LAKE CHARLES – McNeese will host 13
th-ranked Nicholls on Saturday at noon in the final home game of the spring season as the improving Cowboys look to cap off the home slate with a bang.
Admission is free.
The game will broadcast live on CST and ESPN+ and will air on the McNeese Radio Network (92.9 The Lake and 929thelake.com).
McNeese will enter the game with a 2-3 overall record and 1-3 in Southland Conference play. The Cowboys had a week off last Saturday, and prior to that, defeated Northwestern State 21-7 in Natchitoches.
Nicholls (4-1, 3-1) routed Incarnate Word 75-45 last week.
COWBOYS HOST COLONELS IN FINAL HOME GAME OF THE SPRING
• McNeese returns home on April 3 for its final game in Cowboy Stadium of the spring season when it hosts 13-ranked Nicholls.
• McNeese has won 215 games in "The Hole" in the 55-year history of Cowboy Stadium.
• The Cowboys are 5-2 against ranked opponents at home over the last seven games, including a 20-10 win over Nicholls on Sept. 15, 2018 when the Colonels were ranked 12
th (McNeese was ranked 15
th).
SERIES VS. NICHOLLS
• Saturday's game will mark the 45th meeting between McNeese and Nicholls with the Cowboys holding a 31-13 lead in the series.
• McNeese has won 9 of the last 11 outings and had an 8-game winning streak snapped in 2017 when Nicholls pulled out a last-second, 37-35 win on a field goal.
• The Cowboys are 16-7 at home against the Colonels and have won the last 10 games played in The Hole.
• Nicholls' last win in Lake Charles came in 1998 by way of a 31-30 win on the last play of the game.
BEGUE HAS CAREER GAME AT NSU
• Senior wide receiver
Trevor Begue put up career numbers in McNeese's 21-7 win over Northwestern State in the team's last outing.
• Begue matched a career best with eight catches while hauling in a career-high 165 yards receiving. He also had one touchdown in the game that went for 75 yards.
• The 165 yards ranks as the 6th-highest amount in a game in school history.
• The 75-yard catch and run for a score ranks as the 16th-longest in school history and the longest since the 2016 season (QB
James Tabary 80 and 85-yard touchdown passes).
• His previous best in receiving yards as 121 against HBU on Oct. 19, 2019.
• With his 8 catches in the game, he's now ranked 16th all-time in McNeese history with 93 catches, needing one more to move into the top 15.
• He's ranked 19th all-time with 1,316 receiving yards and is tied for 5th with 15 touchdown catches.
Career Receptions Leaders
1. Jermaine Martin (1999-02) 160
2. B.J. Sams (2000-03) 136
---------
10. Diontae Spencer (2010-13 101
11. Ernest Celestie (2011-14) 99
Chris Fontenot (1994-97) 99
Quenten Lawrence (2005-08) 99
15. Donnie Ashley (1995-97) 94
16. Trevor Begue (2017-now) 93
Career Receiving Yards Leaders
1. Jermaine Martin (1999-02) 2,636
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15. Chris Fontenot (1991-94) 1,349
16. William Davis (1995-98) 1,325
17. Ernest Celestie (2011-14) 1,320
Britt Broadhead (2000-03) 1,320
19. Trevor Begue (2017-now) 1,316
Career Receiving TD Leaders
1. Terence Davis (1992-95) 21
2. Damien Morris (1994-97) 18
3. B.J. Sams (2000-03) 16
Adam Henry (1990-93) 16
5. Trevor Begue (2017-now) 15
Quinten Lawrence (2005-08) 15
ORGERON NEARING 4K PASSING YARDS
• Quarter
Cody Orgeron is closing in on becoming just the ninth QB in school history to throw for 4,000 yards in a career.
• The son of LSU head coach Ed Orgeron, Cody is currently ranked ninth on the school's career passing yards list with 3,949 yards, needing just 51 to reach 4,000.
• In addition, he's thrown 31 career touchdowns, ranking 8th all-time and needs four more to tie him for sixth.
• The senior from Mandeville threw for 306 yards in a 21-7 win over Northwestern State two weeks ago, marking his first 300-yard game of the season and third in his career.
• In the season opener, he rushed for a career-high 108 yards at Tarleton in the season opener, becoming the first McNeese QB to break the century mark rushing since Daniel Sams in Nov. of 2015.
