McNeese Cowboys (0-2) at Alcorn State Braves (0-2)

McNEESE COWBOYS (0-2, 0-0)
Conference: Southland (SLC)
STATS/Coaches Rank: -/-
Head Coach: Gary Goff (2nd year)
Overall Record: 64-62 (12th year)
at McNeese: 4-9
vs. Alcorn State: 0-1

ALCORN STATE BRAVES (0-2, 0-0)
Conference: Southwestern Athletic (SWAC)
STATS/Coaches Rank: -/-
Head Coach: Fred McNair (7th year)
Overall Record: 41-32 (7th year)
at Alcorn State: 41-32
vs. McNeese: 1-2

KICK-OFF NOTES
• Saturday night's game will mark the fifth meeting between McNeese and Alcorn State.
• The teams last played in 2022 with the Braves taking a 30-19 win in Lake Charles to mark the first win by a SWAC team over McNeese in 16 tries.
• The Cowboys are 2-0 when playing at Alcorn State, most recently in 2017 when McNeese posted a 34-27 win.

TAKING NOTICE
520 |  A win will give McNeese its 520th all-time win. Now in its 80th football season, McNeese has compiled a record of 519-316-13, a winning percentage of 62.2 percent.
25  |  Total number of tackles by sophomore linebacker Micah Davey through the first two games for a 12.5 per game average, ranking him No. 2 in the Southland and 9th in the FCS. He recorded 12 tackles in the opener against Tarleton and followed that up with 13 stops at Florida last week.
11  |  Number of first time starters for the Cowboys in the season opener against Tarleton State. Another 21 saw action for the first time bringing the number to 32 as seeing action in the blue and gold for the first time.
5  |  Number of punts downed inside the 20 by Callum Eddings. He's had another two downed at the 1, both coming against Florida.
2  |  Saturday's game will be the second of three straight away from home. McNeese will visit Eastern Illinois next Saturday before returning home on September 30 against Nicholls in the Southland Conference opener.

SERIES HISTORY
• McNeese and Alcorn will be playing for the sixth time in the history of the series and for the third time since 2019.
• The Cowboys hold a 4-1 lead in the series and suffered their first loss to the Braves last season by a 30-19 score.
• That loss was also the first by McNeese to a SWAC member... McNeese is 15-1 all-time against the SWAC.

LAST TIME vs. ALCORN
• On Sept. 17, 2022, Alcorn handed the Cowboys a 30-19 loss in Cowboy Stadium, the first for the Braves over the Cowboys in five tries.
• Alcorn scored 21 second-quarter points and held off a McNeese third-quarter charge.
• The Braves out-gained the Cowboys 404-348 in total offense.
• Alcorn running back Jarveon Howard rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown while quarterback Aaron Allen completed 15 of 27 passes for 189 yards and a score... Allen's 89-yard touchdown strike to Monterio Hunt gave the Braves a 21-0 second quarter lead at the time.
• For the Cowboys, Deonta McMahon rushed for 102 yards on 10 carries while D'Angelo Durham ran for 46 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown.

McNEESE-ALCORN CONNECTIONS
• Several Cowboys and Braves players will reunite on the field on Saturday night as quite a few were teammates at their prior programs before joining their current teams.

At Northwest Mississippi Junior College:
• McNeese OL David Duvall and Alcorn TE Tyson Keys were teammates in 2021 and helped their team to a 9-3 record and an appearance in the NJCAA D1 playoffs.

At East Mississippi Junior College:
• McNeese DB Jamori Evans and Jadden Matthews teamed with Alcorn DB Ernest Woods III and DL Tait Deer for the 2021 season.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College:
• McNeese WR Jonathan Evans, DL John Brown, DB Levi Wyatt and RB Cam Thomas were teammates with Alcorn OL Cam Richardson in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons, and with DB Robert McDaniel in 2021 along with Cowboys' DB Kylen Armstead in 2021.

Hinds Community College:
• McNeese LB Armstead and Alcorn LB Stemarion Edwards were teammates in 2022

East Central Community College:
• McNeese DL Tony Gibson was a teammate of Alcorn WR Josh Perkins in 2021 and LB Brendon Gibson in 2022.

Charleston Southern University:
• McNeese DB Boogsie Silvera and Alcorn K/P Franklin Rogers were teammates in 2022.

DURHAM RETURNING TO FORM   
• Junior running back D'Angelo Durham is returning to form after nearly seeing his career come to a tragic end during week 4 of the 2022 season.
• In that game against Mississippi College where he rushed for a career-high 157 yards, Durham played despite rupturing a tendon in his leg. With the blood flow due to the injury, the leg became infected and he was at risk of losing his leg. He overcame that threat and began his rehab.
• He entered the 2023 season 100% healthy and has rushed for 90 yards with a touchdown through the first two games.
• In six career games as a Cowboy, he's rushed for 430 yards and four touchdowns and is averaging 7.2 yards per carry.

LB MICAH DAVEY OFF TO STRONG START   
• Redshirt sophomore linebacker Micah Davey has gotten off to a strong start through the first two games, totaling 25 tackles and a 12.5 per game average.
• He's currently ranked No. 2 in the Southland and 9th in the FCS with 12.5 tackles per game.
• His back-to-back double-digit tackle games (12 vs. Tarleton, 13 at Florida), gives him five career games with 10 or more tackles.
• His career-high is 18 stops, that coming against Lamar in last year's season finale.
 

GLANTZ MAKING GOOD USE OF THE NIL       
• Name, Image and Likeness is something that many student-athletes are able to enjoy these days and most are doing good things with it.
• McNeese junior quarterback Nate Glantz is one of those making good use of his NIL by raising money for the Athletes4Children organization which has over 150 midwest athletes in 14 sports from 36 schools raising money for Children's Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
• Glantz, a native of Elkhorn, Nebraska, is pledging $3 per touchdown and $10 per 300-yard game to the charity organization.

CAM THOMAS RETURN THREAT    
• Newcomer Cam Thomas created an unforgettable moment the first time he touched the ball as a Cowboy when against Tarleton, returned a kick 91 yards for a touchdown.
• He was not kicked to the rest of the game and at Florida, the Gators made a point to keep the ball away from him as well.
• He's averaging 45.0 yards per kick return on two returns this season and is one of very few in the nation who have a KO return for a touchdown.
• Only 4 players in the FCS have returned a kickoff for a touchdown and 13 players total in FBS and FCS combined.
• His 45.0 average is 2nd in the FCS and 5th most in FCS/FBS combined.