FRISCO – Southeastern and Stephen F. Austin each picked up big wins in their Southland Conference openers, while No. RV/24 UIW and No. 22/RV Lamar closed out non-conference play in dominant fashion. Here’s the Week 5 Rundown.
RV Southeastern 45, RV UTRGV 31
Southeastern Louisiana rolled up a season-high 540 total yards in a 45-31 win over UTRGV in the Southland opener for both teams Saturday evening at Strawberry Stadium. With quarterbacks Carson Camp (10-for-13, 130 yards, 2 TDs) and Kyle Lowe (10-for-12, 122 yards, 1 TD) splitting snaps, SLU turned in its most balanced performance of the season, rushing for 288 yards and passing for 252. Deantre Jackson led the Lions with 121 rushing yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, while Lowe added a season-high 92 yards and a score on the ground. Jackson became the first SLU player this year to eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark. The Lions also posted their first 100-yard receiving effort, with Jaylon Domingeaux grabbing seven passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. For UTRGV, Eddie Lee Marburger went 16-for-29 for 218 yards and three TDs, while adding 57 rushing yards on eight carries.
RV/RV SFA 34, McNeese 17
Three McNeese turnovers turned into key opportunities for Stephen F. Austin, and the ‘Jacks capitalized in a 34-17 Southland-opening win before more than 10,000 fans at Homer Bryce Stadium.
Sam Vidlak threw for 232 yards and three touchdowns (14-for-21), connecting once with
Blaine Green and twice with
Kylon Harris.
Jerrell Wimbley piled up 171 rushing yards on 29 carries, including 110 yards and a score in the fourth quarter alone. McNeese QB
Jake Strong completed 21 of 36 passes but had one interception off a tipped ball. The victory snapped SFA’s four-game skid against McNeese and marked the ‘Jacks’ first home win over the Cowboys since 2011.
No. RV/24 UIW 38, No. 12/13 Abilene Christian 7
Incarnate Word dominated No. 12/13 Abilene Christian, 38-7, on Saturday at Benson Field, extending its home win streak to nine and improving to 25-1 at home since 2021. The Cardinals ran for 301 yards, averaging more than five yards per carry.
Lontrell Turner led with 118 rushing yards, while QB
EJ Colson added 103 rushing yards, 122 passing yards, and three total TDs. All-American
Jalen Walthall caught a touchdown pass, and linebacker
Declan Williams sparked the defense with an interception, a sack, and two tackles for loss.
No. 22/RV Lamar 35, Central Arkansas 32
Lamar closed out non-conference play with a 35-32 victory over Central Arkansas Saturday at Provost Umphrey Stadium. In a back-and-forth contest, the Cardinals secured just their second-ever win over UCA—and their first in Beaumont. Senior
Xavier Coleman narrowly missed a 100-yard day, rushing for 98 yards on 15 carries (6.5 ypc). Classmate
Damien Moore added 29 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. Defensively, senior
Kristian Pugh led with nine tackles, an interception, and a pass breakup, while
Kevin Thomas added a second interception for Lamar.
RV NC Central 50, East Texas A&M 42
In a high-octane battle featuring 92 combined points and nearly 950 yards of offense, East Texas A&M fell 50-42 to North Carolina Central in its home opener at Ernest Hawkins Field. Making his season debut, QB
Ron Peace threw for 356 yards and two TDs (19-for-39), while
Erik Rodriguez chipped in 100 yards and two scores on 7-of-12 passing.
Christian Jourdain (119 yards, 7 catches),
Tanner Harrison (107 yards, 2 receptions), and
Devin Matthews (103 yards, 5 catches) each posted 100-yard receiving games. On defense,
Lavon Williams (Roosevelt HS, San Antonio) tallied 17 tackles,
Kyree Anderson (Cy-Lakes HS) had 15, and
Koby-Sebasyen King added 14 stops.
Eastern Kentucky 27, Nicholls 7
A touchdown on the opening drive was all Nicholls could muster in a 27-7 road loss at EKU on Saturday night at Roy Kidd Stadium. The Colonels still posted a season-high 330 yards of offense.
Miequle Brock totaled 124 yards (67 receiving, plus a career-high 16 carries), while
Shane Lee rushed for a career-best 65 yards on 12 attempts. QB
Deuce Hogan went 20-for-31 for 213 yards, with
Solo Lewis hauling in eight catches for 46 yards.