Vaqueros surge in early polls
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s football squad opened its schedule with a dominant 44‑0 win over UT Permian Basin, a result that has already turned heads across the FCS landscape.
That performance translated into tangible recognition: the Vaqueros are listed with 13 votes in the latest AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, tying them for 14th place among teams that remain outside the top 25, and they have accumulated 32 points in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll, positioning them sixth among the same group of outsiders.
Offensive dominance and historic shutout
What makes the early surge especially noteworthy is the team’s offensive output; they racked up 675 yards in the win, the highest total in the FCS, and their defense kept a clean sheet, marking one of only seven shutouts recorded in the polls this season.
Next up, the Vaqueros will travel to face UTSA on Saturday at 2:30 p.m., marking their first-ever matchup against an FBS opponent and a litmus test for how their early momentum translates against a higher‑division program.