# 2019 McNeese State Cowboys football team

The 2019 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by Sterlin Gilbert in his first and only season as head coach, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 7–5 with a mark of 5–4 in conference play, placing fifth in the Southland. McNeese State played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
On November 20, 2018, head coach Lance Guidry was fired. He finished at McNeese State with a three-year record of 21–12. On December 5, the school hired South Florida offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert as head coach.

## Preseason
### Preseason poll

The Southland Conference released their preseason poll on July 18, 2019. The Cowboys were picked to finish in sixth place.
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Nicholls | 200 (20) |
| 2 | Central Arkansas | 154 |
| 3 | Incarnate Word | 150 (1) |
| 4 | Sam Houston State | 146 |
| 5 | Lamar | 123 |
| 6 | McNeese State | 114 |
| 7 | Abilene Christian | 112 (1) |
| 8 | Southeastern Louisiana | 71 |
| 9 | Stephen F. Austin | 63 |
| 10 | Northwestern State | 56 |
| 11 | Houston Baptist | 21 |

### Preseason All–Southland Teams

The Cowboys placed three players on the preseason all–Southland teams.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 6:00 p.m. | Southern* | Cowboy StadiumLake Charles, LA | CST/ESPN+ | W 34–28 | 20,437 |
| September 7 | 6:00 p.m. | at Oklahoma State* | Boone Pickens StadiumStillwater, OK | ESPN+ | L 14–56 | 55,509 |
| September 14 | 6:00 p.m. | Alcorn State* | Cowboy StadiumLake Charles, LA | COWBOYINSIDER | W 17–14 | 10,127 |
| September 21 | 6:00 p.m. | at Abilene Christian | Wildcat StadiumAbilene, TX | ESPN+ | L 10–17 | 9,624 |
| September 28 | 6:00 p.m. | Sam Houston State | Cowboy StadiumLake Charles, LA | ESPN+ | L 17–28 | 9,107 |
| October 5 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 19 Southeastern Louisiana | Cowboy StadiumLake Charles, LA | CST/ESPN+ | W 38–34 | 8,217 |
| October 12 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 16 Central Arkansas | Estes StadiumConway, AR (Red Beans and Rice Bowl) | ESPN+ | L 31–40 | 11,237 |
| October 19 | 4:00 p.m. | Houston Baptist | Cowboy StadiumLake Charles, LA | COWBOYINSIDER | W 42–27 | 8,083 |
| October 26 | 3:00 p.m. | at Stephen F. Austin | Homer Bryce StadiumNacogdoches, TX | ESPN+ | W 33–10 | 8,335 |
| November 2 | 4:00 p.m. | Northwestern State | Cowboy StadiumLake Charles, LA (rivalry) | CST/ESPN+ | W 30–20 | 9,295 |
| November 16 | 3:00 p.m. | at No. 24 Nicholls | Manning Field at John L. Guidry StadiumThibodaux, LA | CST/ESPN+ | L 20–34 | 8,958 |
| November 23 | 3:00 p.m. | at Lamar | Provost Umphrey StadiumBeaumont, TX (Battle of the Border) | ESPN3 | W 27–3 | 7,307 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time |||||||

