The UTRGV Vaqueros are gearing up for their first conference game in football program history.

The team heads to Hammond, Louisiana to take on the Southeastern Lions.

The Lions were picked to finish third in the Southland Conference preseason poll, just one point behind Stephen F. Austin for second.

"We're about to jump in the deep end right now," Vaqueros head coach Travis Bush said. "One of the top teams in the conference, we'll get a full load of what the Southland football is all about."

Southeastern is coming off a 56-10 loss to LSU in the final non-conference game.

"Defensively it's going to be one of the best teams we've played all year," UTRGV quarterback Eddie Lee Marburger said. "I mean they have an amazing D-Line, amazing secondary and they have some really good linebackers... it's going to be a really good battle."

Coach Bush echoed the same message on the Lions defensive line earlier this week on the UTRGV Coach's Show.

The Vaqueros will hope to pull off the upset victory and move to 5-0 on the season, proving they can compete with the best teams in the SLC.

"As a competitor that's what you want," Coach Bush added. "You want challenges, you want the battles, you want the games that are going to make you play up to your best."

Kickoff in Hammond, Louisiana is set for 6:00 p.m. on Saturday night.