Southland Stock Watch: Week 1 Brings FBS Tests & Conference Battles

Week 0 gave us plenty of surprises and teams all too familiar in the top for Week 1 of the Southland Conference. The surprises were Louisiana Christian making the short trek and upsetting Northwestern State; Houston Christian going on the road to Hammond to upset a Top 25 team. The faces we should keep an eye on are Lamar defeating Abilene Christian and the Lumberjacks going on the road to defeat McNeese. Honorable mentions go to UTRGV and Nicholls, who continue to receive votes in the latest edition of the coach's poll.

Incarnate Word Cardinals (1-0) are on a bye this week after a huge win over Oklahoma Panhandle State last Saturday night.

UTRGV Vaqueros (1-0) at UTSA Roadrunners (0-0) - Saturday 2:30 pm

The UTRGV Vaqueros are facing their first FBS opponents in school history as they will face the UTSA Roadrunners in the Alamodome on Saturday afternoon. It is a bit of a homecoming for head coach Travis Bush as he was a part of the inaugural staff that started UTSA Football. “It won’t be as strange because I have already been there before as an assistant coach of the Houston Cougars,” Bush said during his weekly

press conference. “We have kids that are actually going back since the first time we recruited them, and it will be a stern test for us because we want to put our best out there.” While the QB1 situation isn’t fully settled, expect Garrett Rangel to lead the Vaqueros on Saturday.

For the Roadrunners, it will be their first game of the season with the advantage of having some game film on the Vaqueros. Jeff Traylor, head coach for UTSA, said, “They are coming up here playing for pride, as should we. They are bringing a large crowd to The Alamodome and the place will be rocking come Saturday afternoon.” Texas Wesleyan Rams (0-1) at McNeese Cowboys (0-1, 0-1 SLC) - Saturday 6:00 pm The Cowboys will stay home as they host NAIA side Texas Wesleyan. It will be a chance for McNeese to bounce back after dropping their home opener to Stephen F. Austin last week in a conference game. Running back Omiri Wiggins had 126 rushing yards and two touchdowns to lead the offense. “We had a couple of breakdowns on communication, and we are working to fix that. It's just a minor thing that set us back a bit against the Lumberjacks,” said head coach Matt Viator. “Overall, I feel that the improvement is there; we just need to be more effective with our schemes.”

The Rams started the season at home with a loss to Central Oklahoma 59-7. The NAIA side will look to bounce back as they want to revert to winning ways. Running back Ian Jernagin had the Rams lone score early in the third quarter. Jernagin finished the game with 96 total yards.

Nicholls Colonels (1-0) at Kansas State Wildcats (0-0) - Saturday 6:00 pm

The Colonels earned their first win of the season by defeating Mississippi Valley State 44-10. Quarterback Ean Rodrigue finished the game with three touchdowns and 264 passing yards. When asked about facing the Wildcats, head coach Tommy Rybacki said “We were able to get guys and to see what depth looks like. We also understand that we have a lot of work in front of us as well.”

Kansas State is coming off a 6-6 season, and new head coach Collin Klein wants to turn things around in Manhattan quickly. During his meeting with the media, Klein stated, “It's been fun, and I think we still have some competitions at some spots. We'll go through the depth chart that you have, and we can talk about that. It was good to see a little bit of Nicholls on tape. I'm excited to play them. They've had a lot of success as a program over the years, and they're doing a really, really good job.”

Houston Christian Huskies (1-0, 1-0 SLC) at Rice Owls - Saturday 6:00 pm

The Huskies made a bit of a statement last week when earning their second-ever win over a ranked opponent and first on the road by defeating Southeastern Louisiana 34- 28. Cutter Stewart finished the game with 268 yards of total offense and two touchdowns. Head coach Jason Bachtel talked about facing the Rice Owls: “We keep the kids level-minded; individual awards and recognition are great, but now we have a bigger task, and we have to be better prepared.” Defensively, Jayven Anderson had a field day for the Huskies, with eight solo tackles, six in tackle-for-loss situations, and an interception to help in the upset win.

