Home Cooking: UTRGV blows out Langston, improves to 3-0
EDINBURG — UTRGV football couldn’t have asked for a better start to its inaugural campaign. Fresh off its first road win in program history, the Vaqueros returned home Saturday and delivered a second straight beatdown in front of the 956, crushing the Langston University Lions 80-0 to improve to 3-0 on the year.
UTRGV has now scored 146 points at home while allowing none. On the year, the Vaqueros have outscored their first three opponents 173-21.
“It is just a great environment we’re playing in,” UTRGV wide receiver Xayvion Noland said. “Great team win. Everybody is playing to their standard. We still need to clean up some mistakes, but just a great environment. My adrenaline and all the guys’ adrenaline is just rushing out there. Just a big shout out to the 956.”
Noland was a catalyst to UTRGV’s 80-point outing, scoring the game’s first touchdown on a 42-yard pass from senior quarterback Eddie Lee Marburger. The score marked the second time this season Marburger and Noland have connected at home for the opening touchdown.
After Noland’s touchdown, the Vaqueros’ special teams unit got in on the scoring with a 70-yard run by linebacker Tyler Day on a fake punt with 1:58 left in the first.
“Last time I scored a touchdown was my sophomore year of high school football, so this was very new to me,” Day said. “We’ve been working on the play though. They gave us a look, so we ended up checking it. The punt team did amazing blocking. I got to shout out Jaxon Maynard. He was running down with me and took on that first guy. That punt team and him were the reason I was able to get down the field.”
UTRGV’s defense joined in on the fun less than a minute later, with Elijah Graham making the first interception in program history and running it back 26 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-0.
Graham added another interception during the second quarter, finishing with two.
“We’ve missed some opportunities in weeks before,” Graham said. “Coach Mac has been on us about capitalizing. I just made sure to do that. He’s been coaching us up well. I just took advantage of it.”
The rout was on after Graham’s defensive score, with 10 different Vaqueros finding the end zone during the win.
Wideout Tony Diaz added to the lead with 10:46 left in the second, hauling in a 35-yard touchdown pass from Marburger to make it 31-0. Noland added a second score late in the second, taking a pass from Marburger and turning it into a 70-yard touchdown.
Noland finished with a team-high five catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Marburger completed 12 of 19 passes for 225 yards and three scores.
UTRGV’s running game also chipped in, with TJ Dement and Fabian Garcia each finding the end zone during the first half to put the game out of reach.
The second half belonged to the bench, with quarterback Aidan Jakobsohn throwing a pair of touchdown passes to Cameron Glenn (7 yards) and Javien Cuff (15 yards). Jakobsohn’s toss to Glenn was the first of his collegiate career.
Djouvensky Schlenbaker added a 63-yard rushing touchdown, while former Corpus Christi Miller standout Broderick Taylor chipped in a 33-yard score.
“I love seeing everybody get in the game and get touches,” Noland said. “We all practice hard day in and day out. I feel like everybody deserves to shine. Just a great team win and a great team effort.”
UTRGV finished with 828 total yards of offense, including 539 on the ground. Redshirt freshman Brennan Carroll led the Vaqueros with seven carries for 136 yards.
Defensively, the Vaqueros came away with a pair of interceptions, with Logic Hudgens snagging one and Graham grabbing two. The defense allowed just 187 total yards of offense.
UTRGV now turns its attention to a non-conference game against Texas Wesleyan next week. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium in Edinburg.