## Game summaries
### Southern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| RV Cowboys | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
at Cowboy Stadium, Lake Charles, LA
* Date: August 31
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 93 °F (34 °C); fair skies
* Game attendance: 20,437
* Referee: C. Watson
* TV: CST
Game information :
First quarter
(06:11) MCNS TD – J'Cobi Skinner 1-yard rush, Noah Anderson kick McNeese State 7–0; Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 1:41
(03:22) SOU TD – Timothy Bedford 33-yard pass from Ladarius Skelton, Martel Fontenot kick Tied 7–7; Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:49
Second quarter
(14:52) SOU TD – Hunter Register 43-yard pass from Ladarius Skelton, Martel Fontenot kick Southern 14–7; Drive: 4 plays, 79 yards, 1:06
(09:38) MCNS FG – Noah Anderson 37-yard field goal Southern 14–10; Drive: 15 plays, 57 yards, 5:08
(01:49) MCNS TD – Trevor Begue 12-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Noah Anderson kick McNeese State 17–14; Drive: 3 plays, 13 yards, 3:51
Third quarter
(10:16) MCNS TD – Trevor Begue 24-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Noah Anderson kick McNeese State 24–14; Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 2:59
Fourth quarter
(10:38) MCNS FG – Noah Anderson 29-yard field goal McNeese State 27–14; Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 3:31
(05:25) MCNS TD – Elijah Mack 3-yard rush, Noah Anderson kick McNeese State 34–14; Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 4:13
(03:41) SOU TD – Hunter Register 17-yard pass from Glendon McDaniel, Martel Fontenot kick McNeese State 34–21; Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:44
(00:32) SOU TD – Glendon McDaniel 1-yard rush, Martel Fontenot kick McNeese State 34–28; Drive: 10 plays, 99 yards, 1:59
Top passers
MCNS - Cody Orgeron - 15/22, 147 yards, 2 TD
SOU - Glendon McDaniel - 11/19, 135 yards, TD
Top rushers
MCNS - Elijah Mack - 12 carries, 45 yards, TD
SOU - Devon Benn - 11 carries, 33 yards
Top receivers
MCNS - Cyron Sutton - 3 receptions, 51 yards
SOU - Hunter Register - 4 receptions, 82 yards, 2 TD :
| Statistics | Southern | McNeese State |
| First downs | 29 | 18 |
| Total yards | 342 | 303 |
| Rushing yards | 103 | 154 |
| Passing yards | 239 | 149 |
| Turnovers | 5 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 26:35 | 33:25 |

### At Oklahoma State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| MCNS Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| OSU Cowboys | 14 | 14 | 28 | 0 | 56 |
at Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK
* Date: September 7
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 95 °F (35 °C); sunny; SE 12 MPH
* Game attendance: 55,509
* Referee: Christian Watson
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Dave LaMont (Play-By-Play) & Barrett Brooks (Analysts)
Game information :
First quarter
(15:00) OSU TD – A. J. Green 27-yard interception returned, Matt Ammendola kick Oklahoma State 7–0; Drive: 2 plays, 1 yards, 0:45
(01:29) OSU TD – Tylan Wallace 69-yard pass from Spencer Sanders, Matt Ammendola kick Oklahoma State 14–0; Drive: 2 plays, 73 yards, 0:30
Second quarter
(07:43) OSU TD – Chuba Hubbard 4-yard rush, Matt Ammendola kick Oklahoma State 21–0; Drive: 15 plays, 91 yards, 4:13
(01:29) OSU TD – Tylan Wallace 4-yard pass from Spencer Sanders, Matt Ammendola kick Oklahoma State 28–0; Drive: 11 plays, 91 yards, 3:30
Third quarter
(14:48) OSU TD – Tylan Wallace 75-yard pass from Spencer Sanders, Matt Ammendola kick Oklahoma State 35–0; Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:12
(11:15) MCNS TD – D'Andre Hicks 16-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Noah Anderson kick Oklahoma State 35–7; Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 3:33
(09:15) OSU TD – C. J. Moore 59-yard pass from Dru Brown, Matt Ammendola kick Oklahoma State 42–7; Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:00
(06:52) OSU TD – Braydon Johnson 69-yard pass from Dru Brown, Matt Ammendola kick Oklahoma State 49–7; Drive: 2 plays, 72 yards, 0:34
(06:04) OSU TD – Micah Cooper 1-yard rush, Matt Ammendola kick Oklahoma State 56–7; Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:03
Fourth quarter
(05:34) MCNS TD – Marcus Foster 32-yard fumble returned, Noah Anderson kick Oklahoma State 56–14; Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 2:13
Top passers
OSU - Spencer Sanders - 12/18, 250 yards, 3 TD
MCNS - Cody Orgeron - 11/22, 151 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
OSU - Spencer Sanders - 12 carries, 51 yards
MCNS - Cody Orgeron - 16 carries, 89 yards
Top receivers
OSU - Tylan Wallace - 5 receptions, 180 yards, 3 TD
MCNS - D'Andre Hicks - 3 receptions, 69 yards, TD :
| Statistics | McNeese State | Oklahoma State |
| First downs | 13 | 25 |
| Total yards | 318 | 580 |
| Rushing yards | 161 | 167 |
| Passing yards | 157 | 413 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 31:45 | 28:15 |

