LAKE CHARLES – McNeese State will complete its spring football season on Saturday when the Cowboys hold their annual spring game beginning at 1 p.m. in Cowboy Stadium.
Gates are open to the public and admission is free.
Instead of going through a traditional scrimmage with the offense vs. the defense, the Cowboys will split into two teams and play four 10-minute quarters. The teams will be split with the No. 1 offense and No. 2 defense making up Team Cowboys while the No. 2 offense and No. 1 defense will be Team McNeese.
"It brings a little more excitement to it but it also allows the offense and the defense to team up together. We don't have enough players to split down the middle but by doing it this way, we can divide into two teams.
"All the offensive guys will have white jerseys and all the defensive guys will have blue, so now we can move them around if needed."
Quarterbacking Team Cowboys will be
Daniel Sams and
Will Briscoe with running backs
Kelvin Bennett,
Ryan Ross and
Dylan Long. Team Defense will be quarterbacked by
Grant Ashcraft and
Joe Lissard along with running backs
Benjamin Jones,
Marshall Harmon, Weston Waktins, Dion Francis and
Lee Glass.
When combining the two scrimmages, Ashcraft leads all quarterbacks with 185 yards on 13 of 23 passes with a touchdown and two interceptions. Sams has completed 8 of 13 passes for 101 yards and has also rushed for 82 yards on 10 carries. Lissard has completed 12 of 25 passes for 162 yards and a td while Briscoe is 12 of 25 for 131 yards and a score.
Walk-on running back
Benjamin Jones has been the team's top rusher in the two scrimmages with 95 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown.
"I think it's been a good spring," said Viator. "The split (spring break) always bothers me in some aspect because of install especially from an offensive standpoint where you have to learn plays. Sometimes you have to go back and re-teach some of the same stuff. But I think we've made progress. I like our kicking a lot and I think our defense has a chance, if we can stay healthy. I think our offense has improved as the spring went on."
All aspects of a real game will be incorporated but the kicking game will be altered some. The scrimmage will start off with a kickoff and punting series will take place after each quarter. During the game, punts will comprise just a snapper, punter and returner and where the returner fields the ball is where the series will begin.
