What: McNeese (3-2) at No. 25 Weber State (2-2)
When: Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024
Time: 7 p.m. (CT)
Where: Stewart Stadium • Ogden, Utah
TV/Stream: ESPN+
Radio: 92.9 The Lake
Live Stats: LINK
 
 
OGDEN, Utah – A total of 42 days. That's how long of a stretch the McNeese Cowboys will have in between home games from their last until their next.
 
The "Road Warrior" stretch begins on Saturday when McNeese visits No. 25 Weber State.
 
Kick-off is schedule for 7 p.m. central time (6 p.m. local/MT). The game will broadcast live on ESPN+ and also the McNeese Radio Network with Tom Hoefer (92.9 The Lake and 929thelake.com).
 
McNeese (3-2) is coming off its most complete game of the season after drumming Alcorn State 42-14 last Saturday. In that game, quarterback Clifton McDowell threw for 229 yards and rushed for another 76 to total 305 offensive yards, the third time in four games he's played to record more than 300 total yards.
 
The 42 points were the most scored under head coach Gary Goff's reign and the Cowboys collected 457 total yards to mark the third time this season to top 400-yards in a game.
 
Weber State (2-2) defeated Northwestern State 39-0 last Saturday in Natchitoches and will be playing their third-straight Southland Conference opponent. Weber lost at Lamar 17-16 two weeks ago.
 
Saturday's game will be the final non-conference contest of the season. McNeese, who sits at 1-0 in league play, returns to league competition next Saturday at HCU before an open date on Oct. 12. McNeese will then play at UIW (Oct. 19) and at Nicholls (Oct. 26) before returning home on Nov. 2 against Texas A&M-Commerce.
 
GAMEDAY NOTEBOOK:
 
SERIES HISTORY                              
• Saturday's game will be the 5th meeting between the Cowboys and Wildcats with McNeese holding a 3-1 lead.
• McNeese has won three straight in the series as the two teams last played in 2013, a 43-6 Cowboys win in Lake Charles.
• The teams first met in 1990 with Weber State winning 27-7 in Cowboy Stadium.
• McNeese is 2-0 against Weber in Ogden.
 
AGAINST THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE
• McNeese is 13-9 all-time against current Big Sky Conference members and 17-13 against past and present members.
• Eleven of those matchups have occurred in the playoffs with McNeese posting a 6-5 record.
• The Big Sky team most played are the Montana Grizzlies (3-3) along with former member Southern Utah (4-2).
 
LAST TIME vs. WEBER STATE          
• Played on Sept. 21, 2013 in Lake Charles, Weber State scored the game's first TD (PAT failed) and led 6-0 before McNeese scored 43-straight points to win 43-6.
• The Cowboys ran for 363 yards in the game and added 222 through the air to finish with 585 total yards while holding WSU to 308.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• 65 – Number of offensive plays that have gained 10 yard or more on the season.
• 35 – Total 2^nd half points allowed.
• 7 – Total 4^th quarter points allowed.
• 10 – Number of punts of 50+ yards by freshman punter Finn Lappin (Cowboys had 5 all of last season).
• 42 – Number of days in between home games for the Cowboys.
 
ROAD WARRIORS                               
• McNeese defeated Alcorn State 42-14 last Saturday night to improve to 3-0 in Cowboy Stadium this season and now will play the next four games away from home, and with an open date mixed in, the Cowboys will not return home again until Nov. 2, a total of 42 days.
• The Cowboys are 0-2 away from home this season, falling 26-23 at Tarleton State on Aug. 24 and then 52-10 at Texas A&M.
• McNeese has lost 8-straight away from home with its last win being a 21-10 victory at HCU on Nov. 12, 2022.
 
REDZONE TRIUMPHS                          
• McNeese is ranked No. 2 in the FCS in redzone offense with 13 scores on 14 chances.
• 11 of those 13 scores are TDs while 8 of them have occurred in the fourth quarter.
• Defensively, McNeese is 20th in the nation in redzone defense, holding opponents to 10 scores in 16 chances and 8 of those being TDs.
 
4TH QUARTER DOMINANCE
• McNeese has dominated its opponents in the fourth quarter, outscoring teams by a score of 58-7.
• Offensively in 4th quarters, McNeese has outgained opponents 638-400 in total offense, 311-264 in rushing offense, 327-136 in passing offense, and 33-20 in first downs.
• McNeese has also converted on 9 of 14 third downs in the quarter while opponents are 3-for-17.
• The Cowboys are 8-for-8 in redzone chances in the quarter, all TDs, while opponents are 0-for-5.
  
CODY SMITH NAMED SLC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• For the second straight week and third time on the season, a McNeese Cowboy has picked up Southland Conference Player of the Week honors when Cody Smith garnered special teams honors following Saturday's win over Alcorn State where he blocked a punt in the endzone that was recovered for a touchdown to give McNeese a 21-0 first quarter lead.
 
McDOWELL ONE OF NATION'S LEADERS FOR RUSHING TDs BY A QUARTERBACK
• Clifton McDowell's five rushing TDs are the second most in the nation by a quarterback, trailing only Montana QB Keali'i Ah Yat, who has six rushing TDs.
• McDowell's rushing score are also the fourth-most overall in the FCS as the UCA duo of Darius Hale and ShunDerrick Powell each lead with 8 apiece.
 
AWESOME AUSSIE FINN LAPPIN BOOMING PUNTS   
• Freshman Australian punter Finn Lappin burst onto the scene right away and has himself among the nation's best in punting, ranking 7th in the FCS with a 46.7 average.
• For the season, Lappin has 10 punts over 50 yards out of 26 kicks this season with three of those going for 60 yards or more and 9 downed inside the 20.
• Last season, McNeese had 15 punts downed inside the 20 and five that went for 50 yards or more in 10 games.
• His current average is 3 yards more than the single-season school record of 43.8 held by Alex Kjellsten (2018) and Don Stump (1981).
• McNeese is 15th in the nation in net punting with a 41.2 average.
 
COWBOYS RECEIVE VOTES IN BOTH FCS POLL
• McNeese gained more votes in both of this week's FCS top 25 polls, now with 23 in the AFCA coaches poll, up from 18 points last week and 18 points in the STATS Perform media poll, up from three last week. 
• This marks the first time since the 2019 season the Cowboys have earned votes in either poll.
• Weber State is ranked 25th in the STATS poll and received 28 points in the Coaches poll.
 
VS. RANKED OPPONENTS                                             
• McNeese will play its second ranked opponent of the season on Saturday when it visits No. 25 Weber State.
• The Cowboys dropped a heartbreaker at then No. 21 Tarleton State, 26-23, to open the season.
• Overall, McNeese is 56-78-1 when playing ranked opponents and has lost the last five matchups.
 
LECLAIR EXTENDS CONSECUTIVE STARTS STREAK
• All-conference lineman and senior Cole Leclair started his 26th straight game as a Cowboy against Alcorn State last Saturday and will make his 27th consecutive start at Weber State.
• In addition, he's started in 39 straight games in his college career.
• Leclair started all 14 games at Valdosta State before transferring to McNeese for the 2022 season.
• Leclair is tied for the team lead with 315 snaps played on the season, matching those of Hayes Creel.