McNeese (1-3, 0-0 SLC) at Stephen F. Austin (2-2, 0-0 SLC)
Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025 at Homer Bryce Stadium in Nacogdoches, Texas
 
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Time: 7:00 p.m.
TV: ESPN+ (LINK)
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 will open up Southland Conference play on Saturday when it visits Stephen F. Austin at 7 p.m. at Homer Bryce Stadium. The game will broadcast live on ESPN+ and also on the McNeese Radio Network (92.9 The Lake and 929thelake.com).
• McNeese is coming off a 48-7 loss at Utah State last Saturday to mark the second loss to an FBS team this season. SFA defeated Cal Poly, 35-17, at home.
• McNeese did not commit a turnover at Utah State, marking the first time through the first four games to not turn the ball over.
• 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 54-18 record in conference games for a .750 winning percentage. His 79 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.
• McNeese is looking to start the conference season with a win for the second straight season and the first league-opening win on the road for the first time since 2018.
• Viator is 6-3 in Southland Conference openers.
 
McNeese VS. STEPHEN F. AUSTIN - The Series
• Saturday will mark the 41st meeting between the Cowboys and Lumberjacks with McNeese holding a 23-15-2 lead in a series that saw its first contest in 1951.
• The teams met regularly as conference opponents from 1987-2019 before SFA left the Southland to join the WAC. The two rekindled the series last year when the Lumberjacks returned to the league. McNeese won that game by a 28-24 score in Lake Charles.
• McNeese holds a 10-9-1 lead in games played at SFA and has won the last four on the road. The last loss at SFA came in 2011, a 37-17 Lumberjack win.
 
QUICK HITS
• McNeese is ranked 21st in the FCS in total offense (419.5), 14th in first downs (87), 15th in passes had intercepted (4), 30th in rushing offense (180.0), 36th in passing offense (239.5).
• 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 22nd in the FCS with 1.5 tackles for loss per game.
• QB Jake Strong is 20th in the FCS and 2nd in SLC with 887 passing yards on the season.
• McNeese has had a player record 10 or more tackles in three straight games.
• WR Jonathan Harris has caught 3 TD passes in the last two games and has at least one TD catch in three games this season.
• McNeese has scored 11 TDs in 14 red-zone appearances.
• The Cowboys are 13 for 29 for 45% on 3rd downs in the 2nd half this season while holding opponents to 7 for 23 for 30%.
 
SEVERAL COWBOYS RECORD CAREER HIGHS AT UTAH STATE
• Linebackers Landon Barrett and Emauri Sibley each recorded career highs with 10 tackles.
• CB Mason Edwards had a career-high nine tackles..
• Punter Fabrizio Pinton had a career-long 53 yards punt.
 
BIG GAINS
• Tre'Vonte Citizen's 51-yard run in the second quarter at Utah State was the sixth gain of the season of 50 yards or more and his second rush of 50 or more.
• 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 - 12 passing and 6 rushing.
• Citizen has four rushes of 20 yards or more and two over 50 yards.
 
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                      4       0
20-29                      11     2
 
Long Plays by Type No.   TD
Rushing                   6       3
Passing                    12     2
Punt Returns           0       0
Kick Returns            4       0
Interceptions          0       0
Fumble Returns      0       0
Other                      0       0
Total                       22     5
 
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, now in its 54th season in the Southland Conference, is 207-124-7 all-time in SLC games, a league record for wins.
• The Cowboys have won a league-record 14 conference championships and have made 16 playoff appearances, also a conference record.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS ON THE SEASON
• 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.
• TE Logan Mauldin is No. 3 in the FCS among receiving tight ends with 170 yards.
• Mauldin's 24.3 yards per reception average is ranked tops among tight ends in the nation and is ranked 8th overall.