McNeese (4-6, 3-3 SLC) vs. UTRGV (7-3, 3-3 SLC)
Saturday, November 15, 2025 • 6 p.m.
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), Rylee Eyster (Reporter
Radio: 92.9 The Lake and 929thelake.com (Link) – Tom Hoefer (PxP), Mark Young (Analyst)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (Link)
Tickets: (Link)
Media Hub (Link)
 
McNeese Wins Second Straight; Closes Out Home Slate Saturday Against UTRGV
• McNeese defeated East Texas A&M, 35-20, on Saturday to mark the first winning streak of the season with its second consecutive victory.
• The win evened McNeese's record to 3-3 in Southland Conference play and 3-4 against FCS competition.
• It was the first road win of the season for the Cowboys.
• The Cowboys will close out their home season on Saturday at 6 against league newcomer UTRGV (7-3, 3-3) in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
• A win will give the Cowboys their first 3-game winning streak since games 4-6 of last season, and first 3-game conference winning streak since winning three straight in games 8-10 of the 2019 season.
• The Vaqueros are in their first season as a football program and are coming off a 28-21 home win against Nicholls.
• McNeese will recognize 16 seniors in a pregame ceremony: CB Crajaun Bennett, OL Cody Brackeen, OL Will Bressi, WR Jessie Campbell, S Cejae Ceasar, WR Trey Echols, DL Tony Gibson, RB Coleby Hamm, WR Jonathan Harris, TE Tyronne Hayes, DL Keenan Landry, TE Logan Mauldin, WR Matt McCallister, K/P Fabrizio Pinton, CB Maurquel Price, and DL Myles Winslow.
• McNeese is 3-2 at home this season and 3-1 since the open date.
• In the two home games since the open date, McNeese is outscoring its opponents by a 77-3 margin in Navarre Stadium.
• UTRGV is 1-3 away from home and 0-3 in SLC road games, however, all three of those Southland games were against ranked teams.
• In last Saturday's win, McNeese posted its third, 300-yard rushing game of the season and second in the last three games when it picked up 310 yards.
• Quarterback Jake Strong ran for a career-high 136 yards and a touchdown while Coleby Hamm rushed for a career-best 127 yards and two TDs as the two became the first McNeese duo to top 100 yards in the same game this season... the last time came at the end of last season against Northwestern State (Bryce Strong, 106 and Joshon Barbie with 139).
• McNeese's defense forced four turnovers, three of those interceptions including a 12-yard pick six by Phillip Bradford to mark the first pick-6 by a McNeese defender since the 2021 season.
 
McNeese VS. UTRGV - The Series
• Saturday's game will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
 
Jake Strong Named SLC POW for Season-High 3^rd Time; Phillip Bradford Garners Honorable Mention Honors
• McNeese quarterback Jake Strong has been named this week's Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors for a league-high third this season.
• Strong helped guide McNeese to a 35-20 road win over East Texas A&M this past Saturday, accounting for 307 total offensive yards and two touchdowns... He ran for a career-high 136 yards and a score – a 48-yard bolt up the middle midway through the third quarter – and completed 10 of 18 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown, that being a 39-yard toss to Kameran Senegal for a first quarter score.
• For the season, Strong is averaging 217.2 total offensive yards per game, third in the Southland Conference and 46th nationally...  He's second in the league and 48th in the FCS with seven rushing TDs which ranks him eighth among quarterbacks.
• Defensive lineman Phillip Bradford, last week's defensive player of the week, garnered honorable mention honors this week.
• Bradford had another outstanding outing, recording 1.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for a loss, and intercepted a pass, returning it 12 yards for a touchdown... It was the first pick-six for McNeese since the 2021 season.
• Bradford leads the conference with 13.5 tackles for a loss and is third with 5.5 sacks.
 
Cowboy SLC Players of the Week
Jake Strong, QB - Offensive    Nov. 10
Phillip Bradford, DL - Defensive          Nov. 3
Jake Strong, QB - Offensive    Oct. 20
Jake Strong, QB - Offensive    Sept. 1
 
Quick Hits
• McNeese increased its league-record for all-time conference victories with its 210th at East Texas A&M last Saturday.
• Recorded its second straight game to rush for 300 yards or more (313 vs. NSU, 310 at East Texas A&M) and has three, 300+ rushing games this season.
• Back-to-back 450+ total offensive yard games and 3 out of the last 4.
• Back-to-back 3+ rushing TD games and 3 out of the last 4.
• QB Jake Strong is ranked 19th in the FCS in rushing yards among quarterbacks with his 439 yards.
• TE Logan Mauldin is averaging 16.5 yards per reception, ranking him 50th overall in the FCS and 2nd among tight ends.
• DL Phillip Bradford is 1st in the Southland Conference and 12th in the FCS with 11.5 tackles for a loss and a 1.35 per game average.
• Bradford has recorded seven of those TFLs in the last two games to go along with 3.5 sacks during that span.
• As a team, McNeese jumped to No. 20 in the FCS and 2nd in the Southland Conference in rushing offense with 194.8 yards per game.
• Seven players have scored at least one rushing TD on the season with five scoring multiple.
• McNeese's passing defense is ranked 18th in the FCS with allowing 180.9 yards per game.
• 30th in FCS in red-zone defense at 77%.
• 182.0 ypg rushing ranks No. 2 in the SLC and 33rd in FCS.
• McNeese is 26 for 26 on PATs this season.
• McNeese is No. 1 in the SLC and 16th in FCS in 4th-down conversions (15 for 23 for 65 percent) and is 5 for 6 the last four games.
• In the last 3 wins, McNeese has dominated time of possession by averaging 34 minutes a game.
• McNeese is the only team in the Southland with four players ranked in the top 15 in rushing: Coleby Hamm is tied for 5th (56.9), Jake Strong 9th (43.9), Tre'Vonte Citizen 10th (42.1), and Bryce Strong 15th (37.1).
• Quarterback Jake Strong has scored 7 rushing TDs, tied for 2nd-most in the league and ranked 48th in the FCS, 8th among QBs.
• J. Strong is 3rd in the league and 46th in the FCS in total offense with a 217.2 average.
• J. Strong is averaging 113 yards per game rushing in the last three wins.
• WR Jonathan Harris has made 5 TD catches this year ranking as the 4th-most in the SLC among all receivers.
• Landon Barrett recorded 11 tackles at ETAM, notching his second, double-digit tackles game of the season.
 
Explosive Plays
• McNeese has produced a total of 95 explosive plays which are gains of 15+ yards on passing plays and 10+ yards for running plays.
• The Cowboys have recorded 27 total explosive plays in the two-game winning streak - 12 against NSU and 15 last week at East Texas A&M.
• There have been 45 plays with gains of 20 yards or more on the season and 22 with gains of 30 yards or more.