McNeese Set for First Fall Camp Scrimmage Saturday

Lake Charles, Louisiana - The first week of fall camp is in the books, and now the McNeese Cowboys are ready to take the next step. After eight practices, including six in full pads, the Cowboys will hold their first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday morning. It will be the first chance for the coaching staff to see the team compete in a game-like setting.

Head coach Matt Viator said the team is right where he wants it to be. "I think it's going good," Viator said. "We've had eight practices, six of them in pads and two without pads. I think we're on schedule to where I'd like for us to be."

READ MORE: 2026 McNeese Football Schedule with Kickoff Times

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Like most teams around college football during the first week of fall camp, the defense has had the upper hand over the offense, and that has been the case for McNeese as well.

The Cowboys have an advantage this season with the return of quarterback Jake Strong. It marks unfamiliar territory in Cowboy Country, as Strong becomes McNeese's first returning starting quarterback since Cody Orgeron in 2019.

While continuity at quarterback should help the offense take a step forward, head coach Matt Viator knows there is still work to be done. Speaking at Southland Conference Media Days, Viator said the Cowboys must become a more balanced offense in 2026.

"We need better balance," Viator said. "There were games where we threw the ball well, but we weren't consistent enough. Early in the season we struggled to run it, but by the end of the year we had one of the top rushing attacks in the conference. We ended up running the quarterback quite a bit, but you also have to ask if that's sustainable for 12 games. We have to be more efficient and more consistent throwing the football, and that's something we've worked on."

Viator said players have spent much of camp learning new schemes, which has slowed them down at times. He hopes the scrimmage marks the beginning of playing faster.

"There's been a lot of install up to this point," he said. "After the first scrimmage, the install slows down, and you hope to play a little faster."

READ MORE: McNeese Picked 6th in Southland Pre-Season Poll

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The scrimmage will also give the coaches a better idea of where players stand on the depth chart. While every position will be evaluated, Viator said he's especially interested in watching the secondary and the offensive line.

"I think we're better defensively than what we've had," Viator said. "We have more offensive linemen practicing right now than probably anywhere I've been, which is a good thing."

The start of the 2026 season will look a little different for McNeese. Instead of easing into the schedule with a non-conference opponent, the Cowboys will open the year with one of their biggest games right out of the gate. With each passing day, the countdown continues to August 29, when McNeese kicks off its 2026 campaign in Week Zero against defending Southland Conference champion Stephen F. Austin.

Because the Cowboys open with a conference showdown, head coach Matt Viator has adjusted the team's fall camp schedule. Rather than waiting until later in camp to follow a typical game-week routine, McNeese is already practicing as if it were preparing for a Saturday kickoff.

"What we're doing is I've kind of set the camp schedule up so it's almost like a Thursday through Saturday game week," Viator said. "We have a conference game the first game. It's not like we have three or four weeks to figure things out."

Fans will get the chance for their first look at the 2026 Cowboys this Saturday in an open scrimmage that starts Saturday Morning at 9:45 a.m. This scrimmage is free and open to the public.