Career Passing Leaders
1. Derrick Fourroux (2006-09) 8,226
---------
7. Slade Nagle (1999-01) 4,596
8. Cody Orgeron (2017-now) 3,949
Career TD Passing Leaders
1. Kerry Joseph (1992-95) 67
---------
6. Blake Prejean (1996-99) 35
Slade Nagle (1999-01) 35
8. Cody Orgeron (2017-now) 31
CHAMBERS CREATING HAVOC AT DE
• Houston transfer DE
Isaiah Chambers had his best game of the spring at NSU two weeks ago where he recorded 3 sacks and 4.5 total tackles for a loss.
• For the season, he leads the team with 10.5 TFLs and 4.5 sacks.
• Both his sacks and tackles for a loss total rank him No. 1 in the Southland Conference in the spring season.
• He's currently seventh on the team with 24 total tackles.
KEY PLAYER NOTES
QB Cody Orgeron
• Thrown for 915 yards on 72 of 125 passing and five touchdowns.
• Leads team in rushing with 237 yards to go along with 3 TDs.
• Since completing just 48 percent of his passes through the first two games (32-66), has connected on 68 percent the last three outings (40 for 59).
• Coming off his best game of the season at NSU where he completed 17 of 22 passes for 306 yards and 2 touchdowns.
• It's the third 300-yard game of his career and the second-highest (344 at UCA, Oct. 12, 2019).
• His 75-yard TD catch and run to
Trevor Begue was the longest of his career.
• Rushed for a career-high 108 yards on 19 carries and 2 TDs in season opener at Tarleton State.
RB Deonta McMahon
• Action in first three games of the season but left the game early against SLU and had just 1 carry for 3 yards.
• Recorded 80 total yards in opener at TSU (45 rush, 35 receiving).
RB Josh Parker
• Led the team with 77 yards rushing at NSU before leaving the game late in the second quarter with an injury.
• Rushed for 129 yards on 25 carries (5.2 avg.) the last two games.
WR Trevor Begue
• Team leader with 249 receiving yards, a 49.8 ypr average, and 2 TD catches.
• Averages 16.6 yards per catch on the season.
• 75-yard TD at NSU was longest of career.
• His 165 yards receiving at NSU was a career-high and the third 100-yard game of his career.
WR Josh Matthews
• Team leader with 19 catches and is second with 216 receiving yards.
• Season-high 5 catches at SLU and a high of 65 receiving yards vs. UIW.
• Had a TD catch in opener at Tarleton.
TE Jamal Pettigrew
• Third on the team with 14 catches, needing 8 more to crack the school's top 10 list for most receptions by a TE in a season.
• Had 110 yards receiving and a TD.
DE Isaiah Chambers
• Team and conference leader with 4.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for a loss.
• Recorded 3 sacks and 4.5 TFL at NSU with two of those sacks coming just three plays apart on the same series.
• Second on the team with 5 QB hurries.
DT Mason Kinsey
• 1.5 sacks and 4.5 TFL on the season and ranks third on the team with 29 total tackles.
• Team leader with 6 QB hurries.
• Starter in all five games.
• 10 tackles in season opener at Tarleton.
LB Kordell Williams
• Starter in last two games and in three of the five on the season.
• Tied for third on team with 29 total tackles.
• Matched a career-high with 8 stops at NSU.
LB Dorion Pollard
• Made his first McNeese start in season opener and recorded a career-high 9 tackles with two tackles for a loss.
• Those nine hits matched his entire 2019 total tackle amount.
• Matched that with nine stops against Lamar to go along with 1. 5 sacks and two TFL.
• Intercepted a pass late in the game at NSU to secure the win.
LB Darius Daniels
• Returned to action this spring after suffering a head-turning broken ankle in the early part of the 2019 season.
• Currently fifth on the team with 26 tackles to go along with a sack and 1.5 TFL.
• Career-high nine tackles against UIW.
• Coming off an 8 tackle game at NSU where he recorded a sack and 1.5 TFL.
DB Andre Sam
• Team leader with 39 tackles and one of two players on the team with an interception.
• Added 10 tackles in the game.
• Had nine tackles while forcing a fumble in the opener at Tarleton.
DB Cory McCoy
• 2020 Preseason All-SLC selection.
• Tied with Daniels with 26 tackles on the season.
• Had eight tackles with a sack and TFL against Lamar.
• Starter in all five games.