### Alcorn State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Braves | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
at Cowboy Stadium, Lake Charles, LA
* Date: September 14
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 95 °F (35 °C); fair skies
* Game attendance: 10,127
* Referee: Christian Watson
Game information :
First quarter
(06:27) MCNS TD – Cyron Sutton 19-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Noah Anderson kick McNeese State 7–0; Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 1:12
Second quarter
(13:42) MCNS TD – Trevor Begue 13-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Noah Anderson kick McNeese State 14–0; Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 0:50
(08:52) MCNS FG – Noah Anderson 37-yard field goal McNeese State 17–0; Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 3:24
Fourth quarter
(06:27) ALCN TD – Chris Blair 13-yard pass from Felix Harper, Corey McCullough PAT failed McNeese State 17–6; Drive: 1 plays, 25 yards, 0:06
(06:27) ALCN TD – Niko Duffey 14-yard pass from Felix Harper, Felix Harper two-point conversion pass to LeCharles Pringle McNeese State 17–14; Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 1:01
Top passers
MCNS - Cody Orgeron - 19/29, 191 yards, 2 TD
ALCN - Felix Harper - 13/28, 132 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
MCNS - J'Cobi Skinner - 14 carries, 52 yards
ALCN - De'Shawn Waller - 18 carries, 77 yards
Top receivers
MCNS - Trevor Begue - 8 receptions, 94 yards, TD
ALCN - Niko Duffey - 5 receptions, 54 yards, TD :
| Statistics | Alcorn State | McNeese State |
| First downs | 22 | 14 |
| Total yards | 318 | 324 |
| Rushing yards | 154 | 133 |
| Passing yards | 164 | 191 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 32:05 | 27:55 |

### At Abilene Christian

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Wildcats | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium, Abilene, TX
* Date: September 21
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 91 °F (33 °C); mostly cloudy
* Game attendance: 9,624
* Referee: Cal McNeill
* TV: ESPN+
Game information :
First quarter
(04:50) ACU FG – Blair Zepeda 25-yard field goal Abilene Christian 3–0; Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 3:51
(00:16) MCNS FG – Noah Anderson 23-yard field goal Tied 3–3; Drive: 13 plays, 70 yards, 4:34
Second quarter
(07:33) ACU TD – Tracy James 59-yard pass from Luke Anthony, Blair Zepeda kick Abilene Christian 10–3; Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 3:13
Fourth quarter
(01:53) MCNS TD – Cyron Sutton 28-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Noah Anderson kick Tied 10–10; Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 2:38
(00:13) ACU TD – Tracy James 1-yard rush, Blair Zepeda kick Abilene Christian 17–10; Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 0:40
Top passers
ACU - Luke Anthony - 26/44, 313 yards, TD
MCNS - Cody Orgeron - 17/33, 189 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
ACU - Tracy James - 15 carries, 36 yards, TD
MCNS - Elijah Mack - 18 carries, 125 yards
Top receivers
ACU - Josh Fink - 9 receptions, 123 yards
MCNS - Cyron Sutton - 5 receptions, 101 yards, TD :
| Statistics | McNeese State | Abilene Christian |
| First downs | 18 | 16 |
| Total yards | 383 | 415 |
| Rushing yards | 194 | 85 |
| Passing yards | 189 | 330 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 30:12 | 29:48 |

