McNeese (3-6, 2-4 SLC) at HBU (0-9, 0-6 SLC)
Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021 • 2 p.m. • Huskey Stadium
 
Stream: ESPN+
Radio: 92.9 The Lake or 929thelake.com
Live Stats: Link
 
HOUSTON – McNeese will play its final road game of the season on Saturday when it visits HBU in Southland Conference action.
 
Kick-off will be at 2 p.m. at HBU's Huskey Stadium. The game will broadcast live on ESPN+ and on the McNeese Sports Network (92.9 The Lake and 929thelake.com).
 
The Cowboys (3-6, 2-4 SLC) are looking to close out the season with two wins and a .500 season in conference play while HBU (0-9, 0-6) is still looking for its first win of the season.
 
"They've been in every game this season for at least the first 2-3 quarters," said Cowboys' head coach Frank Wilson. "They have the top tackler in the league and are a very well-coached team."
 
McNeese is coming off a 24-14 loss to Nicholls in a game that saw the Cowboys miss out on a few opportunities that could have changed the outcome of the game.
 
"We fought hard and I'm proud of the guys for that," said Wilson. "You look back, six-point loss to West Florida, two three-point losses to Southeastern, a 10-point loss to Nicholls; we're right there with a chance in all of those games.
 
"We want to finish strong. It'll be big for us to finish .500 in the conference while winning our last two games. We're going to go out and have fun and hopefully come back with a win."
 
McNeese's defense continues to impress, ranking No. 1 in the Southland Conference in rushing defense (117.6 ypg), sacks per game (2.78) and turnover margin (+8) while ranking second in total defense (402.7), third down conversion defense (39.1 percent) and fourth down conversion defense (47.6 percent).
 
In both games against Southeastern and the homecoming game versus Incarnate Word, McNeese held those high-powered offenses to well below their scoring averages and total offensive output per game.
 
SERIES VS. HBU
• McNeese is 3-0 all-time vs. HBU (2-0 at home and 1-0 on the road).
• The Cowboys defeated the Huskies 42-27 in their last meeting back on October 19, 2019 in Lake Charles.
• In that game, only two players that are currently with the Cowboys, recorded offensive stats - QB Cody Orgeron and TE Dontay Hargrove.
• The series is historically a high-scoring affair with McNeese outscoring the Huskies by an average score of 40-24.
 
COWBOYS OH-SO-CLOSE IN TIGHT LOSSES THIS YEAR
• McNeese has been in just about every game this season and on the cusp of the winning side in four of the six losses.
• Six times this season, the Cowboys have scored first (LSU, UIW and NSU only games where McNeese did not score first).
• Three of the six losses were by 6 points or less (6 vs. West Florida and two, 3-point losses to Southeastern).
• Taking out the UIW (31-0) and LSU (34-7) games, McNeese's average loss was by an average of 5.5 points.
 
ISAIAH CHAMBERS = SACK MASTER
• All-American defensive end Isaiah Chambers had a slow start to the season in terms of quarterback sacks, but that has changed over the last 6 games as the graduate student is now atop the Southland Conference rankings with 7.5 sacks on the year.
• Chambers recorded a career-high 4 sacks against UIW three weeks ago which was one shy of the school record.
• He has recorded at least half a sack in five straight games.
• He's recorded 14 sacks in 16 games as a Cowboy and is 1.5 sacks away from breaking into the top 10 on the school's all-time sack list.
• His sack total ranks tied for 13th in the FCS.
• Also has 10.5 tackles for a loss which leads the Southland and ranks tied for 32nd in the FCS.
 
WILLIAMS' TACKLING FUEL
• Junior linebacker Kordell Williams will enter Saturday's game at HBU ranked No. 3 in the Southland Conference and 12th in the FCS with 90 total tackles and a 10.0 tackles per game average.
• He's first in the league and 3rd nationally with 59 solo stops.
• He's recorded 10 or more tackles in a game 7 times this season and had a high of 17 tackles, 15 solos, against Southeastern Louisiana last month.
• The Carencro native has recorded 210 tackles in his career, needing 33 more to move into 20th on the school's all-time career tackles list.
• He's coming off an 11 tackle game against Nicholls to mark his third straight double-digit tackle contest.
 
POKES GET SLC WIN NO. 200
• McNeese became the first Southland Conference school, past or present, to record its 200th all-time league win when it defeated Incarnate Word 28-20 on Oct. 23.
• The Cowboys' all-time record in league play is 200-109-7 in their 50th year in the conference.