McNeese (1-6, 0-3 SLC) vs. Southeastern (4-3, 1-1 SLC)
Saturday, October 29, 2022 • 7 p.m.
Louis Bonnette Field at Cowboy Stadium (20,000) • Lake Charles, La.
 
TV: ESPN+ LINK
Radio: 92.9 The Lake
Audio Stream: 929thelake.com
Live Stats: LINK
 
LAKE CHARLES – McNeese senior defensive tackle and Lake Charles native C.J. Semien was crowned McNeese's Homecoming King on Thursday night at the annual Homecoming Pep Rally.
 
The Barbe High School product is the first McNeese student-athlete to be voted at the school's Homecoming King. He'll be presented at half time of Saturday's game with the rest of the Homecoming Court against Southeastern Louisiana.
 
The Cowboys will play in their 78^th Homecoming Game on Saturday night at 7 p.m. McNeese has compiled a 57-19-1 all-time record in the annual game and has won nine straight heading into Saturday night's contest.
 
COACHES
• McNeese: Gary Goff (1^st season at McNeese, 1-6; 11^th season overall, 61-59)
• Southeastern: Frank Scelfo (5^th season at Southeastern and overall, 29-22)
 
COWBOYS AND LIONS
• Saturday's game will be the 49th meeting in the all-time series with McNeese holding down a 25-23 lead.
• McNeese holds a slight 14-13 advantage against the Lions as Southland Conference members.
• Southeastern has won the last three games, including two wins last season by scores of 38-35 on Oct. 2 in Lake Charles and 23-20 on Oct. 30 in Hammond.
• McNeese is 18-6 at home against SLU with its last win coming on Oct. 19, 2019 by a 38-34 score.
• The last four meetings have been decided by 5 points or less (SLU 23-20 and 38-35 in 2021; SLU 25-20 in spring 2021; McNeese 38-34 in 2019).
• McNeese head Coach Gary Goff was the Lions' WR coach in 2003 and 2004 and helped guide SLU to a 51-6 win over McNeese in The Hole in 2004.
• Cowboys' WR coach Felton Huggins is a member of the SLU Hall of Fame after a record-breaking career for the Lions from 2003-05.
• Huggins still holds the Cowboy Stadium record for most receptions (13) and receiving yards (235) in a game when the Lions defeated McNeese 51-17 in 2004.
 
 
NOTES ON THE COWBOYS
• In all three conference losses, McNeese trailed by one score or led in the fourth quarter (led 35-34 with 11:15 left at Nicholls; 28-20 at UIW with less than 10 minutes to play; 20-15 vs. TAMUC with 12 minutes remaining).
• After playing its first five games without an interception, McNeese has picked off four passes in the last two games.
• McNeese has scored in all 9 of its red-zone appearances over the last three games with 8 of those scores being TDs.
• The Cowboys are No. 1 in the FCS with 10 fumble recoveries and 22nd (2nd in SLC) with 14 turnovers gained.
• Both DB Richard Akers and DB Enos Lewis are tied atop the FCS with 3 fumble recoveries each.
• RB Deonta McMahon is No. 1 in SLC and 5th in FCS with 157.7 all-purpose yards per game.
• McMahon's 664 total rushing yards is ranked 20th in the FCS while his 94.9 ypg average is also 20th... both are No. 1 in the SLC.
• LB Kordell Williams is 2nd in SLC and 6th in FCS with 10.4 tackles per game.
 
ABOUT THE LIONS
• SLU is coached by Frank Scelfo who is in his 5th season and has compiled a 29-22 record.
• The Lions were picked to finish first in the Southland Conference in the league's preseason poll, edging out UIW by four points.
• Saturday's game will be the second of three straight road games.
• SLU is coming off an impressive 31-14 win at Jacksonville State, handing the Gamecocks just their second loss on the season and first loss against a FCS member.
• The Lions will enter Saturday's game with the league's top-rushing offense (179.4 ypg) while RB Carlos Washington, Jr. is ranked 4th individually in rushing with 63.9 yards per game.
 