### Sam Houston State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bearkats | 0 | 9 | 6 | 13 | 28 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
at Cowboy Stadium, Lake Charles, LA
* Date: September 28
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
* Game attendance: 9,107
* Referee: Brandon Cruse
* TV: ESPN+
Game information :
First quarter
(03:07) MCNS TD – Cyron Sutton 67-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 7–0; Drive: 2 plays, 67 yards, 0:17
Second quarter
(12:00) SHSU TD – Nathan Stewart 21-yard pass from Ty Brock, Connor Crow kick Tied 7–7; Drive: 6 plays, 84 yards, 2:14
(07:43) MCNS TD – Draysean Hudson 27-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 14–7; Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 1:33
(04:17) SHSU SF – Team Safety McNeese State 14–9; Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 2:33
Third quarter
(08:45) SHSU TD – Noah Smith 61-yard pass from Ty Brock, two-point conversion pass failed Sam Houston State 15–14; Drive: 5 plays, 89 yards, 2:27
(03:47) MCNS FG – Bailey Raborn 43-yard field goal McNeese State 17–15; Drive: 10 plays, 35 yards, 2:17
Fourth quarter
(11:13) SHSU TD – Chandler Harvin 12-yard pass from Ty Brock, two-point conversion pass failed Sam Houston State 21–17; Drive: 18 plays, 73 yards, 7:27
(09:38) SHSU TD – Kyran Jackson 5-yard rush, Connor Crow kick Sam Houston State 28–17; Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 0:59
Top passers
SHSU - Ty Brock - 14/29, 262 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
MCNS - Cody Orgeron - 18/40, 280 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
SHSU - Kyran Jackson - 20 carries, 111 yards, TD
MCNS - Cody Orgeron - 12 carries, 17 yards
Top receivers
SHSU - Nathan Stewart - 6 receptions, 157 yards, TD
MCNS - Cyron Sutton - 10 receptions, 160 yards, TD :
| Statistics | Sam Houston State | McNeese State |
| First downs | 18 | 14 |
| Total yards | 416 | 318 |
| Rushing yards | 89 | 38 |
| Passing yards | 327 | 280 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 37:36 | 22:24 |

### Southeastern Louisiana

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 19 Lions | 3 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 34 |
| Cowboys | 10 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 38 |
at Cowboy Stadium, Lake Charles, LA
* Date: October 5
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 92 °F (33 °C); sunny & humid
* Game attendance: 8,217
* Referee: Kevin Hassell
* TV: CST
Game information :
First quarter
(09:48) MCNS TD – Davion Curtis 20-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 7–0; Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 2:30
(04:45) MCNS FG – Bailey Raborn 21-yard field goal McNeese State 10–0; Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards, 3:37
(00:07) SELA FG – Bryce Broussard 20-yard field goal McNeese State 10–3; Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 4:38
Second quarter
(13:30) MCNS TD – Cyron Sutton 58-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 17–3; Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 1:33
(05:35) MCNS TD – Elijah Mack 2-yard rush, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 24–3; Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:48
(02:42) SELA TD – CJ Turner 10-yard pass from Chason Virgil, Bryce Broussard kick McNeese State 24–10; Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 2:48
(00:23) SELA TD – Lorenzo Nunez 31-yard pass from Cole Kelley, Bryce Broussard kick McNeese State 24–17; Drive: 13 plays, 94 yards, 1:37
Third quarter
(01:09) SELA FG – Bryce Broussard 21-yard field goal McNeese State 24–20; Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 4:06
Fourth quarter
(13:02) SELA TD – Lorenzo Nunez 60-yard pass from Chason Virgil, Bryce Broussard kick Southeastern Louisiana 27–24; Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 1:46
(09:56) MCNS TD – Elijah Mack 1-yard rush, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 31–27; Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 3:00
(07:06) SELA TD – Bransen Schwebel 2-yard pass from Cole Kelley, Bryce Broussard kick Southeastern Louisiana 34–31; Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:50
(02:21) MCNS TD – Trevor Begue 33-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 38–34; Drive: 9 plays, 89 yards, 2:35
Top passers
MCNS – Cody Orgeron – 12/29, 248 yards, 3 TD
SELA – Chason Virgil – 27/49, 321 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
MCNS – Elijah Mack – 28 carries, 142 yards, 2 TD
SELA – Austin Mitchell – carry, 36 yards
Top receivers
MCNS – Cyron Sutton – 4 receptions, 82 yards, TD
SELA – Bransen Schwebel – 8 receptions, 94 yards, TD :
| Statistics | Southeastern Louisiana | McNeese State |
| First downs | 19 | 23 |
| Total yards | 452 | 473 |
| Rushing yards | 86 | 225 |
| Passing yards | 366 | 248 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 28:57 | 31:03 |

