McNeese (1-4, 0-1 SLC) vs. Southeastern Louisiana (3-2, 1-0)
Saturday, October 4, 2025, Louis Bonnette Field at Navarre Stadium, Lake Charles, La.
 
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Time: 6:00 p.m.
TV: ESPN+ (LINK) – Jeff Palermo (PxP), Chaston Tavares (Analyst)
Radio: 92.9 The Lake and 929thelake.com (Link) – Tom Hoefer (PxP), Mark Young (Analyst)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (Link)
Media Hub (Link)
 
GAME OVERVIEW
• McNeese returns home on Saturday when it hosts Southeastern Louisiana for game 2 of the Southland Conference season.
• The Cowboys and Lions are returning to action after not playing last season.
• McNeese dropped a 34-17 decision at Stephen F. Austin last week in the conference opener while Southeastern beat UTRGV 45-31, also in its league opener.
• In that game, the Cowboys turned the ball over three times which resulted in 17 SFA points, the difference in the score. One of those turnovers came at the SFA 5-yard line.
• McNeese is 1-1 at home this season, beating Louisiana Christian 54-9 in the season opener then falling 42-41 to Weber State in Week 3.
• The Lions are 1-2 on the road with both losses coming to FBS programs - 24-0 at Louisiana Tech and 56-10 at then-No. 3 LSU. SLU won at Murray State, 45-24 in Week 2 of the season.
• Cowboys' head coach Matt Viator will enter Saturday's game as the Southland Conference's all-time leader in league wins with 54. He's compiled a 54-19 record in conference games for a .740 winning percentage. His overall win total of 79 victories 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 98 career wins.
• Saturday's game marks the halfway point of the season and will be followed with an open date. The Cowboys will host HCU on October 18 following the open week.
 
McNEESE VS. SOUTHEASTERN - The Series
• Saturday will mark the 49th meeting between the Cowboys and Lions with the series knotted up at 24-24. The Lions have dominated the matchup lately, winning five straight in the series and 7 out of the last 10.
• Since SLU brought football back for the 2003 season, the Lions lead the series 12-10.
• Five of the last six meetings have been decided by 5 points or less.
• McNeese holds an 18-8 lead in the series with games played in Navarre Stadium but has lost the last two... the last McNeese win in The Hole was also the last time the Cowboys have won in the series, 38-34 back on Oct. 5, 2019.
• McNeese head coach Matt Viator is 8-3 all-time against the Lions - 7-3 as the Cowboys' head coach and 1-0 while at ULM... Viator's teams are 5-1 against the Lions in Lake Charles.
• Lions' head coach Frank Scelfo is 5-1 against McNeese and 2-1 in Lake Charles.
• SLU's 5-game winning streak over McNeese is the longest by the Lions in the series while McNeese's longest winning streak over SLU was six games from 2006-2011.
 
QUICK HITS
• McNeese leads the Southland with 5 players with at least 10 catches on the year. Nicholls is second with four players with 10 or more catches.
• McNeese is ranked 9th in the FCS in net punting (40.5).
• WR Jonathan Harris is 1st in the SLC and 8th in the FCS with four receiving TDs on the season.
• DE Phillip Bradford is 1st in the SLC and 37th in the FCS with 1.2 tackles for loss per game.
• QB Jake Strong is 16th in the FCS and 2nd in SLC with 1,101 passing yards on the season.
• WR Jonathan Harris has caught 3 TD passes in the last three games.
• McNeese has scored 12 TDs in 17 red-zone appearances.
• 9 for 14 (64%) on 4th down conversions.
• QB Strong has thrown for 200 yards or more in 3 of 5 games this season.
 
BIG GAINS
• McNeese has produced six plays with 50 or more yards gained - three rushing and three passing.
• Of those 6 plays, 3 have gone for touchdowns.
• By comparison, McNeese 7 gains of 50 yards or more all of the 2024 season.
• There have been a total of 18 rushing and passing plays that have gained 20 or more yards with seven of those producing touchdowns.
• RB Tre'Vonte Citizen has produced five plays with 20 yards or more gained and with of 50 yards or more.
 
LONG PLAYS BY THE NUMBERS
Long Plays by Yards        No. TD
100+                        0       0
90-99                      0       0
80-89                      0       0
70-79                      1       1
60-69                      1       1
50-59                      4       1
40-49                      1       0
30-39                      5       0
20-29                      14     4
 
Long Plays by Type No.   TD
Rushing                   8       4
Passing                    14     3
Punt Returns           0       0
Kick Returns            4       0
Interceptions          0       0
Fumble Returns      0       0
Other                      0       0
Total                       26     7
 
LONGEST PLAYS OF THE YEAR
Rushing: 79 - Citizen vs. Weber St. (9/13/25)
Rushing Touchdown: 79 - Citizen vs. Weber St. (9/13/25)
Passing: 57 - Harris from Strong vs. Weber St. (9/13/25)
Passing TD: 57 - Harris from Strong vs. Weber St. (9/13/25)
Punt Return: 11 McCallister vs. Utah St. (9/20/25)
Kick Return: 36 Senegal vs. Weber St. (9/13/25)
              36 Harris vs. La. Christian (8/30/25)
Interception Return: 0 Lewis vs. Utah St. (9/20/25)
Fumble Return: 16 Davis vs. Weber St. (9/13/25)
Punt: 53 Pinton vs. Utah St. (9/20/25)
Field Goal: 45 Pinton vs. ULL (9/6/25)
 
McNEESE IN THE SOUTHLAND
• McNeese, in its 54th season in the Southland Conference, is 207-125-7 all-time in SLC games, a league record for wins.
• The Cowboys own a league-record 14 conference championships and have made 16 playoff appearances, also a conference record.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS ON THE SEASON
• TE Logan Mauldin is No. 1 in the FCS among receiving tight ends with 227 yards.
• Mauldin's 17.5 yards per reception average is ranked No. 3 among tight ends in the nation.
• Mauldin caught a career-high 6 passes at SFA.
• Jake Strong became the first QB in McNeese history to throw for 300 yards in making a debut when he finished with 329 in a season-opening win over Louisiana Christian.
• The Cowboys set a new school record with 664 total offensive yards in the opener... those yards currently ranks as the 5th-most in a game in the FCS this season.
• 6.8 yards per rush set a new school record in season openers with a minimum of 20 carries.
• The 31 points scored in the second quarter against LCU tied as the second-most scored in a quarter in school history, matching the 31 scored in the 2nd against South Florida in 2013 in a 53-21 McNeese win... the record is 35 points scored in the 2nd quarter in a 59-28 win at Central Arkansas, also in 2013.
• 359 passing yards were the 2nd-most in school history in a season opener (361 vs. West Florida to open the 2021 season).
• Head coach Matt Viator became the school's all-time winningest coach against La. Christian, notching his 79th win at McNeese and 98th of his career.
• Safety Shoes Brinkley has 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.