McNeese (2-5, 1-2 SLC) at Nicholls (1-6, 1-2 SLC)
Saturday, October 25, 2025, Manning Field at Guidry Stadium, Thibodaux, La.
 
Broadcast Information:
Time: 3:00 p.m.
TV: ESPN+ (LINK) – Jack Benjamin (PxP), Wayde Keiser (Analyst)
Radio: 92.9 The Lake and 929thelake.com (Link) – Tom Hoefer (PxP), Mark Young (Analyst)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (Link)
Media Hub (Link)
 
Viator Closes in on Career Win No. 100
• McNeese head coach Matt Viator can record his 100th career victory with a win on Saturday at Nicholls.
• Viator has collected a 99-77 record which includes an 80-38 mark at McNeese.
• His 80 wins are the most in school history and the third-most of any coach in Southland Conference history (99 by Ron Randleman, Sam Houston State, 1987-2004; 83 by Sam Goodwin, Northwestern State, 1987-99).
• Viator has won a Southland Conference only 55 games, a league record, and has compiled a 55-20 overall mark in league games.
 
Game Overview
• McNeese will be looking to put together a winning streak for the first time this season when it visits Nicholls.
• The Cowboys (2-5, 1-2 SLC) snapped a 5-game losing streak last Saturday after a 27-0 shutout win at home against HCU to mark the first shutout win since 2017 and the first at home since the 2015 season. Nicholls (1-6, 1-2) dropped its sixth-straight game, 34-7, at Stephen F. Austin in a contest that did not end until after 1 a.m. due to a four hour weather delay. • McNeese is 0-3 away from home this season while Nicholls is 1-1 at home.
• Head coach Matt Viator will be looking to win his 100th career game on Saturday.
• Viator is 9-1 all-time against Nicholls while Colonels' head coach Tommy Rybacki will be facing the Cowboys for the first time as a head coach.
• Cowboys' head coach Matt Viator will enter Saturday's game as the Southland Conference's all-time leader in league wins with 55. He's compiled a 55-20 record in conference games for a .733 winning percentage. His overall win total of 80 victories at McNeese is ranked 3rd all-time in the league while coaching in the Southland, trailing only Ran Randleman (SHSU, 99 wins) and Sam Goodwin (NSU, 83 victories). Viator has recorded 99 career wins.
 
McNeese vs. Nicholls - The Series
• Saturday will mark the 50th meeting in the all-time series with McNeese leading 31-18.
• The Colonels have won four straight games in the series including last year's 24-19 win in Thibodaux.
• McNeese hasn't won at Nicholls since the 2015 season by a 37-7 score in what was Viator's last year at McNeese before taking the head coaching job at ULM.
• McNeese holds a 15-8 lead in the series in games played at Nicholls but the Colonels have won the last four games at their home stadium against the Cowboys.
 
Strong Garners 2^nd SLC Offensive Player of the Week Award
• Quarterback Jake Strong was named this week's SLC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in helping lead the Cowboys to a 27-0 win over HCU.
• It's his second player of the week award of the season.
• Against HCU, Strong tied a McNeese single-game school record for most rushing TDs scored by a quarterback with three, scoring from 7, 7, and 34 yards.
• He finished the game with a career-high 108 yards rushing, the 9th-most by a quarterback in school history.
• He averaged 6.8 yards per carry and added 133 passing yards to finish with 221 total offensive yards.
• Strong was efficient on 1st downs in the game, completing 7 of 9 passes for 64 yards, a 9.1 average.
 
Quick Hits
• Quarterback Jake Strong was named this week's SLC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in helping lead the Cowboys to a 27-0 win over HCU.
• McNeese is ranked third in the league in rushing with 175.9 yards per game.
• Against HCU last Saturday, the Cowboys fielded their three top running backs - Coleby Hamm, Bryce Strong, Tre'Vonte Citizen - for the first time since the season opening game and the trio combined to rush for 270 yards in the win over the Huskies.
• McNeese is ranked No. 1 in the league in punting with a 41.0 average.
• The Cowboys' defense is tied with the second-most sacks this season at 15 and tied for the third-most interceptions with six.
• McNeese is second in the league in 4th-down conversions (12 for 19 for 63.2 percent).
• Coleby Hamm is third in the league in rushing with 51.6 ypg with Tre'Vonte Citizen fourth with 48.6 ypg and Bryce Strong 12th with 38.8 ypg.
• Quarterback Jake Strong has scored five rushing TDs, tied as the third-most in the league and ranked 61st in the FCS.
• J. Strong is third in the league and 61st in the FCS in total offense with a 206.3 average.
• Punter Fabrizio Pinton is second in the conference and 26th in the nation with a 42.9 average.
• QB Jake Strong is 48th in the FCS and 3rd in the SLC with 1,271 passing yards on the season.
• Safety Shoes Brinkley recorded double-digits tackles in back-to-back games (10 at ULL, 11 vs. Weber State).
• RB Tre'Vonte Citizen ran for a career-high 117 yards against Weber State and scored on a 79-yard jaunt, the 10th-longest rushing TD in school history.
• WR Jonathan Harris recorded career highs against WSU with 7 catches for 114 yards and 2 TDs.
 
Offensive Line Getting in the Work
• McNeese's starting five on the offensive line has combined to play 2,214 snaps on the season, roughly 93% of the total offensive snaps on the season.
• Cody Brackeen has played a season-high 454 out of a possible 478 snaps.
• Will Bressi leads the team with 20 total knockdown blocks.
 
OL Starters             Plays Knockdowns
Cody Brackeen        454   16
Greg Knox               448   14
Will Bressi               438   20
Eric Aschenbeck     438   6
Sam Liu                   436   12