### At Central Arkansas

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 10 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
| No. 16 Bears | 10 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 40 |
at Estes Stadium, Conway, AR
* Date: October 12
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C); sunny
* Game attendance: 11,237
* Referee: Michael Vanderv
* TV: ESPN+
Game information :
First quarter
(14:26) MCNS TD – Cyron Sutton 31-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 7–0; Drive: 2 plays, 34 yards, 0:23
(09:10) UCA FG – Hayden Ray 34-yard field goal McNeese State 7–3; Drive: 12 plays, 59 yards, 5:16
(06:30) MCNS FG – Bailey Raborn 25-yard field goal McNeese State 10–3; Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 2:40
(05:01) UCA TD – Carlos Blackman 17-yard pass from Breylin Smith, Hayden Ray kick Tied 10–10; Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:29
Second quarter
(11:49) MCNS TD – Cyron Sutton 5-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 17–10; Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 3:26
(05:50) UCA FG – Hayden Ray 39-yard field goal McNeese State 17–13; Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 4:45
(01:56) UCA TD – Joe Hampton 38-yard pass from Breylin Smith, Hayden Ray kick Central Arkansas 20–17; Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 1:54
(00:25) MCNS TD – Trevor Begue 32-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 24–20; Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 1:31
Third quarter
(07:56) UCA TD – Tyler Hudson 78-yard pass from Breylin Smith, Hayden Ray kick Central Arkansas 27–24; Drive: 1 play, 78 yards, 0:12
(02:26) UCA TD – Tyler Hudson 19-yard pass from Luke Hales, Hayden Ray kick Central Arkansas 34–24; Drive: 3 plays, 7 yards, 1:16
Fourth quarter
(12:10) MCNS TD – Louis Conerly 4-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn kick Central Arkansas 34–31; Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 5:36
(07:41) UCA FG – Hayden Ray 25-yard field goal Central Arkansas 37–31; Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 4:36
(06:42) UCA FG – Hayden Ray 39-yard field goal Central Arkansas 40–31; Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:52
Top passers
UCA – Breylin Smith – 28/41, 369 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
MCNS – Cody Orgeron – 26/41, 344 yards, 4 TD, INT
Top rushers
UCA – Carlos Blackman – 15 carries, 64 yards
MCNS – Elijah Mack – 20 carries, 70 yards
Top receivers
UCA – Tyler Hudson – 4 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TD
MCNS – Cyron Sutton – 13 receptions, 156 yards, 2 TD :
| Statistics | McNeese State | Central Arkansas |
| First downs | 19 | 23 |
| Total yards | 452 | 473 |
| Rushing yards | 86 | 225 |
| Passing yards | 366 | 248 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 28:57 | 31:03 |

### Houston Baptist

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Huskies | 7 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 27 |
| Cowboys | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
at Cowboy Stadium, Lake Charles, LA
* Date: October 19
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C); partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 8,083
* Referee: Ed Bourgeois
* TV: ESPN+
Game information :
First quarter
(10:39) MCNS TD – Elijah Mack 1-yard rush, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 7–0; Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 4:21
(05:44) MCNS TD – Trevor Begue 31-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 14–0; Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 3:53
(02:37) HBU TD – Trevor Larkin 5-yard pass from Bailey Zappe, Gino Garcia kick McNeese State 14–7; Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 2:59
Second quarter
(14:48) MCNS TD – Cyron Sutton 68-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 21–7; Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:49
(11:04) HBU TD – Ean Beek 15-yard pass from Bailey Zappe, Gino Garcia kick McNeese State 21–14; Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:44
(06:03) MCNS TD – Jovon Burriss 11-yard fumble returned, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 28–14; Drive: 3 plays, -9 yards, 1:10
(00:13) HBU TD – Jaylon Johnson 13-yard pass from Bailey Zappe, Gino Garcia PAT failed McNeese State 28–20; Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 2:37
Third quarter
(01:59) MCNS TD – Justin Pratt 13-yard rush, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 35–20; Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 2:45
Fourth quarter
(02:56) MCNS TD – Cody Orgeron 69-yard rush, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 42–20; Drive: 6 plays, 90 yards, 1:36
(02:11) HBU TD – Ben Ratzlaff 2-yard pass from Bailey Zappe, Gino Garcia kick McNeese State 42–27; Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 0:45
Top passers
MCNS – Cody Orgeron – 24/31, 303 yards, 2 TD, INT
HBU – Bailey Zappe – 32/52, 317 yards, 4 TD, INT
Top rushers
MCNS – Justin Pratt – 11 carries, 100 yards, TD
HBU – Ean Beek – 13 carries, 52 yards
Top receivers
MCNS – Trevor Begue – 9 receptions, 121 yards, TD
HBU – Jaylon Johnson – 4 receptions, 90 yards, TD :
| Statistics | Houston Baptist | McNeese State |
| First downs | 24 | 30 |
| Total yards | 347 | 567 |
| Rushing yards | 30 | 264 |
| Passing yards | 317 | 303 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 25:08 | 34:52 |

