HAMMOND – McNeese football returns to action on Saturday when it visits Southeastern Louisiana, a week after having its second off week in the last three Saturdays when last weekend's homecoming game against Northwestern was canceled due to the Demons ending their season.
Kick-off will be at 3 p.m. at SLU's Strawberry Stadium. The game will broadcast on ESPN+ and on the McNeese Radio Network (92.9 The Lake and 929thelake.com).
Both the Cowboys and Lions will enter the game with identical 1-7 records (1-3 in Southland Conference play). McNeese was credited a forfeit win over Northwestern State for league standing purposes but is considered a no-contest by the NCAA. McNeese is counting the win, which was the 520
th in the history of the program.
Southeastern defeated NSU back on October 19 by a 37-20 score in its last outing prior to an open date for its first win on the year. The Lions, who won last year's SLC title, were the preseason favorite to capture the title again this season.
The Cowboys are expected to start
Ryan Roberts at quarterback for the second straight week and plan to get true freshman
Kamden Sixkiller in at some point. Roberts got the nod against UIW two weeks ago and nearly led McNeese to an upset over the then-5
th ranked team in the nation after completing 17 of 30 passes and two touchdowns for 200 yards, the first McNeese QB to throw for 200 yards in a game this season.
Running back D'Angelo Durham will be back from an injury he suffered back on October 7 in the first quarter at Texas A&M-Commerce, and despite missing the last seven quarters of play, he's ranked third in the conference in rushing with 460 yards and a 65.7 per game average.
The Lions will likely play three quarterbacks, something they have done most of the season. NSU transfer Zachary Clement is a dual threat who leads the team in rushing with 260 yards while having completed 61 of 95 passes for 761 yards and six touchdowns. Eli Sawyer will get snaps as well. The sophomore is ranked fifth in the league with 1,368 passing yards and has tossed six touchdowns.
Notebook:
• Following an unplanned open date with Northwestern State canceling the remainder of its football season, McNeese will be back in action on Saturday when it visits Southeastern for game No. 9 of the 2023 season.
• With McNeese's homecoming game being canceled last Saturday and this week's game played in Hammond, the Cowboys will be playing their 5th of the last 7 games on the road.
• Southeastern will also be coming off an open date, this one schedule... the Lions defeated Northwestern State, 37-20, in Natchitoches on Oct. 19 in what would be NSU's final game of the season.
• The Lions' win over the Demons snapped the program's worst start since 1971 when it finished with an 0-11 record.
• The last five games have been decided by a total of 16 points (28-27 SLU in '22; 23-20 SLU and 38-35 SLC in spring '21; 25-20 SLU in fall '21; 38-34 McNeese in '19).
• McNeese head coach
Gary Goff was the Lions' WR coach in 2003 and 2004 under Hal Mumme and helped guide SLU to a 51-6 win over the Cowboys in the 2004 campaign.
• The Cowboys will be looking to pick up their first win in Hammond since 2010 (13-10), and snapping a streak of six straight losses in Strawberry Stadium.
• Walk-on RS sophomore QB
Ryan Roberts earned his first start of the season against UIW and became the first McNeese QB to throw for 200 yards on the season when he completed 17 of 30 passes for 200 yards, two TDs and an interception.
• Roberts saw his first action on the year at A&M-Commerce, and in two games, has completed 29 of 49 passes (59%) for 305 yards, 2 TDs and an interception and has a 121.0 efficiency rating.
• Walk-on RS freshman RB
Joshon Barbie saw action for just the second time in his career, both coming in the last two games, and ran for 117 yards on 21 carries with a TD.
• Barbie's 21 carries were the most by a McNeese rusher this season while his 100-yard game was just the second by a Cowboy player on the season.
• LB
Micah Davey is ranked 1st in the SLC and 2nd in the FCS in total tackles (96), tackles per game (13.7) and solo tackles per game (7.6)
• Davey has recorded 7 of the 9 double-digit tackle games on the season by a McNeese defender, the other two are from sophomore transfer DB
Boogsie Silvera (12 tackles at Florida and vs. UIW).
• Offensive linemen
Cole Leclair and
Dylan Dauzart have started 18 consecutive games as a Cowboys dating back to last season, the longest current streak on the team.
• Adding in his starts when he played at Valdosta State before transferring to McNeese, Leclair has started in 32 consecutive contests.
• Sophomore WR
Jon McCall is 2nd in the Southland Conference and is ranked 15th in the FCS with five TD catches on the season
• McCall's 106 yards receiving against UIW (5 catches) is the first 100-yard receiving game for the Cowboys this season.
• McCall has made at least one catch every game this season and has three or more catches in five straight games.
• His five TD grabs have all come in the last four games.
• True freshman WR
Makhi Paris leads all freshmen receivers in the Southland with 22 catches and 275 receiving yards.
• Paris has made at least one catch in every game this season and has 10 of his grabs in the last two outings.
SERIES HISTORY
• Saturday's game will be the Golden Anniversary for the series between the Cowboys and Lions with McNeese holding a slight 25-24 all-time lead.
• The two teams first played in 1951 and met every year from '51-'73 then played five more times up until Southeastern discontinued the program following the 1985 season... SLU revived the program in 2003 and the two teams have played every year since.
• SLU began playing a Southland Conference slate in 2004, and since becoming a member, the Lions hold an 11-9 lead in the series.
• Southeastern has had the upper hand as of late, winning four straight in the series and 9 out of the last 12 meetings.
• Since 2003, at least one team has been ranked in the FCS Top 25, 17 times in 21 outings with the highest ranking a No. 1 spot by McNeese in 2003 (58-20 Cowboys' win).
• SLU's highest ranking in the series occurred in October 2021 when the 8th-ranked Lions held off a late 4th quarter Cowboy rally for a 23-20 win.
• McNeese's most dramatic win over the Lions came in the 2010 season when kicker Josh Lewis made a 52-yard field goal as time expired to give the Cowboys a 13-10 win in Hammond.
