McNeese Cowboys (0-1) at Florida Gators (0-1)
 
Date: ....................................................          Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023
Location: ..............................................          Gainesville, Fla.
Stadium: ..............................................          Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field
Kickoff: .................................................          6:30 p.m. CT
Series: ..................................................          First Meeting
Television: ...........................................          ESPNU (LINK)
    Play-by-Play.......................................          Beth Mowins
    Analyst..............................................          Kirk Morrison
    Reporter............................................          Stormy Buonantony
McNeese Radio Network:....................          92.9 The Lake (929thelake.com)
Mobile App...........................................          929 The Lake (iTunes, Android)
    Play-by-Play.......................................          Tom Hoefer
Live Stats:.............................................          LINK
 
McNEESE COWBOYS (0-1, 0-0)
Conference: Southland (NCAA FCS)
Top 25 STATS/Coaches: -/-
Head Coach: Gary Goff (2nd year)
Overall Record: 64-61 (12th year)
at McNeese: 4-8
Goff vs. Florida: 0-0
 
FLORIDA GATORS (0-1, 0-0)
Conference: Southeastern Conference (NCAA FBS)
Top 25 AP/USA Today: -/-
Head Coach: Billy Napier (2nd year)
Overall Record: 46-20 (5th year)
at Florida: 6-8
Napier vs. McNeese: 0-0
 
COWBOYS STEP UP IN COMPETITION WITH VISIT TO FLORIDA
• McNeese will make its first-ever visit to Gainesville, Florida on Saturday when the Cowboys take on the SEC's Florida Gators.
• The Cowboys are coming off a 52-34 loss last Saturday to Tarleton State at home to open up the season.
• McNeese is playing an FBS opponent for the third straight season and the eighth time in the last 10 years.
• It's also the second time in the last three seasons to play a member of the SEC (LSU in 2021).
 
CAM THOMAS NAMED SLC SPECIAL TEAMS POW  
• McNeese kick returner and running back Cam Thomas has been named the Week 1 Southland Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Tarleton State in Saturday's season opener.
• Thomas, a junior transfer out of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, touched the ball for the first time as a Cowboy when fielding a first quarter kick-off and returned it 91 yards for a touchdown.
• It was the first touchdown return for a Cowboy since September 18, 2021 and is tied as the ninth-longest touchdown return in school history. It was also the 14th kick-off return for a touchdown of 90 yards or more in school history.
 
FIRST TIME ACTION
• A total of 11 Cowboys started their first Division I game in their career on Saturday against Tarleton, including QB Nate Glantz and wide receivers Jonathan Harris and Jihad Marks.
• Overall, 30 players saw action for the first time in their collegiate career.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• McNeese dropped its season-opener to Tarleton State, 52-34, last Saturday.
• The game was tied 17-17 at the half and McNeese led 24-17 with the ball mid-way through the third quarter before the Texans rolled off 35 consecutive points to pull away for the victory.
 
SERIES HISTORY
• Saturday's game will be the first-ever meeting between McNeese and Florida in football.
• McNeese and Florida have faced off six total times across two sports with Florida owning a 2-0 record in baseball and 3-1 mark in softball. The most recent meeting came in softball in 2021, with the Gators winning, 1-0, in eight innings.
 
COWBOYS VS. THE SEC
• Saturday's game against Florida will mark the fifth contest against a current SEC program.
• The Cowboys are 0-4 all-time vs. the SEC, most recently dropping a 34-7 game at LSU in week two of the 2021 season.
• In 2010, McNeese lost 32-10 to LSU and dropped a 50-6 game at Missouri, who was a member of the Big 12 Conference at the time.
• In 2001, the Cowboys put a scare into Texas A&M before falling 38-24. The Aggies were also a member of the Big 12 Conference when they met to open up the season.
• The Cowboys are scheduled to play at Texas A&M on Sept. 7, 2024.
 
McNEESE-LOUISIANA-FLORIDA CONNECTIONS
• Florida Offensive Coordinator Rob Sale coached at McNeese from 2012-2014... he was the offensive line coach in 2012 and 2013 and promoted to co-offensive coordinator for the 2014 season.
• During his span, Sale helped McNeese compile a 23-12 record and a second-round appearance in the 2013 FCS playoffs.
• Florida head coach Billy Napier coached at Louisiana-Lafayette from 2018-2021.
• Gators DB coach Corey Raymond's son, WR Chris Raymond, played for the Cowboys from 2017-21.
• Florida RB Trevor Etienne is a native of Jennings, La.
• The Gators have six players that call Louisiana home.
• McNeese has eight players that are natives of Florida including transfer WR Marcus Peterson, Jr. (Lake City, Fla.) who was recruited out of high school by the Gators. Peterson played at Columbia HS and signed with the University of Cincinnati before transferring to McNeese.
 
POKES VS. THE FBS                         
• McNeese has had some success against teams from the FBS level.
• Overall, the Cowboys have posted an 14-32-2 record against the FBS.
• The Cowboys have a win over a major conference team when in 2013, routed South Florida 53-21 in Tampa. At the time, South Florida was a BCS conference member. That win was the largest by an FCS opponent over a BCS team in college football history.
• Three of the games came in Independence Bowl matchups - 1976 (beat Tulsa 20-16 in very first Independence Bowl game; lost 31-7 to Syracuse in 1979 game; lost 16-14 to Southern Mississippi in 1980 game.
 

Related Videos

Now Playing:

• Play Video