Rally the Valley Realized: UTRGV Finishes Debut Season Unbeaten at Vackar Stadium

UTRGV closed its inaugural regular season perfect at home, beating East Texas A&M 33–14 at Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium. After falling behind 7–0, senior Logic Hudgens flipped the night with a 52-yard pick-six, and the Vaqueros rolled into halftime up 20–7. Kicker Brysen Gardner stayed automatic—career-high four field goals, from 31 and 36 plus two more after the break. Hometown QB Eddie Lee Marburger went 17-for-22 for 141 yards and two touchdowns—20 yards to Ismael Smith Flores, then 4 yards to Kyran Lee. Final tally: 9–3 overall, 5–3 in the Southland, tied for third with Lamar—and history made: the only FCS program to go undefeated at home in year one and the only debut team with more than seven wins. As Coach Travis Bush put it: “They came here on a dream—and set the standard.”