### At Stephen F. Austin

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 3 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 33 |
| Lumberjacks | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
at Homer Bryce Stadium, Nacogdoches, TX
* Date: October 26
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
* Game attendance: 8,335
* Referee: Christian Watso
* TV: ESPN+
Game information :
First quarter
(10:34) SFA TD – Josh McGowen 8-yard pass from Trae Self, Storm Ruiz kick Stephen F. Austin 7–0; Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:26
(02:16) MCNS FG – Bailey Raborn 21-yard field goal Stephen F. Austin 7–3; Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 4:26
Second quarter
(04:56) MCNS TD – Cyron Sutton 3-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 10–7; Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 2:40
Third quarter
(06:13) MCNS FG – Bailey Raborn 39-yard field goal McNeese State 13–7; Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 4:20
(00:18) SFA FG – Storm Ruiz 40-yard field goal McNeese State 13–10; Drive: 12 plays, 42 yards, 4:13
Fourth quarter
(11:57) MCNS TD – Cody Orgeron 30-yard rush, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 20–10; Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 3:21
(08:10) MCNS TD – Cyron Sutton 63-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn PAT failed McNeese State 26–10; Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 2:32
(02:16) MCNS TD – Justin Pratt 21-yard rush, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 33–10; Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 3:55
Top passers
MCNS – Cody Orgeron – 12/25, 162 yards, 2 TD
SFA – Trae Self – 21/41, 175 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
MCNS – Justin Pratt – 21 carries, 133 yards, TD
SFA – Josh McGowen – 12 carries, 46 yards
Top receivers
MCNS – Cyron Sutton – 5 receptions, 55 yards, 2 TD
SFA – Xavier Gipson – 6 receptions, 72 yards :
| Statistics | McNeese State | Stephen F. Austin |
| First downs | 21 | 17 |
| Total yards | 408 | 254 |
| Rushing yards | 246 | 79 |
| Passing yards | 162 | 175 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 32:08 | 27:52 |

### Northwestern State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Demons | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| Cowboys | 6 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 30 |
at Cowboy Stadium, Lake Charles, LA
* Date: November 2
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C); fair & cool
* Game attendance: 9,295
* Referee: Mike Defee
* TV: CST/ESPN+
Game information :
First quarter
(11:22) NSU TD – Justin West 9-yard rush, Daniel Justino kick Northwestern State 7–0; Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 2:41
(11:09) MCNS TD – D'Andre Hicks 96-yard kickoff returned, Bailey Raborn PAT blocked Northwestern State 7–6; Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:00
(03:07) NSU FG – Daniel Justino 37-yard field goal Northwestern State 10–6; Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 4:05
Second quarter
(14:14) MCNS FG – Bailey Raborn 23-yard field goal Northwestern State 10–9; Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 2:46
(10:27) NSU TD – Quan Shorts 22-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Daniel Justino kick Northwestern State 17–9; Drive: 2 plays, 22 yards, 0:12
Third quarter
(10:34) NSU FG – Daniel Justino 21-yard field goal Northwestern State 20–9; Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 4:26
(02:45) MCNS TD – Trevor Begue 27-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Cody Orgeron two-point conversion pass to J'Uan Gross Northwestern State 20–17; Drive: 4 plays, 54 yards, 1:21
Fourth quarter
(14:57) MCNS TD – Trevor Begue 3-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 24–20; Drive: 6 plays, 17 yards, 2:41
(08:14) MCNS FG – Bailey Raborn 20-yard field goal McNeese State 27–20; Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:52
(01:06) MCNS FG – Bailey Raborn 29-yard field goal McNeese State 30–20; Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 0:58
Top passers
MCNS – Cody Orgeron – 16/18, 191 yards, 2 TD
NSU – Shelton Eppler – 28/53, 294 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
MCNS – Justin Pratt – 29 carries, 87 yards
NSU – Jared West – 8 carries, 31 yards, TD
Top receivers
MCNS – Cyron Sutton – 7 receptions, 71 yards
NSU – Akile Davis – 4 receptions, 73 yards :
| Statistics | Northwestern State | McNeese State |
| First downs | 18 | 14 |
| Total yards | 314 | 308 |
| Rushing yards | 20 | 117 |
| Passing yards | 294 | 191 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 27:19 | 32:41 |

