McNeese hosts 5th-ranked UIW in return to Cowboy Stadium

LAKE CHARLES – Coming off an open week, the McNeese Cowboys will return to Cowboy Stadium on Saturday when they face the No. 5-ranked team in the FCS in the UIW Cardinals.

Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will broadcast live on ESPN+ and on the radio on 92.9 The Lake and 929thelake.com.

The Cowboys will enter the game 0-6 overall and 0-2 in Southland Conference play while the Cardinals will carry a 5-1 record (2-0 in SLC) into The Hole and winners of their last five games.

Gameday Notebook:
• McNeese redshirt-sophomore linebacker was named a FCS Midseason All-American by Phil Steele on Thursday.
• Saturday will be the first game against a ranked opponent this season and the first since falling to 11th-ranked UIW, 48-20, last October 1 in San Antonio.
• McNeese is 56-76-1 all-time against ranked opponents.
• Last win over a ranked opponent was against No. 16 UIW, 28-20, Oct. 23, 2021 in Lake Charles.
• 12-21 record against teams ranked in the top 5.
• UIW’s No. 5 ranking is the highest-ranked team to play in Cowboy Stadium since Oct. 19, 2013 when McNeese defeated No. 2 Sam Houston State 31-23.
• 33-22 record at home against ranked opponents.
• Saturday’s game will be the 10th meeting between McNeese and UIW with the Cowboys holding a 5-4 lead.
• UIW won last year 48-20 in San Antonio.
• At least one team has been ranked in eight of the nine outings – UIW No. 11 last season and No. 16 in the second meeting in 2021.
• McNeese won the first four games of the series but UIW has captured four of the last five contests.
• The Cowboys are 3-1 against the Cardinals in Cowboy Stadium with the lone loss coming in February 2021 by way of a 48-20 win.
• Two UIW coaches were on the 2019 McNeese coaching staff – defensive coordinator Jim Gush and defensive line coach Ben Olson.
• Cowboy offensive linemen Cole Leclair and Dylan Dauzart have started 17 consecutive games.
• Leclair has played 350 snaps on the season while Dauzart has played 347.
• Kicker Garrison Smith has connected on 36-straight PATs.
• Davey is ranked 1st in the SLC and 2nd in the FCS in total tackles (82) and tackles per game (13.7) and has 150 in his career (17 games).
• Davey has recorded 10 or more tackles in all 6 games on the season and 9 times in his career.
• 15 of the 22 players listed on the Cowboys’ defensive two-deep are freshmen and sophomores while 10 are on offense for a total of 25 of 44 players on depth chart being freshmen or sophomores.
• A total of 27 players have made their first collegiate start this season with two being true freshmen (WR Makhi Paris, TE Reed Boyd) and 3 others are redshirt freshmen (OL Hayes Creel, DE Masey Lewis, DB Joe Ward).