McNeese (4-1, 3-0 SLC) vs. Abilene Christian (2-3, 1-2 SLC)
Rankings: McNeese - 9 STATS, 10 AFCA Coaches; ACU – Not Ranked
Where: Lake Charles, La.
Stadium:  Louis Bonnette Field at Cowboy Stadium (17,610)
Time: 6 p.m.
Stream: McNeeseSports.com/watch
Radio: McNeese Radio Network
Live Stats: McNeeseSports.com
Twitter: @McNeeseFootball
Series: McNeese 5-0
Game Notes: McNeese    ACU
 
LAKE CHARLES – The Southland Conference's best defense will meet the league's top offense when 9^th-ranked McNeese hosts Abilene Christian at 6 p.m. on Saturday in Cowboy Stadium.
 
McNeese will be seeking its 500^th all-time win in a game where members of the All-75^th Anniversary Team will be recognized.
 
McNeese (4-1, 3-0 SLC) will enter the game tops in the conference not only in the standings, but also in the main defensive statistical categories - total defense (327.0 ypg), rushing defense (99.4 ypg) and scoring defense (19.6 ppg). The Cowboys are also No. 1 in pass efficiency defense, first downs defense, and fumbles recovered.
 
The Cowboys have seen a decline in opponent total offensive yards in each of the last three games – 362 vs. Nicholls, 291 at BYU, and 188 vs. Stephen F. Austin in the last outing.
 
Abilene Christian (2-3, 1-2) is on the opposite side of the spectrum, ranking first in the conference in total offense (496.0) while ranking second in scoring (32.2), third in passing (300.6) and fourth in rushing (195.4).
 
The Wildcats also lead the league in fewest sacks allowed with three while the Cowboys rank fifth in the nation with 17 team sacks.
 
GAMEDAY NOTES
 
Seeking 500th All-Time Win
• McNeese will enter Saturday's game with 499 all-time victories, needing one more win to reach the 500-victory milestone. The Cowboys will bring an all-time record of 499-287-13.
 
Cowboys and Wildats
• Saturday's game will be the sixth meeting between the two schools with McNeese having won the previous five.
• The Cowboys won last year's game by a 13-7 score in Abilene as both teams were held scoreless in the second half. In that game, RB Justin Pratt rushed for 109 yards while James Tabary completed 16 of 26 passes for 175 yards. The Cowboys' defense held ACU to just 138 total offensive yards.
• The first game of the series came in 1972, McNeese's first year and ACU's final season in the Southland Conference. The Cowboys won that game 22-0. The series started back up in 2014 when the Wildcats rejoined the league.
 
All-75^th Anniversary Football Team to be Recognized at Halftime
• 2018 marks the 75^th anniversary of McNeese Football and over the course of the last two months, McNeese Athletics has released it All-75^th Anniversary Team.
• This team is made up of 156 former Cowboy players, ranging from Hall of Famers, All-Americans, All-Conference and All-Louisiana selections, record holders, Southland Conference All-Time greats, and professional players.
• The team includes players that go back to the very first year of McNeese Football in 1940, all the way to the 2017 season. And since this year is the 75^th season of football, players from this year's team could be added to the All-75^th squad at the conclusion of the season.
• McNeese did not field a football team from 1941-44 due to World War II.
• Since that first season in 1940, McNeese has won 19 conference championships, 14 of those in the Southland Conference; played in three Division I Bowl games including the very first Independence Bowl where it defeated Tulsa; has appeared in 16 Division I playoff brackets; 143 All-America selection; 419 All-Conference selections; two players inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame; and several players who have played in Super Bowl games.
• A list of players that make up the team can be found on www.McNeeseSports.com.
 
BJ Blunt Continues to Dominate on DWA
• Senior linebacker B.J. Blunt continues to be the dominant force on McNeese's DWA.
• Blunt was named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week after his performance in McNeese's 17-10 win over SFA where he recorded 12 tackles, a McNeese career-high, with two sacks, 5.5 tackles for a loss, and a fumble recovery.
• Blunt leads the Cowboys with 36 tackles on the season, 7 sacks and 11.5 tackles for a loss.
• He's ranked No. 1 in the FCS with those 11.5 TFLs and is tied for first with 7 sacks.
 
McNeese in "The Hole"
• Cowboy Stadium, aka "The Hole" has been McNeese's home since 1965, and since that time, the Cowboys have recorded 207 wins in 302 games in their home venue.
• McNeese has produced 16 regular season undefeated home slates, including a 5-0 mark last year.
• The Cowboys have posted a 98-39-3 all-time record in Southland Conference home games, including a 50-13 home mark since the year 2000.
• McNeese has won 8 straight home league games dating to the 2016 season and is 24-7 since 2010.
 
Cowboys Back in Top 10 in Both FCS Polls
• Two days after beating Stephen F. Austin 17-10 to improve to 4-1 on the season and 3-0 in Southland Conference play, the Cowboys jumped to No. 9 in the STATS Media poll while breaking back into the top 10 in the AFCA Coaches poll at No. 10.
• The Cowboys have now been ranked for 13 straight weeks dating back to last season.
• McNeese cracked the top 10 two weeks ago, marking the first time since being ranked No. 9 to open up the 2016 season.
 
DWA Shaping into Form
• The Defense With Attitude has expelled that attitude the last two weeks, holding the opponents to fewer offensive yards as each week went along.
• McNeese held BYU to a season-low 291 total yards at the time, only to better that this past Saturday against Stephen F. Austin when it held the Lumberjacks to 188 yards and a season-low 10 first downs.
• SFA managed just 1.5 yards per carry in the game and 2.7 yards per offensive play.
• Because of that play, McNeese is now ranked No. 1 in the Southland Conference in rushing defense (99.4), scoring defense (19.6), first downs defense (40), fumbles recovered (8), and pass efficiency defense (116.68).