COLLEGE STATION, Texas – McNeese will make its second visit inside the storied Kyle Field on Saturday morning against Texas A&M, returning for the first time since nearly shocking the Aggies in 2001.
 
The Cowboys (1-1) are coming off a 21-7 win over Southern last Saturday in the team's home opener, rallying for 21 fourth quarter points to down the Jaguars in front of over 17,000 fans – the fourth-largest crowd in the FCS for the week.
 
Texas A&M (0-1) fell 23-13 to No. 7 Notre Dame in front of over 107,000 fans.
 
That attendance is expected for Saturday's game which would be the largest crowd the Cowboys have ever played in front of with the current record being the 94,220 fans in Tiger Stadium in 2021.
 
GAMEDAY NOTES:
POKES VISIT AGGIES ON SATURDAY FOR SEC NETWORK BROADCAST GAME
• McNeese will step up in competition on Saturday when it travels to take on the SEC's Texas A&M Aggies at 11:45 a.m. in a game that will broadcast on the SEC Network.
• This will mark the second straight season, and third time in the last four years, McNeese will play a member of the SEC.
• McNeese is 0-5 all-time against the SEC, including 0-1 against the Aggies.
• This will be the 50th matchup against an FBS member and marks the sixth straight year McNeese has played an FBS opponent at least once in a season.
• The Cowboys are 14-33-2 all-time against the FBS with the last win coming in 2013 by way of a 53-21 over South Florida in Tampa.
 
SERIES HISTORY                              
• Saturday's game will mark just the second meeting between the two teams on the football field with Texas A&M winning the lone matchup, 38-24, back in the 2001 season opener.
 
LAST TIME vs. TEXAS A&M             
• The two teams played once before, that to open up the 2001 season.
• McNeese jumped out to a 16-0 lead on the Aggies and led 24-10 in the third quarter before Texas A&M scored 28 straight points to win 38-24.
• McNeese was outgained 374-241 in total offense but capitalized on two turnovers, both resulting in touchdowns.
• Brad Archie scored on a 55-yard fumble recovery to open the scoring and giving McNeese a 6-0 lead (PAT failed), then after a 45-yard field goal by Charlie Hebert made it 9-0, McNeese's Joe Judge picked off a pass and returned it 22 yards for a TD and a 16-0 lead.
 
AGAINST THE SEC                            
• Saturday's game against Texas A&M will mark the 6th contest against the SEC.
• The Cowboys are 0-5 all-time vs. the SEC, most recently dropping a 49-7 game at Florida last season.
• This is the third time in the last four seasons the Cowboys will face a team from the SEC.
• McNeese is scheduled to play at LSU in 2026 and 2029.
 
McNEESE-TEXAS A&M CONNECTIONS         
• Legendary Texas A&M head coach R.C. Slocum is a graduate of McNeese and is in the McNeese Sports Hall of Fame... Slocum played for the Cowboys from 1964-67 as a tight end and caught 74 passes for 945 yards in his career... he led McNeese in receiving in both 1966 and 1967... he currently ranks third all-time in school history for more receptions by a tight end.
• McNeese Senior Associate AD and Football Administrator Matt Fontenot spent six seasons at Texas A&M in the Director of Football Operations department where he served his final two years as the Director of Football Operations.
 
COWBOYS AGAINST THE FBS         
• McNeese has had some success against teams from the FBS level, compiling a 14-33-2 record.
• 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.
 
JOHNSON NAMED SLC ST PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• First-year defensive lineman and Auburn transfer Stephen Johnson has been selected as this week's Southland Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for his blocked field goal against Southern that helped spark a 21-point run for the Cowboys in a 21-7 win on Saturday.
• Leading 7-0 early in the fourth quarter, Southern was looking to go up two scores when a 31-yard FG attempt was blocked by Johnson up the middle, recovered by the Cowboys and returned 58 yards by Levi Wyatt to the Southern 6.
• Two plays later, McNeese tied the game then went on to score 14 more fourth quarter points to pick up its first win on the year.
 
PECORARO NAMED 'OUR COACHING NETWORK' DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR OF THE WEEK
• McNeese co-defensive coordinator Tony Pecoraro has been selected by Our Coaching Network as the nation's Defensive Coordinator of the Week following the Cowboys' defensive dominance over Southern on Saturday.
• The Cowboys' DWA (Defense With Attitude) held Southern to 198 total offensive yards, including 66 on the ground, and forced three turnovers.
• McNeese's rushing defense held the Jaguars to just 1.7 yards per carry and 2.9 total yards per play.
 
4TH QUARTER DOMINANCE                                         
• Through two games, McNeese has dominated its opponents in the fourth quarter, outscoring the teams by a 34-0 margin.
• Offensively, McNeese has outgained opponents 314-72 in total offense, 146-44 in rushing offense, 168-101 in passing offense, and 13-7 in first downs.
• McNeese has also converted on all four 3rd downs in the quarter while opponents are 2-for-9.
• The Cowboys are 4-for-4 in redzone chances, all TDs, while opponents are 0-1.
• Against Southern, the Cowboys held the Jaguars to minus-1 offensive yard in the final quarter.
 
COWBOYS RECEIVE VOTES IN COACHES POLL
• For the first time since the 2021 spring season, McNeese is receiving votes in a top 25 poll when the Cowboys received 13 points in this week's FCS Coaches Poll.
• Prior to the 2021 spring season, McNeese was a regular in the top 25 polls.
 
MICAH DAVEY MOVING UP TACKLING LIST
• All-American linebacker Micah Davey extended his streak to 14 straight games with 10 or more tackles after he finished with 17 against Southern on Saturday.
• Davey opened the season with 14 tackles at Tarleton State.
• He's recorded 10 or more tackles 15 times in his career.
• Davey is one of three players to post 20 or more tackles in a game in school history and one of two players to do it twice.
• He'll enter Saturday's game at Texas A&M with 252 career tackles which ranks him 20th in the school career record book.
• Davey is the son of former LSU standout quarterback and NFL veteran Rohan Davey.