For the first time in his 11 years as head coach of the Cowboys, Matt Viator will suffer a losing season.
Texas-Rio Grande Valley guaranteed that with a 28-13 victory Saturday night in McNeese's home finale in Navarre Stadium.
The loss leaves the Cowboys 4-7 overall and 3-4 in the Southland Conference with one game remaining. The Vaqueros won their first league road game in program history and improved to 8-3, 4-3, in their inaugural football season.
They also kept their very, very slim hopes of an FCS playoff berth alive.
"Tough game," Viator said. "We just didn't do enough. We missed too many opportunities and settled for field goals."
The Cowboys managed just six points out of four trips into the red zone.
"This is a difficult loss," said Viator. "I thought the kids played hard. We just didn't make plays on key downs."
Behind quarterback Eddie Lee Marburger, the Vaqueros did make plays.
Marburger threw for four touchdowns, three to speedster Tony Diaz. Two of those came during 10 minutes of the fourth quarter that sealed the Cowboys' fate.
The killer came after the Cowboys cut the lead to 14-13 on Deaglan Camron's 27-yard field goal late in the third quarter. That's when Marburger hit Diaz with a 75-yard bomb on a third-and-five play.
Diaz outraced Mason Edwards, and Marburger found him in stride for the score and a 21-13 lead with 14:11 remaining.
"That was a great throw and a great catch," said Viator. "He (Diaz) got a good release and the quarterback made a great throw."
McNeese responded, marching to the Vaquero 13, but Coleby Hamm was stopped a yard short on fourth-and-two, turning the ball over. UTRGV put the game away with a nine-play, 88-yard drive that ended with Marburger hitting Diaz on a 7-yard scoring pass with 4:49 to play.
Marburger finished 17 of 29 for 257 yards and the four scores. Diaz had 134 yards on seven catches.
McNeese QB Jake Strong actually threw for more yards than his counterpart, finishing 25 of 35 for 275 yards and a score. However, he also threw a pair of interceptions.
McNeese jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on Strong's 85-yard scoring pass to Matt McCallister after Camron's 35-yard field goal. McCallister had his best game as a Cowboy, with six catches for 140 yards.
"I'm happy for Matt," said Viator. "He had a big game. He stepped in and played really well."
But up 10 with seven minutes left in the first half, Strong was intercepted by defensive lineman Jaden Wincher at midfield. Wincher caught his own tip and changed the game.
Before the pick, the Vaqueros had 49 yards of offense. Their next two drives, they collected 126.
Marburger hit Tavian Cord with a 21-yard TD pass and then found Diaz in the end zone from seven yards with 26 seconds left to take the 14-10 halftime lead.