McNeese DE Chambers, TE Pettigrew earn Hula Bowl invites

LAKE CHARLES – McNeese senior defensive end Isaiah Chambers and senior tight end Jamal Pettigrew have accepted invitations to play in the 2022 Hula Bowl which will be played on January 15 at UCF Bounce House Stadium in Orlando.

Kick-off will be 11 a.m. CT and will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

Chambers is awaiting an invitation for the Reese’s Senior Bowl, which he was named to the watch list earlier in the season. Pettigrew is excited to get the opportunity to help raise his stock with the pro scouts.

“It’s exciting,” said Pettigrew. “I’m happy I’ll get the chance to show what I can do in front of a lot of NFL scouts.

Chambers, a consensus All-American, leads the Southland conference with 9.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for a loss on the year while Pettigrew has established himself as one of the top blocking tight ends in both the league and all of FCS. He’s also caught seven passes for 92 yards with a touchdown on the season.

The duo will join former Cowboy Bryan Smith (2007) as the only McNeese players to participate in the Hula Bowl.

Pettigrew and Chambers are two of eight Cowboy seniors who will play their final game in the McNeese blue and gold on Saturday when the Cowboys host Northwestern State.

Kick-off for Saturday’s game will be at noon and will broadcast on ESPN3.

“This is a chance for us to go into the heart of recruiting as signing day approaches (Dec. 15) with some momentum,” said head coach Frank Wilson. “We’re playing an old rival that we have a lot of respect for. We want to finish strong and set the tone for our offseason.”

The Cowboys (4-6, 3-4 SLC) won’t get to extend its winning season streak but can post their 16th consecutive fall season with a conference mark at .500 or better with a win.

“That’s important for us,” said Wilson.

The Demons (2-8, 2-5) have only defeated Houston Baptist this season, but when the two teams play, the records can be thrown out the window. NSU snapped the Cowboys’ 13-game winning streak with a double-OT win in 2018. Since then, McNeese has won three straight, including a 35-17 victory earlier this season. In addition, the Cowboys have won 15 consecutive games at home against NSU and hold a 48-21-1 record in the series that dates all the way back to 1951.