2025 UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros football team
American college football season
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The 2025 UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros football team represented the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) as a member of the Southland Conference (SLC) in the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The 2025 season was the inaugural season for UTRGV football. The Vaqueros were led by first-year head coach Travis Bush, and played their home games at Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium in Edinburg, Texas.[1]
- Travis Bush (1st season)
| 2025 UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Southland Conference |
| Record | 9–3 (5–3 SLC) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Jeff Bowen (1st season) |
| Offensive scheme | Spread |
| Defensive coordinator | Brian Gamble (1st season) |
| Base defense | 4–2–5 |
| Home stadium | Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7 Stephen F. Austin $^ | 8 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 19 Southeastern Louisiana ^ | 7 | – | 1 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 24 Lamar ^ | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UT Rio Grande Valley | 5 | – | 3 | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nicholls | 4 | – | 4 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| McNeese | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Texas A&M | 3 | – | 5 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Incarnate Word | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston Christian | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern State | 0 | – | 8 | 1 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Vaqueros were considered full FCS members and were eligible for postseason play immediately.[2]
The UTRGV Vaqueros drew an average home attendance of 12,539, the 16th-highest of all NCAA Division I FCS football teams.[3]
Personnel
| 2025 UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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Roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 30 | 7:00 p.m. | Sul Ross* | ESPN+ | W 66–0 | 12,726 | |
| September 6 | 6:00 pm | at Prairie View A&M* | SWAC TV | W 27–21 | 6,326 | |
| September 13 | 7:00 p.m. | Langston* |
| ESPN+ | W 80–0 | 12,552 |
| September 20 | 7:00 p.m. | Texas Wesleyan* |
| ESPN+ | W 61–13 | 12,447 |
| September 27 | 6:00 pm | at Southeastern Louisiana | ESPN+ | L 31–45 | 4,154 | |
| October 4 | 7:00 p.m. | Houston Christian |
| ESPN+ | W 27–7 | 12,903 |
| October 18 | 3:00 pm | at No. 17 Lamar | ESPN+ | L 21–23 | 8,283 | |
| October 25 | 7:00 p.m. | Incarnate Word |
| ESPN+ | W 56–28 | 12,649 |
| November 1 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 20 Stephen F. Austin | ESPN+ | L 17–41 | 6,769 | |
| November 8 | 5:00 p.m. | Nicholls |
| ESPN+ | W 28–21 | 12,117 |
| November 15 | 6:00 p.m. | at McNeese | ESPN+ | W 28–13 | 9,929 | |
| November 22 | 5:00 p.m. | East Texas A&M |
| ESPN+ | W 33–14 | 12,320 |
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Game summaries
Sul Ross (DII)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lobos (DII) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vaqueros | 28 | 21 | 14 | 3 | 66 |
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
| Statistics | SROS | RGV |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 6 | 29 |
| Total yards | 74 | 674 |
| Rushing yards | 33 | 236 |
| Passing yards | 41 | 438 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 29:23 | 30:37 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sul Ross | Passing | Andrew Martinez | 9/12, 41 yards |
| Rushing | Jose Travino | 7 carries, 28 yards | |
| Receiving | Landon Drake | 3 receptions, 15 yards | |
| UT Rio Grande Valley | Passing | Eddie Lee Marburger | 18/19, 365 yards, 5 TD |
| Rushing | Xayvion Noland | 1 carry, 51 yards | |
| Receiving | Xayvion Noland | 2 receptions, 126 yards, 2 TD |
At Prairie View A&M
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaqueros | 17 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 27 |
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
| Statistics | RGV | PV |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 24 | 15 |
| Total yards | 409 | 301 |
| Rushing yards | 146 | 164 |
| Passing yards | 263 | 137 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 28:41 | 31:19 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| UT Rio Grande Valley | Passing | Eddie Lee Marburger | 19/31, 263 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Nathan Denny | 23 carries, 101 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Tony Diaz | 6 receptions, 121 yards, TD | |
| Prairie View A&M | Passing | Cameron Peters | 8/16, 64 yards |
| Rushing | Chase Bingmon | 16 carries, 88 yards | |
| Receiving | Jyzaiah Rockwell | 7 receptions, 98 yards |
