BEAUMONT, Texas – As the calendar prepares to flip to November, the 13/15^th-ranked Lamar University Cardinals hit the road for a key Southland matchup at UT Rio Grande Valley. Saturday's contest against the Vaqueros is just one of four remaining regular-season games for Lamar, and one of just two road contests.
 
The Cardinals (6-2/4-1 SLC) currently sit alone in second place in the conference standings a game up on Houston Christian and UIW and just a game back of league-leading Stephen F. Austin. The goal for Lamar in Edinburg seems simple enough – go 1-0 on Saturday. Unfortunately, that has proven impossible for opponents traveling to UTRGV's Vackar Stadium. The Vaqueros are a perfect 10-0 at home since starting the program prior to the start of the 2025 season. This will be Lamar's first trip to Edinburg.
 
While the Cardinals enter the contest winners in five of the past six, the Vaqueros (4-4/2-3 SLC) are riding their own wave of momentum coming into the contest. UTRGV has won two of its past three games including a three-point overtime win at Central Arkansas last week. That stretch also includes a 10-point victory over Southeastern Louisiana where UTRGV held the Lions to just three points.
 
Saturday's game is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff from Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium. It will be broadcast on Newstalk 560 KLVI and streamed live on ESPN+.
   
LU vs. the Vaqueros
The series between the two schools started in 2025 which was UT Rio Grande Valley's inaugural football season. The Cardinals won the contest in one of the most thrilling victories in program history when senior Ben Woodard drilled a 57-yard field goal with three seconds remaining for a two-point victory.
 
On the Verge Of ...
With Saturday's victory over Houston Christian, the Cardinals are the verge of some key wins. With one more victory, LU will secure a winning season for a fourth consecutive year. That would be Lamar's longest run of success since 1964-67. With just two more wins, LU would tie the single-season mark for wins (as a four-year school) for a second-straight year. The Cardinals need three more wins this year to keep a unique run in place for head coach Pete Rossomando. Since his first year with the team, the Cardinals have increased their win total from the year before culminating in last season's eight-win campaign that led to the playoffs.
 
Pursuing 250
Lamar's victory Saturday against Houston Christian was the 249th in program history putting the Cardinals one win shy of a small program milestone.
 
Surging Offense
Lamar's offense under first-year OC Andrew Sparano has shown improved numbers across the board. LU is averaging 30.8 points per game which is a 37-percent increase from last year. The Cardinals' total offense (372.1 ypg) is up by more than 22 percent, rushing yards (166.5 ypg) is up 16.5 percent, while passing offense (205.6 ypg) has improved by 27.3 percent in 2026.
 
The Rossomando Effect
Since the arrival of head coach Pete Rossomando, Lamar has made historic strides. LU is coming off an NCAA FCS Playoff appearance and is currently in the midst of its best run of success (in terms of consecutive winning seasons) since the mid 1960s. Just four games into his fourth season, Rossomando had already won more games at LU than any previous coach after four years.