‘15 McNeese Football ‘15 13 Southland Conference Championships • 15 FCS Playoff Appearances FCS #23/25 MCNEESE (0-0) at FBS #13/14 LSU (0-0) 1 SEPT. 5 • TIGER STADIUM • BATON ROUGE • LSU LEADS SERIES 1-0 BROADCAST INFORMATION QUICK HITS Television | SECN-Alternate • McNeese will be kicking off its 72nd season of football... 10th un- Play-by-Play: Adam Amin Analyst: Kelly Stouffer der head coach Matt Viator... 44th as a member of the Southland Conference. Radio | McNeese Radio Network • The Pokes will be making their second appearance in Death Valley Play-by-Play: Tom Hoefer since 2010. In that game, LSU posted a 36-10 win but not before the Analyst: Johnny Suydam Cowboys managed to take a 10-7 lead in the second quarter before Sideline: Ron Hayes the Tigers rolled off 25 unanswered points. • The 92,576 in attendance in that game is the largest crowd the THE COACHES Cowboys have every played in front of. That is until Saturday where McNeese Coach: Matt Viator the crowd is expected to top 100k. Years at McNeese: 10th as head coach, 17th overall • McNeese returns 9 starters on offense and 7 on defense and a Record at McNeese/Career: 68-32/Same total of 64 lettermen returning. LSU Coach: Les Miles • The Cowboys are a member of the Southland Conference of the Years at LSU: 11th Football Championship Subdivision, formerly 1-AA, and are are the Record at LSU/Career: 103-29/131-50 dean of the league, having joined in 1972. • McNeese has compiled a 44-25-2 all-time record in season open- McNEESE in 2015 ers and has defeated a member of the FBS in two of the last three Senior QB Daniel Sams will be under center for the Cowboys against LSU. Sams led the SCHEDULE seasons - 27-21 at Middle Tennessee in 2012 and 53-21 at South team in rusing with 711 yards last season Sept. 5 at LSU 6:30 p.m. (SECN-A) Florida in 2013. McNeese nearly pulled off one of the greatest up- and threw for another 624. Sept. 12 *INCARNATE WORD 6 p.m. (ASN/CST) sets in college football last season in the opener at Nebraska. The Sept. 19 *at Stephen F. Austin 6 p.m. (ESPN3) Huskers got a highlight reel TD run by Ameer Abdullah with less Sept. 26 MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE 6 p.m. than a minute to play to give Nebraska a 31-24 win over the Cowboys. Oct. 3 *at Nicholls 3 p.m. (CST) • The Cowboys are 5-3 under Viator in season openers - 3-0 vs. non-FBS members and 2-3 against FBS Oct. 10 *SOUTHEASTERN LA. 6 p.m. (CST) teams... Viator took over as head coach of the Cowboys after the fifth game of the 2006 season. Oct. 17 *at Central Arkansas 6 p.m. • Cowboys have won a record 13 Southland championships - more than three times more than the next Oct. 24 *NORTHWESTERN ST. (HC) 6 p.m. current league foe. Oct. 31 *at Abilene Christian 2 p.m. • Played in the 1997 and 2002 FCS national championship game - falling 10-9 to Youngstown State in 1997 Nov. 7 *SAM HOUSTON STATE 6 p.m. and 34-14 to Western Kentucky in 2002... McNeese is coming off its league-record 15th playoff season. Nov. 14 OPEN Nov. 21 *at Lamar 6 p.m. • McNeese finished 6-5 in 2014 for its 10th straight winning season... head coach Matt Viator has never had a losing season in his 9 seasons. * - Southland Conference games • The Cowboys started the season 6-2 but dropped the last three games of the year after an influx of inju- All times Central and subject to change ries handicapped the team. MCNEESE ALL-TIME RESULTS VS. THE FBS (8-23-1) FOOTBALL CONTACTS Matthew Bonnette | Asst. AD/SID Nov. 6, 2014 L 31-24 at Nebraska 2002 W 24-19 at Louisiana-Monroe Aug. 31, 2013 W 53-21 at South Florida 2001 L 38-24 at Texas A&M 337.475.5207 (o) | 337.263.4822 (c) | [email protected] Aug. 30, 2012 W 27-21 at Middle Tennessee 2000 L 61-14 at Miami (FL) Pam Lafosse| Asst. SID/Stats Coordinator Nov. 10, 2012 L 31-24 at UTSA 1990 L 51-3 vs. Louisiana Tech 337.475.5926 (o) | 337.274.9981(c) | [email protected] Sept. 3, 2011 L 42-24 at Kansas 1989 L 21-16 at Arkansas State Oct. 16, 2010 L 32-10 at LSU 1988 L 49-0 at Fresno State Hunter Bower | Asst. SID/Video Coordinator Sept. 11, 2010 L 50-6 at Missouri 1988 W 46-19 vs. Toledo 337.475.5941 (o) | 318.455.3200 (c) | [email protected] Sept. 26, 2009 L 42-32 at Tulane 1987 L 32-13 at New Mexico State MCNEESESPORTS.COM Aug. 30, 2008 L 35-27 at North Carolina 1987 L 7-3 at Louisiana Tech Sept. 15, 2007 W 38-17 at Louisiana-Lafayette 1987 L 17-0 vs. Arkansas