McNeese (2-0, 1-0 SLC) vs. Nicholls (1-1, 0-0 SLC)
Rankings: McNeese 16 STATS, 15 AFCA Coaches; Nicholls 13 STATS, 12 AFCA Coaches
Where: Lake Charles, La.
Stadium: Louis Bonnette Field at Cowboy Stadium (17,610)
Time: 6:07 p.m.
TV: Cox Sports TV (Suddenlink channel 57 Lake Charles)
Stream: ESPN3 (outside the CST viewing area only)
Radio: McNeese Radio Network
Live Stats: McNeeseSports.com
Twitter: @McNeeseFootball
Series: McNeese leads 30-12
Game Notes: McNeese; Nicholls

LAKE CHARLES – The McNeese Cowboys will get to break in Cowboy Stadium's new artificial surface on Saturday night when they host Nicholls for the first of five home games on the season.
 
Kickoff is set for 6:07 p.m. as Cox Sports Television will broadcast the game live. Those outside the CST viewing area can watch on ESPN3.
 
The Cowboys (2-0, 1-0 SLC), ranked Nos. 15 and 16 in this week's FCS polls, will be looking to get a little revenge on the Colonels after Nicholls made a last-second field goal to win last year's season opener 37-35 in a game that essentially kept the Cowboys out of the playoffs despite going 9-2 on the year.
 
Nicholls (1-1, 0-0) is ranked No. 12 and 13 in the same poll and defeated Kansas in overtime to open the season before falling to Tulane last week.
 
GAMEDAY NOTES
Cowboys and Colonels
• McNeese and Nicholls will be meeting for the 43rd time on Saturday night as the Cowboys hold a 30-12 lead in the all-time series that began in 1972.
• The two teams have been playing every year since 1984.
• This will be the first time since the 2007 season both teams are ranked facing each other. In that season, McNeese was ranked No. 6 and Nicholls 13th and the Cowboys posted a 28-7 win in Thibodaux.
• McNeese is 15-7 at home against the Colonels and has won 9 straight in Cowboy Stadium.
• The last Nicholls win in Lake Charles came on a Hail Mary pass in the 1998 regular season finale to put the Colonels on top by a 31-30 score.
• Nicholls won last year's game by a 37-35 score on a last second field goal. That game opened up the season for both teams on Thursday, Aug. 31.
• McNeese has won 8 of the last 10 meetings.
• 4 of the last 5 Colonels' wins are by a combined 7 points.
• McNeese head coach Lance Guidry is 1-1 against the Colonels as a head coach but when adding in his playing days and years as a McNeese assistant, he's 12-4 against Nicholls.
 
Cowboys in "The Hole"
• Cowboy Stadium, aka "The Hole" has been McNeese's home since 1965, and since that time, the Cowboys have recorded 206 wins in 301 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 96-39-3 all-time record in Southland Conference home games, including a 48-13 home mark since the year 2000.
• McNeese has won six straight home league games dating to the 2016 season and is 22-7 since 2010.
 
Cowboys Sweep SLC honors; Tabary earns honorable mention national honors; Orgeron Louisiana Special Teams POW
• The McNeese trio of QB James Tabary, CB Darion Dunn and PR Parker Orgeron swept the weekly Southland Conference awards for their play in last week's win at HBU.
• Tabary threw for 355 yards on 25 of 32 passing with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He set a new school record with 329 yards and 4 TDs in the first half. He was also named the league's offensive player of the week by College Sports Madness and also garnered honorable mention recognition for national player of the week by STATS and CFPA.
• Dunn intercepted two passes in the game and led the team with five solo tackles.
• Orgeron returned a punt 59 yards for a touchdown and averaged 34 yards on two punt returns on the night. The score was the first on a punt return for McNeese since the 2013 season. He was also named the Louisiana Special Teams Player of the Week.
 
About the Colonels
• Opened up the season with a 26-23 overtime win at Big 12 member Kansas. It's the first win by a Southland Conference school over a Power 5 team since McNeese whipped South Florida 53-21 to open up the 2013 season. At that time, USF was a member of the Big East Conference.
• Nicholls added seven FBS transfers to the squad this season. Joining the team are OL Alex Anderson (Texas), DB Jerrion Burton (New Mexico St.), RB Kendall Bussey (Texas A&M), DB Alonzo Craighton (Minnesota), DL Emanuel Dayries (Arizona State), WR Gabe Fuselier (UL-Lafayette), and TE Bry'Kiethon Mouton (LSU). Four saw action in the win at Kansas (Anderson, Bussey, Dayries, Fuselier).
• Bussey was named SLC Offensive Player of the Week for his play at Kansas where he rushed for 123 yards and scored a touchdown.
• The Colonels led the Southland Conference with a total of 14 players named Preseason All-Southland, and had the most first-teamers with 10. Ten of the selections were automatic from being named All-SLC last season.
 
McNeese Winning the Turnover Battle
• McNeese leads the SLC and is ranked No. 2 in the FCS with seven turnovers gained - four interceptions and three fumble recoveries.
• The Cowboys have a +4 margin, ranking them seventh in the FCS while their four pass interceptions ranks them No. 2. McNeese has one interception returned for a touchdown, that coming against Northern Colorado.
 
Cowboy Sack Attack
• The Cowboys have sacked opposing quarterbacks 10 times through the first two games, averaging five sacks a game which ranks them No. 2 in the FCS.
• Sophomore defensive end Cody Roscoe has 4.5 sacks to his credit, a 2.25 per game average that ranks him atop the sacks' board in the SLC and the nation. Roscoe is also ranked 11th in the nation with 4.5 tackles for a loss.
 
Up Next
• McNeese will visit BYU for the first time ever when it heads to Provo, Utah next Saturday.
• That game will broadcast live on BYUtv.