Langston (NAIA)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions (NAIA) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vaqueros | 21 | 31 | 21 | 7 | 80 |
at Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium, Edinburg, Texas
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
| Statistics | LAN | RGV |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 11 | 27 |
| Total yards | 179 | 751 |
| Rushing yards | 59 | 462 |
| Passing yards | 120 | 289 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 30:29 | 29:31 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Langston | Passing | Aden Hooper | 13/32, 109 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Charles Carter | 12 carries, 18 yards | |
| Receiving | Gerald Martin | 7 receptions, 79 yards | |
| UT Rio Grande Valley | Passing | Eddie Lee Marburger | 12/19, 225 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Brennan Carroll | 7 carries, 134 yards | |
| Receiving | Xayvion Noland | 5 receptions, 171 yards, 2 TD |
Texas Wesleyan (NAIA)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams (NAIA) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| Vaqueros | 14 | 26 | 7 | 14 | 61 |
at Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium, Edinburg, Texas
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | TXWESL | RGV |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 16 | 21 |
| Total yards | 325 | 530 |
| Rushing yards | 38 | 283 |
| Passing yards | 287 | 247 |
| Turnovers | 5 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 30:44 | 29:16 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Wesleyan | Passing | Cole Francis | 15/31, 217 yards, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Jalen March | 11 carries, 35 yards | |
| Receiving | Paul Summers | 7 receptions, 137 yards | |
| UT Rio Grande Valley | Passing | Eddie Lee Marburger | 17/23, 223 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Broderick Taylor | 2 carries, 80 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Xayvion Noland | 5 receptions, 103 yards |
At Southeastern Louisiana
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaqueros | 0 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
| Lions | 7 | 21 | 14 | 3 | 45 |
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
| Statistics | RGV | SELA |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 19 | 24 |
| Total yards | 457 | 540 |
| Rushing yards | 217 | 288 |
| Passing yards | 240 | 252 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 26:43 | 33:17 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| UT Rio Grande Valley | Passing | Eddie Lee Marburger | 16/29, 218 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Nathan Denney | 7 carries, 56 yards | |
| Receiving | Tony Diaz | 4 receptions, 113 yards, TD | |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Passing | Carson Camp | 10/13, 130 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Deantre Jackson | 13 carries, 121 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Jaylon Domingeaux | 7 receptions, 107 yards, TD |
Houston Christian
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huskies | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Vaqueros | 7 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 27 |
at Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium, Edinburg, Texas
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | HCU | RGV |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 16 | 16 |
| Total yards | 214 | 338 |
| Rushing yards | 49 | 207 |
| Passing yards | 165 | 131 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 28:37 | 31:23 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Christian | Passing | Jake Weir | 18/35, 165 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Xai'Shaun Edwards | 23 carries, 101 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Deuce McMillan | 4 receptions, 40 yards | |
| UT Rio Grande Valley | Passing | Eddie Lee Marburger | 11/21, 131 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Eddie Lee Marburger | 15 carries, 105 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Xayvion Noland | 2 receptions, 63 yards |
At No. 17 Lamar
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaqueros | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| No. 17 Cardinals | 7 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
| Statistics | RGV | LAM |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 12 | 20 |
| Total yards | 189 | 375 |
| Rushing yards | 83 | 155 |
| Passing yards | 106 | 220 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 25:14 | 34:46 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| UT Rio Grande Valley | Passing | Eddie Lee Marburger | 9/21, 106 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Nathan Denney | 19 carries, 75 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Tony Diaz | 3 receptions, 51 yards | |
| Lamar | Passing | Aiden McCown | 17/23, 203 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Aiden McCown | 15 carries, 88 yards | |
