Nate Denney's 120 yards rushing and 2 TDs help UTRGV beat Nicholls 28-21

Updated Nov. 8, 2025 9:39 p.m. ET

Associated Press

EDINBURG, Texas (AP) — Nate Denney had 120 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 25 carries, Eddie Lee Marburger threw two touchdown passes, and UT Rio Grande Valley beat Nicholls 28-21 on Saturday night.

Marburger was 20-of-30 passing for 247 yards and threw an interception for UTRGV (7-3, 3-3 Southland Conference).

A 19-yard punt gave the Vaqueros possession at the Nicholls 35 and, after Marburger hit Ismael Smith Flores for a 28-yard gain, Denney scored on a 7-yard run to make it 21-14 with 3:29 left in the third quarter. Tavian Cord's 44-yard touchdown reception with 10:15 to play made it a 14-point game.

Ean Rodrigue completed 18 of 31 passes for 175 yards with a 16-yard TD strike to tight end Everett Hunter for Nicholls (3-7, 3-3). Miequle Brock Jr. and Shane Lee added touchdown runs of 4 and 8 yards, respectively.

Lee's TD capped an eight-play, 75-yard drive and made it 28-21 with 6:14 to play but UTRGV answered with an 11-play drive that took nearly 5 1/2 minutes off the clock to all but end it.

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