State Sept. 23, 2006 L 41-7 at Toledo 1986 L 33-13 vs Louisiana-Lafayette Sept. 2, 2006 L 41-10 at South Florida 1985 W 14-3 at Louisiana-Lafayette Sept. 17, 2005 L 48-20 at Southern Mississippi 1984 W 30-17 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette 2004 W 30-27 at Florida International 1983 L 48-16 at Louisiana-Lafayette 2003 L 55-14 at Kansas State 1982 T 10-10 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette 2002 L 38-14 at Nebraska McNeese Cowboys Football September 5, 2015 at LSU COWBOYS ON WATCH LISTS, PRESEASON HONORS 2015 Opponent Tracker A total of 10 McNeese players have been named to various publication and organization All- at LSU (0-0) America and All-Conference teams as well as a College Football Performance Awards Watch list: Sept. 5 • Baton Rouge Last Week: No Game Bo Brown (LB) Ryan Ross (RB) This Week: vs. McNeese (SECN-Alt.) • 1st preseason All-Southland Conference • CSM preseason All-Conference (3rd team) • CSM preseason All-Conference (1st team) *Incarnate Word (0-0) Daniel Sams (QB) Sept. 12 • Lake Charles Nick Gorman (OL) • CFPA Player of the Year Watch List Last Week: No Game • CSM preseason All-Conference (2nd Team) This Week: vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville Wallace Scott (FS) *at Stephen F. Austin (0-0) Gabe Hamner (CB) • First Team preseason All-Southland Conference Sept. 19 • Nacogdoches, Texas • CSM preseason All-Conference (3rd Team) • CSM preseason All-Conference (1st Team) Last Week: No Game This Week: vs. N. Arizona (ESPN3) Zach Hetrick (TE) Brent Spikes (S) Mississippi College (0-0) • CSM preseason All-Conference (3rd team) • STATS Preseason All-American (2nd Team) Sept. 26 • Lake Charles • Phil Steele preseason All-American (2nd team) Last Week: No Game Brian Hine (DE) • CSM Preseason All-American (2nd Team) This Week: vs. Texas College • CSM preseason All-Conference (2nd team) • First Team preseason All-Southland Conference • CSM preseason All-Conference (2nd team) *at Nicholls (0-0) Quentin Marsh (OL) Oct. 3 • Thibodaux • First Team preseason All-Southland Conference Last Week: No Game • CSM preseason All-Conference (1st Team) This Week: OPEN *Southeastern La. (0-0) VIATOR ENTERS 10TH SEASON AS COWBOYS LEADER Oct. 10 • Lake Charles McNeese head coach Matt Viator is entering his 10h season looking to add to his legacy as be- Last Week: No Game ing one of the greatest coaches in school history. VIATOR IN SEASON OPENERS This Week: at Northwestern St. (Thurs.) Viator will enter Saturday’s game No. 2 on the Sept. 1, 2007 W 35-12 vs. Portland State *at Central Arkansas (0-0) school’s all-time career win list with 68 career vic- Aug. 30, 2008 L 35-27 at North Carolina Sept. 5, 2009 W 27-24 vs. Henderson State Oct. 17 • Conway, Arkansas tories. He trails Bobby Keasler by 10 wins as the Last Week: No Game school’s all-time leader. He’s the winningest active Sept. 4, 2010 W 30-27 vs. Lamar Sept. 3, 2011 L 42-24 at Kansas This Week: at Samford (Thurs.) coach in the Southland Conference and is the only coach in SLC history to post a winning season every Aug. 30, 2012 W 27-21 at Middle Tennessee * Northwestern St. (0-0) Aug. 31, 2013 W 53-21 at South Florida year with a minimum of nine seasons coached. He’s Sept. 6, 2014 L 31-24 at Nebraska Oct. 24 • Lake Charles (HC) coached McNeese to three Southland Conference Last Week: No Game titles (2006, 2007, 2009), is a two-time SLC Coach This Week: vs. SLU (Thurs. - ASN) of the Year (2006, 2007), the 2006 Louisiana Coach of the Year, and a three-time finalist for the Abilene Christian (0-0) Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award (2006, 2007, 2013). His teams have made four Oct. 31 • Abilene, Texas FCS playoff appearances in his eight years and has compiled a 2-3 record against FBS squads. Last Week: No Game Viator, who took over the helm midway through the 2006 season, has compiled a 5-2 record in This Week: at Fresno State (Thurs.) season openers. *Sam Houston St. (0-0) MCNEESE-LSU TO REMEMBER 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF HURRICANES Nov. 7 • Lake Charles KATRINA AND RITA WITH HElmET DECALS Last Week: No Game Both LSU and McNeese players will wear helmet decals in rememberance of Hurricanes Katrina This Week: at Texas Tech (FSN) and Rita. The 2015 year marks the 10th anniversary of two of the most devastating storms to *at Lamar (0-0) ever hit the gulf coast.