Southland Conference Week 8 Preview: Ranked Showdown, Rising Contenders and Key Conference Battles

Week 7 across the FCS nation delivered plenty of upsets and shake-ups, including in the Southland Conference. Houston Christian is sneaking onto the radar, while Southeastern Louisiana is finding its groove after an upset. The Lumberjacks continue to run the table with room to spare, and the two versions of UTRGV football keep showing up.

With no more bye weeks, the non-conference schedule closes this week with a pair of games. Plus, can HCU and Southeastern continue their push?

Nicholls (2-5, 1-3 SLC) at Northwestern State (0-7, 0-4 SLC) — 2 p.m.

In a battle of who needs a win more urgently, both the Colonels and Demons have their reasons to pick up a victory.

Nicholls was shut out at home against SFA, marking the first time since 2012, when Sam Houston was in the conference, that the Lumberjacks held the Colonels scoreless at home. For the Demons, on the other hand, they held a halftime lead for the first time all season against McNeese, but costly turnovers halted their opportunities for a win.

In the all-time series between the Colonels and Demons, Northwestern State holds a 29-23 advantage.

However, when facing each other as conference opponents, the series is tied at 20 wins apiece.

Last season, Nicholls earned a 26-21 home win. Northwestern State's last victory in the series came in 2022, when the Demons earned a 36-33 win in Natchitoches. The Colonels have won eight of the last nine meetings.

Nicholls is coming off a shutout loss at home against SFA in its most recent outing.

"We will continue building with our young group of players. We may have had a bad night at the office, but we get to go at it again as the Demons are just as hungry to pick up a win," Colonel's head coach Tommy Rybacki said. "We are seeing different guys and making adjustments because of some knocks that we have on the team right now, but we will prepare for this one."

Northwestern State held a lead against McNeese and scored its first offensive points against the Cowboys since 2021. Entering halftime with a 7-3 lead, the Demons allowed three touchdowns, including two early in the second half.

"When you give up the ball five times, that is a formula to lose games, and that costs us big. We have to continue to mature and show more grit in situations like these as we continue to grow," Blaine McCorkle said during his assessment of the game against McNeese.

"Nicholls started hot, but they have cooled a little bit, and we have to be focused as they will want to get a win."

Houston Christian (4-3, 3-1 SLC) at No. 15 Lamar (5-2, 3-1 SLC) — 3 p.m.

One of two intriguing Southland Conference matchups this week features Houston Christian traveling to Lamar.

The Huskies used a high-scoring attack from both their offense and defense to defeat East Texas A&M 43-24 in Houston, while Lamar suffered a shocking 34-31 road loss to Southeastern Louisiana.

The teams have met eight times, with Lamar holding a 5-3 series advantage. The last meeting came in 2023, when the Cardinals edged Houston Christian 21-19 in Houston. The last time the Huskies and Cardinals played in Beaumont was in 2022, when HCU prevailed with a 37-34 win.

HCU used a late second-half surge to overcome East Texas A&M 43-24 in Houston. The Huskies scored 28 points in the fourth quarter to secure the victory and move into a tie for second place with Lamar.

Cutter Stewart accounted for 298 yards of total offense and five touchdowns in the win for HCU.

"It was great to see the team respond the way it did after a back and forth 3rd quarter," head coach Jason Bachtel said after the Huskies' victory.

"We have a huge road test coming up, and we need to cut those miscues with a team like Lamar that plays very well at home. We relish the opportunity that we will have in front of us."

Lamar suffered its first conference loss of the season, falling to Southeastern Louisiana 34-31 in Hammond.

"I felt like we lulled a little bit in our practice last week on Wednesday, and it showed up during the game against Southeastern," Lamar head coach Pete Rossomando said during his weekly interview.

When asked about facing HCU, Rossomando added, "Their QB (Stewart) is a bit like Southeastern but has more of a passing presence and can run too. Their running back (Champ Dozier) likes to play the slot position as well, but they move him around a bit too."

McNeese (3-4, 2-2 SLC) at UIW (3-4, 2-2 SLC) — 4 p.m.

The middle of the Southland Conference standings can bring a surprise or two, and with both McNeese and UIW earning wins last weekend, this matchup could be an under-the-radar game to watch.

The teams have met 11 times, all in conference play. The Cardinals hold a 6-5 advantage, including victories in the last three meetings.

The Cowboys' last win in the series came in 2021 in Lake Charles. To find their last victory in San Antonio, you would have to go back to the teams' third-ever meeting in 2016.

McNeese used early second-half scores and a pair of turnovers to overcome Northwestern State 24-21 in Natchitoches last week.

"It was the second time we held a three-possession lead late into a game, and we allowed them (Demons) to make a comeback. We have to do a better job as a coaching staff managing these situations," Cowboys head coach Matt Viator said during his weekly press conference.

"We are going up against a really good UIW team that has not lost at home this season; their losses have been on the road to really good teams. Their quarterback sling around with the playmakers they have, so our defense will need to be sharp."

UIW used a 24-point run during the second and third quarters to defeat UTRGV 41-16 last weekend. Jayden Hibbler recorded 237 all-purpose yards and a touchdown to lead the Cardinals' offense.

"It was a great team win for us, especially after how the last two weekends were for us. Our response was ideal for the most part, but there are things still to clean up," UIW head coach Clint Killough said after the game.

