# 2015 McNeese State Cowboys football team

The 2015 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by Matt Viator in his tenth and final season as head coach, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 10–1 with a mark of 9–0 in conference play, winning the Southland title. McNeese State received the conference's automatic bid to NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where, after a first-round bye, the Cowboys lost in the second round to fellow Southland member, Sam Houston State. The team played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 5 | 6:30 pm | No. 14 (FBS) LSU* | No. 25 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA | SECN | Canceled | |
| September 12 | 6:00 pm | Incarnate Word | | Cowboy StadiumLake Charles, LA | ASN | W 43–6 | 12,804 |
| September 19 | 6:00 pm | at Stephen F. Austin | | Homer Bryce StadiumNacogdoches, TX | ESPN3 | W 28–14 | 12,018 |
| September 26 | 6:00 pm | Mississippi College* | No. 25 | Cowboy StadiumLake Charles, LA | | W 37–0 | 10,436 |
| October 3 | 3:00 pm | at Nicholls State | No. 23 | John L. Guidry StadiumThibodaux, LA | CST | W 37–7 | 6,192 |
| October 10 | 6:00 pm | No. 20 Southeastern Louisiana | No. 22 | Cowboy StadiumLake Charles, LA | CST | W 21–7 | 13,110 |
| October 17 | 6:00 pm | at Central Arkansas | No. 15 | Estes StadiumConway, AR (Red Beans and Rice Bowl) | ESPN3 | W 28–13 | 10,527 |
| October 24 | 6:00 pm | Northwestern State | No. 12 | Cowboy StadiumLake Charles, LA (rivalry) | CST | W 47–27 | 9,806 |
| October 31 | 2:00 pm | at Abilene Christian | No. 10 | Shotwell StadiumAbilene, TX | ASN | W 15–13 | 3,567 |
| November 7 | 6:00 pm | No. 7 Sam Houston State | No. 9 | Cowboy StadiumLake Charles, LA | ESPN3 | W 27–10 | 10,501 |
| November 21 | 6:00 pm | at Lamar | No. 3 | Provost Umphrey StadiumBeaumont, TX (Battle of the Border) | ESPN3 | W 20–14 | 9,808 |
| December 5 | 7:00 pm | No. 6 Sam Houston State | No. 3 | Cowboy StadiumLake Charles, LA (NCAA Division I Second Round) | ESPN3 | L 29–34 | 13,493 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||
    The game between LSU and McNeese State was canceled due to inclement weather. The game was delayed due to lightning after 5 minutes of play during each team held the ball for one drive and no one scored. Both schools' athletic directors decided not to reschedule the game, thus declaring it a "no contest". LSU did agree to pay McNeese State its promised fee of $500,000.

## Game summaries
### @ LSU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #25 Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tigers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### Incarnate Word

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| • Cowboys | 7 | 2 | 20 | 14 | 43 |

### @ Stephen F. Austin

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Cowboys | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Lumberjacks | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |

### Mississippi College

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Choctaws | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • #25 Cowboys | 13 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 37 |

### @ Nicholls

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #23 Cowboys | 7 | 20 | 7 | 3 | 37 |
| Colonels | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |

### Southeastern Louisiana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #20 Lions | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| • #22 Cowboys | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |

### @ Central Arkansas

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #15 Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 28 |
| Bears | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 |

### Northwestern State (homecoming)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Demons | 7 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
| • #12 Cowboys | 7 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 47 |

### @ Abilene Christian

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #10 Cowboys | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 15 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 |

### Sam Houston State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #7 Bearkats | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| • #9 Cowboys | 0 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 27 |

### @ Lamar

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #3 Cowboys | 17 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |

### Sam Houston State—NCAA Division I Second Round

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #6 Bearkats | 7 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 34 |
| #3 Cowboys | 10 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 29 |

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking RV = Received votes т = Tied with team above or below ( ) = First-place 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 | 25 | RV | RV | 25 | 23 | 22 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Coaches | 23 | 23 | 21 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 5–T | 2 (1) | 2 (2) | 2 (1) | 9 |