Jameson Garcia finished with six catches for 146 yards and a touchdown. Richard Torres threw for 332 yards on 27 completions, adding a touchdown and posting a 153.1 QBR. Harlan Dixon led the ground game with 75 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns.
McNeese 54, Louisiana Christian 9
Matt Viator’s return as McNeese’s head coach couldn’t have gone any better as the Cowboys opened the 2025 football season in record fashion with a 54-9 win over Louisiana Christian. With the victory, Viator picked up his 79th win as McNeese’s coach, becoming the winningest in school history. The Cowboys’ offense racked up a school-record 664 total yards, surpassing the previous mark of 644 set against Sam Houston State in 2004. Quarterback Jake Strong set another milestone by becoming the first Cowboy to throw for more than 300 yards in his debut, completing 22 of 28 passes for 329 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Troy 38, Nicholls 20
The Nicholls State University football team held the lead over Troy after three quarters, but the Trojans rallied for four touchdowns in the final period to hand the Colonels a 38-20 setback Saturday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Nicholls (1-1) went ahead for the final time when Gabriel Showalter connected on his second field goal of the night, making it 20-17 with 10 minutes remaining. But Troy (1-0) quickly answered with a touchdown pass for its first lead, then capitalized on an interception with a 47-yard scoring run by Tae Meadows. Miequle Brock Jr. accounted for both touchdowns for the Colonels, scoring once on the ground and once on a long catch-and-run.
#16/16 SMU 42, East Texas A&M 13
Facing nationally-ranked SMU, a 2024 College Football Playoff participant, the East Texas A&M University football team opened its season with a 42-13 loss Saturday night at Gerald R. Ford Stadium. The Lions started Will Madonna (Lakewood, Calif.) at quarterback, though Eric Rodriguez (Fort Bend Travis) played most of the game under center. Rodriguez scored East Texas A&M’s lone touchdown on a one-yard run. The Lions went 3-for-6 on red zone opportunities. Kicker Ozlo Rigby (Panama City, Fla.) converted 2 of 3 field-goal attempts, hitting from 29 yards in the first half and from 32 yards as time expired.
Louisiana Tech 24, RV/RV Southeastern 0
Louisiana Tech broke open a defensive struggle with 21 unanswered points in the third quarter en route to a 24-0 win over Southeastern Louisiana University in the season opener for both teams Saturday night at Joe Aillet Stadium. Southeastern (0-1) outgained the Bulldogs (1-0), 273-262, but three turnovers in Louisiana Tech territory proved too costly. KK Reno led the SLU defense with 10 tackles, while Ian Conerly-Goodly added nine. The Lions tallied three sacks, with Rowan Briggs, Joshua Randall, and Ahmad Bradley each dropping Louisiana Tech quarterback Trey Kukuk behind the line.
North Texas 51, RV Lamar 0
After a competitive first half, North Texas scored 17 points in the final 1:53 before halftime and never looked back, cruising to a 51-0 season-opening win over Lamar University. The Cardinals struggled to string together first downs in the opening 30 minutes, failing to keep UNT’s offense off the field. Defensively, Lamar forced several third-down situations but couldn’t come up with key stops to regain possession.
Thursday's Results:
Northwestern State 20, Alcorn 10
The Demons exploded out of the gates in their 2025 season opener against Alcorn State, only to have their momentum stalled by a lightning delay lasting more than an hour. Still, Northwestern State delivered the tough-minded performance second-year head coach Blaine McCorkle had sought, doubling up the visiting Braves, 20-10, to snap a 20-game losing streak. Ty Moore scored twice — once on a reception and again on a special teams fumble recovery. His score was part of a three-takeaway first half for Northwestern, which ended consecutive Alcorn drives with end-zone interceptions. The first came when Christian Williams capitalized on a carom off an Antonio Hall breakup, followed by a highlight-reel, one-handed pick from sophomore safety Kaden Mackey in nearly the same spot.
HCU 69, Arkansas Baptist 0
HCU rushed for more than 400 yards and rolled to a 69-0 win over Arkansas Baptist in the 2025 season opener, the first Thursday night game on campus in program history. The Huskies (1-0) piled up 401 rushing yards on 56 carries, the second-highest single-game total in program history. Redshirt freshman Xai'Shaun Edwards had a breakout performance, rushing 17 times for 177 yards and four touchdowns — setting a new program record for single-game rushing scores while posting the fourth-most rushing yards in a game at HCU. Senior Darryle Evans added 88 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries, moving into third place in program history for career rushing touchdowns with eight.
Houston 27, #24/23 Stephen F. Austin 0
Stephen F. Austin dropped its season opener at Houston, falling 27-0 to the Big 12 opponent in the first meeting between the schools since 1948. The all-time series is now tied at 2-2. Senior linebacker Jaydon Southard recorded a career-high 10 tackles — five solo — along with 1.5 tackles for loss. The Lumberjack defense forced five Cougar punts against Houston’s top offensive unit, held UH to two missed field goal attempts from beyond 40 yards, and came up with a fourth-down stop just before halftime.