McNeese (6-3, 5-2 SLC) at Northwestern State (3-6, 2-5 SLC)
Rankings: McNeese - 18 STATS, 18 AFCA Coaches; NSU – NR
Where: Natchitoches, La.
Stadium:  Turpin Stadium (15,971)
Time: 6 p.m.
TV:  ESPN3
Radio: McNeese Radio Network
Live Stats: McNeeseSports.com
Twitter: @McNeeseFootball
Series: McNeese leads 46-20-1
Game Notes: McNeese, NSU
 
NATCHITOCHES – The unofficial playoffs for the McNeese Cowboys get underway on Saturday when the 18^th-ranked Cowboys visit Northwestern State in a must-win situation for a chance to claim at least a share of the Southland Conference championship and a playoff berth.
 
Kickoff is at 6 p.m. at NSU's Turpin Stadium. The game will broadcast live on ESPN3.
 
"This is pretty much like a playoff game for us," said head coach Lance Guidry. "We have to win the next two games to get at least a piece of the title and to get into the playoffs. It's do or die."
 
McNeese (6-3, 5-2 SLC) is coming off a 23-6 loss at Southeastern Louisiana last Saturday while the Demons (3-6, 2-5) fell 49-47 at Abilene Christian. McNeese is in a three-way tie for first place with Incarnate Word (at Central Arkansas on Saturday) and Nicholls (hosts Stephen F. Austin).
 
The league office released the tie-breaking scenario that takes into effect UIW's eight game league schedule while everyone else plays nine. Should UIW beat UCA, it will claim at least a tie for the championship and will hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Cowboys for the automatic bid if there's a two-way tie. Should there be a three-way tie, and since McNeese beat Nicholls, Nicholls beat UIW and UIW beat McNeese, more extensive tie-breaking rules will apply.
 
"All we're worried about it winning the next two games," said Guidry. "We do that, then we're conference champions and should be in the playoffs."
 
The Cowboys will go up against a Demon squad that possesses the league's No. 1 passing offense (326.3 yards per game) and receiver in Jazz Ferguson (934 receiving yards).
 
"We're going to have to do a good job defending him," said Guidry. "He's the kind of guy that will go and get the ball, a Kent Shelby-type player. They have several really good wide receivers."
 
McNeese has won the last 13 games in the series and holds a 46-20-1 lead in the all-time series. NSU's last win came in 2004 by way of a 47-17 victory in Natchitoches.
 
The Cowboys won last year's game by a 44-24 margin and are averaging 46 points a game in the last three meetings.
 
 
GAMEDAY NOTES
 
Quick Hits About the Cowboys
• McNeese will play its second straight game away from home.
• The Cowboys are 2-3 on the road this season and have dropped two straight road games since starting the season off with two wins (at Northern Colorado and at HBU).
• McNeese is ranked No. 18 in this week's STATS Media and AFCA Coaches polls.
• The Cowboys have not lost back-to-back games since Oct. 8 and 15 of the 2016 season.
• With 6 wins on the year, McNeese is guaranteed its 14 straight winning season, the 4th-longest streak in the FCS among active members.
• Linebacker B.J. Blunt leads the nation with 20 tackles for a loss and is tied for second with 11 sacks on the season.
• McNeese is ranked No. 11 in the FCS in rushing defense (102.7), 12th in team sacks per game (3.0), 12th in total sacks (27), 16th in total tackles for a loss (69).
• Defense is No. 1 in SLC with holding opponents to 154 first downs.
• Punter Alex Kjellsten is No. 1 in the SLC and 7th in FCS with a 44.0 average.
• Becasue of Kjellsten's kickoffs, McNeese's kick return defense is ranked No. 2 in the FCS with allowing just 11.3 yards per kick return.
• Opponents have accumulated just 79 total kick return yards on the season.
 
McNeese vs. Northwestern State - The Series
• Saturday's game will be the 68th meeting between the Cowboys and Demons with McNeese holding a 46-20-1 lead in the all-time series.
• McNeese has dominated the series lately, having won 13 straight games.
• The Cowboys are averaging 46 points the last three meetings.
• NSU's last victory over McNeese came in the 2004 season with a 47-17 win in Natchitoches.
• McNeese is 22-11-1 in games played at NSU with six straight victories in Turpin Stadium.
• Second-year offensive line coach for the Cowboys, Ben Norton, spent four seasons (2013-16) as offensive line coach and as offensive coordinator his last two years.
• First-year defensive ends coach Alec Osborne was on the Demons' staff in 2017 as a defensive line assistant.
 
BJ Blunt named to Buck Buchanan Award Midseason Watch List
• Senior linebacker BJ Blunt is one of 32 players on the watch list for the FCS Buck Buchanan Award as the nation's top defensive player.
• Blunt is currently second in the Southland Conference and the FCS with 11 sacks on the season and with a 1.22 sacks per game average.
• Tops the SLC and FCS with 20 total tackles for a loss and 2.2 TFLs per game.
• 3rd in SLC with 93 total tackles.
• 3rd in SLC and 11th in FCS with 10.3 tackles per game.
• He's recorded 10 or more tackles 4 times this season.
• 20 tackles against Abilene Christian to become the first McNeese player to record 20 tackles in a game since the 1997 season (current LB coach Charlie Ayro).
• 7 tackles from 100 to become first Cowboy player since 2012 (Terence Cahee) to record 100 tackles in a season.
• With 11 sacks, he's 4.5 away from matching the school record of 15.5 held by Kavika Pittman (1997).
 
Alex Kjellsten Breaks Single-Game Average Record; on Verge of Season, Career Marks
• Senior punter Alex Kjellsten had the best punting night of his career against UCA two weeks ago, breaking a 37-year old record for punting average when he booted 6 punts for a 51.7 avg.
• That broke the previous record held by Don Stump of 51.6 yards which was set in 1981 against Louisiana Tech.
• The Lake Charles native is currently averaging 44.0 yards per punt, ranking him No. 1 in the Southland Conference and 7th nationally.
• He's currently sitting with a career mark of 42.0 that would place him as the school's all-time record holder while his 44.0 season average would set a new school single-season mark.