"We will have another tough game against McNeese, who present a different set of challenges, and we will need to work on a few things in practice to be ready."

UTRGV (3-4, 2-3 SLC) at Central Arkansas (2-5, 0-3 UAC) — 4 p.m.

This marks the first time UTRGV will play a non-conference game outside the state of Texas in program history, as well as the first-ever meeting with Central Arkansas.

The game was scheduled at the 11th hour after Sacramento State, originally slated to visit UTRGV, made the move to the FBS.

For the Vaqueros, two different versions of the team have shown up this season. There is the home version, which remains undefeated at Vackar Stadium, and the version that takes the field on the road.

The road version that showed up last week was less than ideal. After hanging around with UIW, UTRGV surrendered 24 unanswered points in defeat.

This weekend's task may be even more challenging as the Vaqueros face Central Arkansas on its distinctive purple and gray playing surface.

UTRGV hopes quarterback Garrett Rangel will return from an injury he suffered during the McNeese game a few weeks ago.

"Garrett has been working very hard in rehab and in practice lately, which is great to see. I have been going over some things with him on the scouting report," UTRGV head coach Travis Bush said.

"The Bears are a good team. Despite their record, they have an upset in their resume and went toe-to-toe with their conference leaders, and they are great with their run game."

Central Arkansas, meanwhile, nearly pulled off an upset against Tarleton State in its last outing.

The Bears had the Texans on the ropes in Stephenville, entering the fourth quarter tied at 28. However, Tarleton scored 21 unanswered points to put the game out of reach, handing Central Arkansas a 49-35 loss.

The Bears are now preparing for their final non-conference game during a stretch in which they will play four of their next five contests at home, beginning with three consecutive home games starting with UTRGV.

No. 22 Southeastern Louisiana (4-3, 2-2 SLC) at No. 6 Stephen F. Austin (7-0, 4-0 SLC) — 5 p.m.

The second marquee Southland Conference matchup of the week features a pair of ranked opponents who both reached the playoffs last season.

This will be the 23rd meeting between the Lumberjacks and Lions and their first since 2024. SFA holds an 11-10-1 advantage in the all-time series, although Southeastern won the most recent matchup 24-23 in Hammond in 2024.

As conference opponents, the Lions lead the series 5-2, including victories in the last three meetings.

The last meeting in Nacogdoches came in 2016, when Southeastern won 54-38. SFA's last home victory over the Lions came in 2014 by a final score of 27-17.

The Lions are riding a wave of momentum after earning their first home victory over a ranked opponent since 2022, when they defeated UIW 41-35.

Last week, Southeastern defeated Lamar 34-31 in a game largely dictated by the turnover battle.

Quarterback Kyle Lowe was efficient on the ground and through the air, totaling 161 yards of offense and two touchdowns for the Lions.

"It was great to celebrate this win on our homecoming, seeing lots of former athletes before and after the game. The players have to continue believing, and as coaches we need to continue to reinforce that as we go to SFA," Southeastern head coach Frank Scelfo said during his press conference.

"We have not been to East Texas (Nacogdoches) in a little while, but they have a great group over there, and they will be on a high as well because winning on the road is not easy in this conference."

SFA took care of business on the road last week, traveling to Thibodaux and shutting out Nicholls 56-0.

Quarterback Gavin Rutherford accounted for 244 yards of offense and four touchdowns to pace the Lumberjacks in the victory.

"We executed very well. To get a result the way we did was great. Bugs Mortimer had a great game; our running backs did a fantastic job," Lumberjacks head coach Colby Carthel said after the game.

"Southeastern are finding their groove at the right time, and coach Schelfo coaches his team the right way, as they do not commit as many penalties. We need to find ways to make them uncomfortable and pack the house on Saturday evening."

Prairie View A&M (3-5, 3-2 SWAC) at East Texas A&M (2-5, 2-3 SLC) — 6 p.m.

This marks the final non-conference game for the Southland Conference, giving East Texas A&M one last opportunity to add a non-conference victory for the league.

The Panthers and Lions will meet for the sixth time in series history, but this will be the first time East Texas A&M serves as the home team in Commerce.

The series dates back to 1974, when the teams first met at a neutral site in Dallas. East Texas A&M won all four meetings played in Dallas.

The series resumed in 2024, when Prairie View A&M hosted and defeated the Lions 34-27.

The Panthers are closing out their non-conference schedule with an 0-3 record, with all three losses coming on the road.

Additionally, Prairie View A&M will play three of its final four games away from home to close out the 2026 season.

"It has been a tough stretch for us while being on the road, but we will keep pushing to try to get a result and get our morale up," head coach Tremaine Jackson said when asked about traveling to Commerce.

The Lions are also closing out their non-conference schedule with a home matchup against the Panthers.

Although non-conference play has not treated East Texas A&M well, the opportunity to play at home could provide an advantage. The Lions remain undefeated in Commerce this season, with conference victories over UTRGV and Northwestern State.

Last week in Houston, East Texas A&M surrendered an eight-point advantage entering the fourth quarter, allowing HCU to score 27 unanswered points in a road loss.

"We need to be better overall, especially when playing on the road," East Texas A&M head coach Clint Dolezel said in a recent interview.

"We gave ourselves a chance to close it out, but we had mistakes on defense, and that pick-six at the end was an immature mistake. The Panthers are a good ball club who will throw different looks on offense, so we will study that more as the week progresses."