The McNeese are on a roll after winning three straight games to improve their record to 4-2. Their last win came on the road as they took down the Weber State Wildcats 28-26.
A matchup with Houston Christian University is next for the Pokes on their road trip. This game will also open Southland Conference play for both teams as the Huskies enter the contest with a 2-3 record. Both wins were against Lousiana College where they won by 63 points and defeated Indiana State 27-24 last week.
Kickoff inside Husky Stadium is set for 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 5th. The game will be televised on ESPN+.
MCNEESE IS RANKED
The McNeese Cowboys have looked impressive to start this season.
The Pokes made a monumental comeback attempt in week one against a ranked opponent in Tarleton State and lost to Texas A&M a couple of weeks later. Outside of that, coach Gary Goff’s group has won their other four contests, including rattling off three straight victories. Those wins came against Southern, Stephen F. Austin, Alcorn State, and Weber State.
With the recent success, McNeese earned Top 25 honors as they were ranked 22nd in the latest Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll. This is the first time the Cowboys have been in the polls since the 2018 season.
GETTING HEALTHY
Through McNeese’s recent success, they’ve dealt with injuries at multiple positions.
A couple of wide receivers have been in and out of the lineup for McNeese during this stretch, including Curtis Deville who returned to the field vs Weber State. They’ve managed, however, to score 98 points in the last three games.
On the defensive side, the Pokes have missed their two-star linebackers, Micah Davey and Tristan Driggers in this win streak. Reports are that Davey isn’t likely to play but we should see Driggers make a return. Safety Boogsie Silvera has also been banged up and isn’t expected to suit up on Saturday either.
McNeese will be way ahead of schedule if they can get another win without some of their star players before they head into their bye week. The extra time off will be crucial for the remainder of the season once they return to action.
QB CAROUSEL
The Huskies have had struggles at quarterback to begin the season.
Four different players have lined up under center and thrown a pass for HCU through the first five games and the combined completion percentage between all of them is 50. Cutter Stewart was the starter in the first few games but last week turned their attention to sophomore backup Eli Brickhandler who completed 12 of 18 pass attempts for 107 yards and a touchdown in the Huskie’s win over Indiana State.
The expectation is that Houston Christian’s coaching staff will go with Brickhandler again in Saturday’s contest but could easily pull him if the offense stalls and the team has an early deficit.
Cowboy quarterback Clifton McDowell on the other hand has been influential and a major factor in McNeese’s success on offense. The run and pass game has advanced with each passing week and this unit continues to gain more confidence.
SERIES RECORD: McNeese leads 5-1
Last Five Meetings:
2023: HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 35 – MCNEESE 24
2022: MCNEESE 21 – HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 10
2021: MCNEESE 44 – HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 3
2019: MCNEESE 42 – HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 27
2018: MCNEESE 51 – HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 34
STAT LEADERS
McNeese
Clifton McDowell: 62-of-101, 1,018 Yards, 6 TD, 2 INT
Clifton McDowell: 66 Carries, 352 Yards, 6 TD
Jonathan Harris: 11 Catches, 237 Yards
Masey Lewis: 2 Sacks
Boogsie Silvera: 49 Tackles (26 Solo)
Boogsie Silvera: 2 INT
Tyler Larco: 2-of-5 Field Goals, Long of 36, 20-of-21 PAT
Houston Christian
Cutter Stewart: 37-of-83, 489 Yards, 4 TD 4 INT
Darryle Evans: 32 Carries, 182 Yards, 2 TD
AJ Wilson: 14 Catches, 218 Yards, 2 TD
Rufus Toe, Zavion Evans & Markeis Sykes: 1 Sack
D.J. Harris: 27 Tackles (4 Solo)
Xavier Toliver & Khary Crump: 2 INT
Dillon Fedor: 3-of-3 Field Goals, Long of 23, 13-of-14 PAT
