EDINBURG – A string of 33 points in a row powered the UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros to down the East Texas A&M University football team by a score of 33-14 on Saturday night in front of a crowd of 12,320 at Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium.
 
The Lions end the season with a record of 3-9 overall and 3-5 in Southland Conference play. The three overall wins tie last season's mark, while the three conference wins are tied for the most in the Division I era.
 
Playing its first season of college football, UTRGV went 9-3 overall and 5-3 against Southland opponents, finishing the season with a 7-0 record at home. The Vaqueros came into this week receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
 
The start of the game was delayed by over two and a half hours due to inclement weather trickling into the Edinburg area right before the opening kick-off.
 
UTRGV won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. The Lions returned the opening kick to the 20-yard line and found the end zone on an 18-play 80-yard drive in eight minutes and 16 seconds as EJ Oakmon (Pflugerville) rushed in a one-yard touchdown.
 
During the opening drive, the Lions went 4 for 4 in third down attempts to keep the drive alive. After forcing a three-and-out, the Lion offense came back on the field, but Logic Hudgens returned back a 52-yard interception for a touchdown to level the score.
 
The Vaqueros took their first lead of the game in the second quarter on a 20-yard touchdown catch by Ismael Smith Flores from Eddie Lee Marburger. The drive lasted 12 plays over six minutes and 49 seconds for the Vaqueros, starting from their own nine-yard line.
 
To close out the first half, Brysen Gardner kicked in a pair of field goals, one from 31 yards and another from 36 yards, to give the Vaqueros a 20-7 lead at the half.
 
After punting on their first drive of the second half, the Vaqueros came up with another interception and Gardner converted a 22-yard field goal to extend the lead. To start the fourth quarter, Kyran Lee caught a four-yard touchdown reception from Margburger.
 
Gardner added another field goal to cap off his perfect night, drilling 31-yard kick with 4:01 left in the game.
 
The Lions found the end zone once again on their final drive of the game with Jack Jacobs (Santa Clarita, Calif.) connecting with Tyler Daniels (Hattiesburg, Miss.) for a 24-yard touchdown. The Lions covered 72 yards on seven plays in one minute and 58 seconds.

Eric Rodriguez (Fort Bend Travis) started the game at quarterback and went 10 for 25 for 97 yards and two interceptions, while Jacobs went 10 for 15, tossing a touchdown and 90 yards.
 
Christian Jourdain (New Orleans) was the leading receiver, totaling 89 yards on eight catches, while defensively, Koby-Sebasyen King (Houston – Summer Creek) had 12 tackles and Kyree Anderson (Cy-Lakes) added eight, including a sack.
 

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