FRISCO, Texas — The first six weeks of Southland Football saw two contenders emerge not only in the conference hierarchy, but in the national playoff picture. No. 3/3 SFA and No. 10/8 Lamar both achieved historic starts through the first six games of the season, becoming consensus Top 10 teams this week, marking the first time the SLC has claimed multiple simultaneously consensus Top 10 teams since the end of the 2017 season.
But as each team's most recent appearances have shown, the grind through the remainder of the conference schedule will be no easy feat. Both the Lumberjacks and the Cardinals hit the road Saturday to defend their rankings and undefeated starts in SLC play.
Southland Football Weekly Report |
Southland Football Media Hub
SLC Commissioner's Game of the Week: No/ 10/8 Lamar at RV/RV Southeastern
Lamar survived UIW’s second major upset bid in as many weeks, holding on for a 38-35 win in Beaumont in Week 6. Pete Rossomando’s team now travels to Hammond where Southeastern awaits a major opportunity to right its course after an upset loss to UTRGV last week. Lamar will turn to it’s red-hot offense now averaging 43.0 points per game through three conference contests, led by a rushing unit tallying 239.3 yards per game on the ground. Reigning SLC Offensive Player of the Week Jojo Uga championed this backfield against UIW, rushing for 144 yards and three touchdowns in that game.
No. 11/10 Lamar at No. 3/3 SFA
SFA sprinted through the first half of its schedule, winning its first six games and rising to No. 3 in the polls. Those rankings mark the best for the program since the 2010 season. Their seventh game takes them to Thibodaux to face Nicholls. Quarterback Gavin Rutherford willl look to continue his strong 2026 campaign, ranking in the Top 10 nationally in passing efficiency (167.8), passing touchdowns (15) and completion percentage (68.1%).
UTRGV at UIW
The Cardinals' road trip to Nacogdoches and Beaumont the past two weeks both nearly resulted in season-changing upsets. Despite those losses, the Cardinals have proven they can score in bunches and return home Saturday where they are 2-0 this season. UIW welcomes UTRGV who captured its first win over a ranked opponent after beating Southeastern last week. The Vaqueros' defense stood tall in that contest, bottling up the Lions to just three points through four quarters. However, this group will have its work cut out handling an extremely productive UIW offense that has averaged 456.0 yards and 34.2 points through its first six games.
East Texas A&M at HCU
Both the Lions and the Huskies went into the bye week following statement home wins - East Texas A&M fought off a UTRGV rally to win on a last-second field goal while the Huskies' defense stymied Nicholls in a 16-2 victory. While SFA and Lamar have created some early separation in the standings, the winner of this game holds the inside track to claim its own territory in the next tier.
McNeese at Northwestern State
Two of the SLC's oldest rivals meet once again in Natchitoches. McNeese will lean on senior running back, Omiri Wiggins, whose 396 total rushing yards is tied for the most in the Conference this season. Wiggins could be in for a big day, facing Northwestern State defense that has allowed 236.5 yards per game on thr ground. The Demons will have upset front-of-mind for this game, seeking their first win over the Cowboys since 2021 and still in search of their first win of the season.
Week 7 Schedule