Rice Owls are coming off a 5-8 season under head coach Scott Abell. “They (The Huskies) played really well despite being the underdog. I’ve seen the game a few more times since to prepare ourselves, they will come in confident and excited for this challenge, but we have to be at our best.” Coach Abell said when facing Houston

Christian.

Southeastern Louisiana Lions (0-1, 0-1 SLC) at South Alabama Jaguars (0-0) - Saturday 6:00 pm

The Lions are looking to bounce back after a shock loss to Houston Christian last week at home but will head on the road for the first time this season to face South Alabama. Quarterback Kyle Lowe paced the Lions offense with 204 total yards of offense and produced three touchdowns. “We have to be better execution-wise; we left some valuable points off the board. Defensively, we need to be better, but I do like our progress.” Head coach Frank Scelfo said.

South Alabama will want to turn around from a season ago when they finished 4-8 under third-year head coach Major Applewhite. The Jaguars return six starters on offense and defense. The Lions and Jaguars will face each other for the second time, as South Alabama won the previous meeting back in 2024.

Northwestern State Demons (0-1) at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (0-0) - Saturday 6:30 pm

The Demons produced over 500 yards of total offense and scored on five consecutive drives, but it was not enough to defeat Louisiana Christian. “Defensively, we put ourselves in a hole by giving up all those penalties. It's a bit of a psychological game for us, and I feel that we can improve on that.” Head coach Blaine McCorkle said. “There’s a lot of history between us besides the paycheck game; we may not be at the same

level, but we will give it a go.” Louisiana Tech enters 2026 on a high after winning the Independence Bowl under fifth-year head coach Sonny Cumbie. The Bulldogs are no stranger to Southland Conference opponents as they faced Southeastern Louisiana last season. “I feel like our team is there from a preparation standpoint. We are excited to hit someone else in a different uniform.” Cumbie said.

East Texas A&M Lions (0-1) at Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (1-0; 1-0 SLC) - Saturday 7:00 pm

The Lions took a difficult loss on the road after falling short of a comeback against the Mercer Bears. East Texas A&M will begin conference play on the road as they will face the Lumberjacks, who are one of two teams to win the conference. “We had our opportunities early, but that is what the game teaches you early with a difficult opponent. The Lumberjacks are a well-coached team, but we need to be ready from snap one until the end of the game.” Head coach Clint Dozel said as they prepare for Stephen F. Austin.

The Lumberjacks are celebrating 100 seasons and their 54th season at Homer Bryce Stadium on “East Texas Tough” night. Despite the long rivalry, the last 10 games between them have been five wins for each team. Stephen F. Austin will be a favorite after a huge road win over McNeese on Saturday night. “They pose a lot of problems to us as they have in previous years, and we expect no different. They played us so close,

and we had to fight to earn that win. Much respect to that staff over there because to go on the road and almost being able to come back is quite the job.” Colby Carthel said when asked about playing the home opener.

Lamar Cardinals (1-0) at Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (0-0) - Saturday 7:00 pm

The Lamar Cardinals earned a win over a ranked Abilene Christian last week and it was their first win over a ranked opponent to open the season since 1981. It will be the first of three games on the road for Lamar as they play the Ragin’ Cajuns. “It is not easy to prepare for a team that has new faces but they are favorite to win their division. They have film on us but they also have a very good quarterback that has been there before. I am sure they will have a wrinkle or two, but we also want to do that as well.” Pete Rossomando said during the media availability. For the Ragin’ Cajuns are coming off a 6-7 season while making an appearance in the 68 Ventures Bowl. Louisiana Lafayette have high expectations entering the year picked second in the Sun Belt West Division Preseason Poll, with a first-place vote. UL Lafayette’s 2026 roster boasts of four preseason all-conference selections.