'Protect this house': UTRGV stays perfect at home, victorious over Permian Basin
EDINBURG — The UTRGV Vaqueros (1-0) put the region on their backs this past Saturday night as they blanked the visiting UT Permian Basin Falcons, 44-0, at the Robert and Janet Vacker Stadium.
The squad really put on a show in front of a record-breaking 13,698 fans that decked out the stadium in a sea of orange and white. From the early to late afternoon, fans were spread out in the tailgate area in 100-degree weather waiting to get inside to root for the local university.
The dub puts the Vaqueros at a perfect 8-0 at home in its second program year. Last season, in its inaugural year, UTRGV went a perfect 7-0 on its home turf.
So, it's a different year but the same standard needs to be upheld when it comes to football in the Rio Grande Valley, according to Head Coach Travis Bush.
"They did some things really well," Bush said. "But, you know, we challenged our guys to come out — uphold the standard that they've started this program with, the way we play, and protect this house."
He gave props to UT Permian Basin, which operates at a Division II FCS level, but they came into this came nationally ranked at No. 18. UTRGV operates at the Division I FCS level.
One of the biggest questions of the night was: "Who gets the starting quarterback position?"
Returning player, Aidan Jakobsohn got tapped for the role as he led the UTRGV offense to a five-play opening drive for a Vaquero touchdown.
In a no huddle offense, Jakobsohn completed four passes to get to the UTPB endzone. On the last play of the drive, he hit Kyran Lee for the 15-yard touchdown.
The junior quarterback went 10-for-16 passing in the game for 180 yards. The pass to Lee was his only touchdown of the game.
With about 7 minutes left in the first, Brysen Gardner hit a 28-yard field goal to make it 10-0. Then, quick to the jugular, Garret Rangel — who was also fighting for the starting quarterback spot — found Tavian Cord on a 29-yard touchdown pass to make it 17-0 going into the second.
Gardner hit two more field goals in the second quarter — one from 25 yards out and the other from 36 yards — to give UTRGV the 23-0 lead going into the break.
Rangel went 12-for-15 passing with one touchdown. He racked up 211 yards on the night.
As much as the offense got their groove on early on, UTRGV's defense made UTPB uncomfortable to say the least.
The Falcons' quarterback Nate TenBarge found himself scrambling more times than not as he threw 14-for-34 on the night for 151 yards. He had two interceptions on the night.
The second half told the same tale as the first as Rangel got his second touchdown of the night on a QB sneak in the third quarter to make it 30-0.
Dorian Blackwell got his first interception of the night in the third quarter. UTRGV had three in total.
In the fourth quarter, UTRGV put it on the ground as Malachi Lane and Brennan Carroll had a touchdown each to seal the deal at 44-0.
Offensively, UTRGV had 675 total yards. Their defense only allowed UTPB to rack up 165.
As for the Vaqueros next test, they travel to the Alamo Dome to play the UTSA Roadrunners — which operates at the FBS level.
They will play on Saturday in San Antonio.
"We're gonna play a lot of good people," Bush said. "From here on out, every game, every game's gonna be a battle.
"... The 956 is going to take a lot of people (to the game) and so we're just excited to get in that environment. You know, we'll go see how we stack up against a very good FBS opponent."