Venue & Game Details
Matchup: UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros vs. Southeastern Louisiana Lions
Kickoff Time: 7:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM CT
Venue: Strawberry Stadium, Hammond, Louisiana
Capacity: ~7,408
Broadcast: ESPN+
Weather Forecast (Hammond, LA)
Kickoff Temperature: ~83°F (28°C)
Conditions: Partly cloudy, humid
Wind: 6–10 mph from the south
Precipitation: ~20% chance of scattered showers
Impact: Typical Gulf Coast humidity; stamina and depth could be tested.
Injury Report
UTRGV Vaqueros:
QB (TBD) – healthy, leading an offense averaging over 600 yards per game.
RB rotation – healthy, averaging nearly 300 rushing yards per game.
No major injuries reported.
Southeastern Louisiana Lions:
QB Eli Sawyer – healthy, 1,840 yards, 12 TDs, 8 INTs through early season.
WR Darius Lewis – healthy, top target with multiple TDs.
Defense – no major injuries reported.
Key Player Matchups
UTRGV Passing Attack vs. Lions Secondary
UTRGV averages 309.3 passing yards per game with explosive efficiency (10.9 yards per attempt).
Southeastern allows 195.3 passing ypg but has forced turnovers.
UTRGV Ground Game vs. Lions Front Seven
Vaqueros average 295 rushing yards per game at 7.8 ypc.
Lions allow 154.8 rushing ypg; must contain the run to stay competitive.
QB Eli Sawyer (SELU) vs. UTRGV Defense
Sawyer is a volume passer but turnover-prone (8 INTs).
UTRGV has been opportunistic defensively.
Recent Team Form
UTRGV Vaqueros (4–0)
W 66–14 vs. Texas Wesleyan (Week 4)
W 55–21 vs. Houston Christian (Week 3)
W 42–17 @ Lamar (Week 2)
W 38–10 vs. Tarleton State (Week 1)
Strengths: Balanced, explosive offense (58.5 ppg).
Weaknesses: Defense untested against top-tier FCS competition.
Southeastern Louisiana Lions (2–2)
W 31–14 vs. Mississippi Valley State (Week 4)
L 35–28 @ McNeese (Week 3)
W 27–17 vs. Northwestern State (Week 2)
L 42–20 @ Southern Miss (Week 1, FBS)
Strengths: Experienced QB, solid defense.
Weaknesses: Inconsistent offensive line play.
Conference vs. Conference
UTRGV: Southland Conference (first-year football program).
Southeastern Louisiana: Southland Conference.
This is a conference matchup with early-season title implications.
Series History
First-ever meeting between UTRGV and Southeastern Louisiana.
Betting Trends
UTRGV Vaqueros:
4–0 ATS in 2025.
3 of 4 games have gone Over.
Averaging +31.5 margin of victory.
Southeastern Louisiana Lions:
3–1 ATS in 2025.
2–2 O/U this season.
Strong at home historically (70% win rate last 3 years).
Historical Betting Results
No prior head-to-head betting history.
UTRGV: Covered -21.5 in 66–14 win vs. Texas Wesleyan (Week 4).
SELU: Covered -10.5 in 31–14 win vs. Mississippi Valley State (Week 4).
Game Odds
UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros – 6.5
Southeastern Louisiana Lions 61
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 26, 2025
