McNeese (0-1) vs. Texas Wesleyan (0-1)
Saturday, September 5, 2026 • 6 p.m.
Louis Bonnette Field at Navarre Stadium • Lake Charles, La.
 
Broadcast Information:
TV: ESPN+ (LINK) - Chaston Tavares (PxP), Cody Stroud (Analyst), Lexi Arabie (Sideline Reporter)
Radio: 92.9 The Lake and 929thelake.com (Link) – Tom Hoefer (PxP), Mark Young (Analyst)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast (Link)
Media Central: (Link)
Tickets: (Link)
Digital Program: (Link)
 
 
McNeese aims to bounce back when hosting Texas Wesleyan on Saturday
 
LAKE CHARLES - McNeese will be looking to rebound after last week's 38-27 season-opening loss to Stephen F. Austin when it hosts Texas Wesleyan on Saturday.
 
Kick-off is set for 6 p.m. in Navarre Stadium.
 
Both the Cowboys and the Rams are coming off season-opening losses. Texas Wesleyan lost 59-7 at home to Central Oklahoma, a NCAA Division II team.
 
Against SFA, McNeese turned the ball over three times which led to 17 Lumberjack points, one of those scores being a pick-six.
 
Despite the turnovers and poor field position in the first half, the Cowboys still managed 402 yard of offense with 199 of those coming on the ground behind a nice debut from running back Omiri Wiggins who cruised for 126 yards.
 
Defensively, the Cowboys recorded three sacks, notched 10 tackles for a loss, and picked off two passes.
   
Texas Wesleyan, an NAIA team from Fort Worth, is a member of the Sooner Athletics Conference.
 
The Matchup
• McNeese and Texas Wesleyan will be playing for the first time in history.
• Sophomore quarterback Devin Lippold will make his first-career start. Lippold played the entire second half against SFA and accounted for 158 total offensive yards (118 passing, 40 rushing) and two touchdowns. He entered after starter Jake Strong injured his shoulder in the first half.
• The Cowboys played another SAC team last year, beating Louisiana Christian 54-9 in the season opener.
• LC made national news last week when it beat Southland Conference foe Northwestern State to mark just the 10th time a NAIA team defeated a scholarship D1 school in college football history. Texas Wesleyan, co-champs in the SAC last season, is the preseason favorite to win the title in 2026.
 
Double Pick
• McNeese picked off two SFA passes in the game, those coming from Cohen Charles and Sentario Willis.
• It's the second straight game (dating back to 2025) the Cowboys have picked off multiple passes in a contest.
• McNeese picked off multiple passes four times in 2025 with the most being three against East Texas A&M.
• It's the first time since 2023 (Tarleton State) to pick off multiple passes in the season opener.
• McNeese hasn't picked off multiple passes in back-to-back games to start a season since 2018.
 
Fast Start
• McNeese's touchdown on the opening drive to start the game was the first time for the Cowboys to begin the game with a touchdown since 2024 against Alcorn State.
• A week later at Weber State, the Cowboys scored on their opening drive which was the second possession of the game - Weber State possessed the ball to start the contest.
 
First Career Stats
• Defensive backs Cohen Charles and Sentario Willis each intercepted their first career passes in Saturday's game against SFA.
• Offensive linemen Tyler Carlson, Devonne Barry, and Blake Perry took their first-career snaps at the Division I level.
• DE RJ Staten recorded his first career multi-TFL game (2 vs. SFA).
• True freshman TE Ike Nwobu made his first career reception (9 yards).
 
Wiggins Off and Running in McNeese Debut
• Made his McNeese debut in explosive fashion on Saturday against SFA, running for 126 yards on 12 carries for a 10.5 average.
• Scored two TDs, one rushing and one receiving.
• It was his third-career 100-yard rushing game (recorded one each in 2024 and 2025 while playing at Louisiana Tech).
• He's the first Cowboy to make his McNeese debut by rushing for 100 yards since the 2010 season (Marcus Wiltz).
• Had a 75-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, ranking tied as the 13th-longest rush in school history.
• It also marked the longest run in school history to start a season.
 
DWA Premieres New Faces
• McNeese's Defense With Attitude introduced some new faces in the starting lineup against Stephen F. Austin last Saturday, in particular, a three on the defensive line.
• Making up that line were three transfers - DE Royce Maloles (Lamar), DE Sean Dubose (HCU), DL Isaiah Fowler (Valparaiso), and returning DL Mark Fielder, who made his first career start.
• In the defensive backfield, cornerback Lorenzell Dubose (ULL) made his McNeese debut while sophomore safety Cohen Charles got his first-career start.