BEAUMONT, Texas – One of the top matchups in the Southland, if not the entire Lone Star State, Saturday is between UT Rio Grande Valley and No. 17 (STATS Perform FCS Top 25 Poll) Lamar University. Both teams enter the weekend with 5-1 overall records. The Cardinals sit tied atop the Southland standings while UTRGV is just a game back in the Southland loss column.
 
Most prognosticators may not have predicted these two teams meeting with identical 5-1 records at the beginning of the year. UTRGV is in its inaugural season and the Cardinals put together a tough non-conference schedule that included the likes of FBS North Texas and No. 4 South Dakota, among others.
 
The Cardinals enter the week as the Southland's hottest team winning each of their last five games, while UTRGV is one of the league's top storylines. The Cardinals have rattled off three-straight excited wins for their fans – outings which include a three-point victory over Central Arkansas, a seven-point victory over Nicholls (that including a game-winning punt return for a touchdown) and a last second victory at East Texas A&M that saw Lamar take its first lead with three seconds on the clock.
 
The Vaqueros have split their last two contests and are coming off an impressive 20-point win at Houston Christian for their first conference win. UTRGV heads to the Golden Triangle with the league's top offense (48.7 ppg) and top defense (14.3 ppg). The Vaqueros lone-league loss came on the road against Southeastern Louisiana, 45-31.
 
Saturday's game will also serve as Homecoming on the Lamar campus, as well as the Hall of Honor game where LU will be recognizing five new inductees – Gary Crockett (football), Travesa Gant (women's basketball), Joe LeBlanc (track and field), Brad McMakin (men's golf coach) and Mike Sarbaugh (baseball).
 
The contest will kick off at 3 p.m. from Provost Umphrey Stadium. It will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 and streamed live on ESPN+.
  LU vs. the Vaqueros
Saturday's game against UT Rio Grande Valley is the first meeting between the two schools in series history.
 
LU on Homecoming
The Cardinals enter Saturday's contest looking to reverse a negative trend on Homecoming. Lamar is 22-30-1 (.425) all-time on Homecoming. LU has split its last two homecoming games but has lost eight of the previous nine. Last season, Lamar dropped a seven-point decision to Stephen F. Austin.
 
Going Streaking
Saturday's win is LU's fifth consecutive, marking the Cardinals longest win streak since winning six in a row during the 2018 campaign. Lamar's 5-1 start equals its best since 1974. Big Red opened that year 6-1.
 
Pursuing History
The Cardinals have five wins at the midway point of the 2025 season. With six games remaining, Lamar is just three wins shy of tying the single-season school record (as a four-year institution). Lamar has won eight games seven times in program history (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1974 and 2014). The Cardinals won 10 games during the 1949 season as a junior college institution.
 
Fast Track
LU head coach Pete Rossomando entered the 2025 season with the most wins of any Lamar head coach after two seasons. Despite being at just the midway point of his third season, he already has the most wins of any Cardinal head coach after three seasons.