### At Nicholls

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 7 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| No. 24 Colonels | 10 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 34 |
at Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium, Thibodaux, LA
* Date: November 16
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C); clear
* Game attendance: 8,958
* Referee: Mike Vandervelde
* TV: CST
Game information :
First quarter
(11:57) NICH FG – Gavin Lasseigne 25-yard field goal Nicholls 3–0; Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 3:03
(07:39) NICH TD – Dion Ray 55-yard pass from Chase Fourcade, Gavin Lasseigne kick Nicholls 10–0; Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 2:21
(07:25) MCNS TD – Mason Pierce 95-yard kickoff returned, Bailey Raborn kick Nicholls 10–7; Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:00
Second quarter
(14:08) NICH TD – Jordan Talley 14-yard pass from Chase Fourcade, Gavin Lasseigne kick Nicholls 17–7; Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 1:23
(10:29) NICH TD – Dai'Jean Dixon 55-yard pass from Chase Fourcade, Gavin Lasseigne kick Nicholls 24–7; Drive: 2 plays, 55 yards, 0:13
(00:04) NICH FG – Gavin Lasseigne 26-yard field goal Nicholls 27–7; Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 2:11
Third quarter
(06:25) MCNS TD – Trevor Begue 5-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn kick Nicholls 27–14; Drive: 5 plays, 28 yards, 1:43
Fourth quarter
(05:45) NICH TD – Julien Gums 2-yard rush, Gavin Lasseigne kick Nicholls 34–14; Drive: 11 plays, 88 yards, 6:27
(03:09) MCNS TD – Draysean Hudson 4-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn PAT blocked Nicholls 34–20; Drive: 11 plays, 91 yards, 2:31
Top passers
NICH – Chase Fourcade – 21/35, 374 yards, 3 TD, INT
MCNS – Cody Orgeron – 18/36, 184 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
NICH – Julien Gums – 17 carries, 56 yards, TD
MCNS – Justin Pratt – 10 carries, 24 yards
Top receivers
NICH – Dai'Jean Dixon – 7 receptions, 185 yards, TD
MCNS – Trevor Begue – 6 receptions, 67 yard, TD :
| Statistics | McNeese State | Nicholls |
| First downs | 14 | 24 |
| Total yards | 236 | 519 |
| Rushing yards | 52 | 145 |
| Passing yards | 184 | 374 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 27:12 | 32:48 |

### At Lamar

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 7 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 27 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
at Provost Umphrey Stadium, Beaumont, TX
* Date: November 23
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C); clear skies
* Game attendance: 7,307
* Referee: Dan Lewis
* TV: ESPN3
Game information :
First quarter
(13:03) MCNS TD – Trevor Begue 54-yard TD pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 7–0; Drive: 3 plays, 66 yards, 0:39
Fourth quarter
(14:09) LAMR FG – Bailey Griffen 39-yard field goal McNeese State 7–3; Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 4:55
(12:15) MCNS TD – JCody Orgeron 41-yard rush, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 14–3; Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:54
(09:26) MCNS TD – Justin Pratt 1-yard rush, Bailey Raborn PAT failed McNeese State 20–3; Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 2:14
(05:14) MCNS TD – Justin Pratt 1-yard rush, Bailey Raborn kick McNeese State 27–3; Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 2:11
Top passers
MCNS – Cody Orgeron – 14/22, 238 yards, TD, 2 INT
LAMR – Shane Johnson – 6/16, 110 yards
Top rushers
MCNS – Justin Pratt – 27 carries, 206 yards, 2 TD
LAMR – Chaz Ward – 15 carries, 33 yards
Top receivers
MCNS – Trevor Begue – 5 receptions, 105 yards, TD
LAMR – Kenny Allen – reception, 45 yards :
| Statistics | McNeese State | Lamar |
| First downs | 19 | 11 |
| Total yards | 518 | 210 |
| Rushing yards | 280 | 96 |
| Passing yards | 238 | 114 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 30:34 | 29:26 |

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | RV | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Coaches | RV | | | | | | | | | | | | | |