McMAHON LEADS SLC IN RUSHING 
• Senior RB Deonta McMahon continues to lead the Southland Conference in rushing with a 94.9 per game average.
• He's looking to become the first Cowboy since 2008 (Toddrick Pendland) to win the league rushing title.
• In addition, he also leads the league with 664 total rushing yards and with 157.7 all-purpose yards per game.
• He rushed for a career-high 138 yards in the Sept. 24 win over Mississippi College to mark his 3rd straight 100-yard rushing game, fourth on the season and 6th in his career.
• He has 7, 100-yard rushing games in his career, ranking him tied as the 8th-most in school history.
• His 4, 100-yard games this season ranks as the 4th-most in school history.
• To date, McMahon has rushed for 1,411 yards in his career, needing 62 yards to move into 30th on the school's career list.
• Vying to become the first Cowboy player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since the 2015 season (Marcus Wiltz 1,287).
• Has 16 career rushing TDs, needing 4 to break into the top 15 all-time in school record book.
 
McMahon 100-Yard Career Rushing Games:
121 (25 carries) at Nicholls (Oct. 22, 2022)
138 (12 carries) vs. Mississippi College (Sept. 24, 2022)
102 (10 carries) vs. Alcorn State (Sept. 17, 2022)
101 (5 carries) at Rice (Sept. 10, 2022)
111 (17 carries) vs. Northwestern State (Nov. 20, 2021)
124 (23 carries) at HBU (Nov. 13, 2021)
111 (11 carries) vs. Nicholls (Apr. 3, 2021)
 
WILLIAMS ADDS TO TACKLING TOTAL         
• Senior LB Kordell Williams increased his season and career total tackles mark by 9 after last Saturday's performance at Nicholls.
• Williams, a Carencro native, leads the Cowboys and is ranked No. 2 in the SLC with 73 total tackles.
• He's 2nd in SLC and 6th FCS with 10.4 tackles per game.
• He has four, 10-tackle games on the season.
• 293 tackles in his career, ranking him 15th on the school's career list.
• Recorded 10 or more tackles 12 times in his career and since recording his first 10-tackle game, has posted 10 or more in 12 of his last 19 games going back to the 2021 spring season.
 
WILLIAMS 10+ TACKLE GAMES
TKLS Opponent                        Date
10      vs. TAMU-Commerce        10/15/22
12      vs. Mississippi College      9/24/22
15      vs. Alcorn State                 9/17/22
12      at Rice                               9/10/22
11      vs. Nicholls                        11/6/21
12      at Southeastern                10/30/21
11      vs. UIW                              10/23/21
17      vs. Southeastern               10/2/21
10      at UIW                               9/25/21
11      at Southern                       9/18/21
10      at LSU                                9/11/21
13      at Sam Houston                4/10/21
 
TEAM AND PLAYER NOTES            
• The Cowboys have forced multiple turnovers in all but one game on the season.
• All-conference OL Caron Coleman has started the last two games after missing the first five due to concussion protocol.
• With 664 rushing yards, RB Deonta McMahon is looking to become the first 1,000-yard rusher since the 2013 season (Marcus Wiltz 1,287).
• WR Mason Pierce leads the team with 28 catches, four short of his season-best of 30 catches made last season.
• Pierce has 794 receiving yards, 206 short of becoming just the 27th player in school history to reach the 1,000-yard milestone.
• OL Calvin Barkat has started 23 straight games.
• OL Cole LeClair has started in 21 straight games (7 at McNeese and 14 at Valdosta State last season).
• DB Darius Shields came off the bench against Nicholls and recorded a career-high 8 tackles.
• DB Tyler Barnes has intercepted a pass in back-to-back games and is now tied for 2nd in the conference with two total picks.
• DB Rae'Kwon Starks made his first start of the season at Nicholls... the 3rd of his career.
• K Garrison Smith is 3rd in the SLC with 6 FG made and is 10th with 32 total points scored.
• Smith's 47-yard FG at UIW was the 8th longest in school history (54 is the record by Eric Roberts vs. Northern Iowa in 1991).
• On 30 kickoffs, Smith has recorded 22 touchbacks with only seven being returned.
• P Callum Eddings is 3rd in the league with 11 punts downed inside the 20.