| Receiving | Blake Thomas | 4 receptions, 77 yards, TD |
Incarnate Word
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 21 | 7 | 28 |
| Vaqueros | 14 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 56 |
at Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium, Edinburg, Texas
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
| Statistics | UIW | RGV |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 21 | 23 |
| Total yards | 440 | 548 |
| Rushing yards | 101 | 108 |
| Passing yards | 339 | 440 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 31:34 | 28:26 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incarnate Word | Passing | EJ Colson | 29/45, 339 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Rushing | EJ Colson | 13 carries, 36 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Jalen Walthall | 10 receptions, 220 yards, 2 TD | |
| UT Rio Grande Valley | Passing | Eddie Lee Marburger | 26/36, 440 yards, 6 TD |
| Rushing | Nathan Denney | 13 carries, 64 yards | |
| Receiving | Tony Diaz | 17 receptions, 172 yards, TD |
At No. 20 Stephen F. Austin
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaqueros | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
| No. 20 Lumberjacks | 17 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 41 |
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
| Statistics | RGV | SFA |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 15 | 27 |
| Total yards | 215 | 448 |
| Rushing yards | 100 | 183 |
| Passing yards | 115 | 265 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 21:55 | 38:05 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| UT Rio Grande Valley | Passing | Eddie Lee Marburger | 16/24, 115 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Aidan Jakobsohn | 4 carries, 49 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Tony Diaz | 6 receptions, 62 yards, TD | |
| Stephen F. Austin | Passing | Sam Vidlak | 25/32, 203 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Jerrell Wimbley | 11 carries, 87 yards | |
| Receiving | Blaine Green | 5 receptions, 68 yards |
Nicholls
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colonels | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Vaqueros | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium, Edinburg, Texas
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
| Statistics | NICH | RGV |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 20 | 19 |
| Total yards | 327 | 392 |
| Rushing yards | 126 | 145 |
| Passing yards | 201 | 247 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 32:23 | 27:37 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholls | Passing | Ean Rodrigue | 19/32, 193 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Shane Lee | 13 carries, 56 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Scrappy Osby | 6 receptions, 66 yards | |
| UT Rio Grande Valley | Passing | Eddie Lee Marburger | 20/30, 247 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Nathan Denney | 25 carries, 120 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Tavian Cord | 4 receptions, 84 yards, TD |
At McNeese
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaqueros | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| Cowboys | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
| Statistics | RGV | MCN |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 18 | 22 |
| Total yards | 365 | 414 |
| Rushing yards | 108 | 123 |
| Passing yards | 257 | 291 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 23:36 | 36:24 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| UT Rio Grande Valley | Passing | Eddie Lee Marburger | 17/29, 257 yards, 4 TD |
| Rushing | Nathan Denney | 14 carries, 57 yards | |
| Receiving | Tony Diaz | 7 receptions, 134 yards, 3 TD | |
| McNeese | Passing | Jake Strong | 25/35, 275 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Coleby Hamm | 13 carries, 49 yards | |
| Receiving | Matthew McCallister | 6 receptions, 140 yards, TD |
East Texas A&M
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Vaqueros | 7 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 33 |
at Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium, Edinburg, Texas
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
| Statistics | ETAM | RGV |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 23 | 25 |
| Total yards | 314 | 312 |
| Rushing yards | 127 | 171 |
| Passing yards | 187 | 141 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 30:07 | 29:53 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Texas A&M | Passing | Eric Rodriguez | 10/25, 97 yards, 2 INT |
| Rushing | KJ Shankle | 9 rushes, 32 yards | |
| Receiving | Christian Jourdain | 8 receptions, 89 yards | |
| UT Rio Grande Valley | Passing | Eddie Lee Marburger | 17/22, 141 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Nathan Denney | 26 rushes, 158 yards | |
| Receiving | Tony Diaz | 5 receptions, 50 yards |