McNeese Heads to Tiger Stadium for Huge Test Against No. 11 LSU
Baton Rouge, Louisiana - McNeese found a way to beat East Texas A&M 27-24 last Saturday, picking up its first Southland Conference win of the season and improving to 2-3. Now, the Cowboys have an even bigger challenge. McNeese will travel to Baton Rouge Saturday night to take on No. 11 LSU inside Tiger Stadium.
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For McNeese, this is more than just another game on the schedule. It is a chance to play one of the top teams in the country in one of college football's biggest stadiums. "It's a huge challenge," said McNeese's Matt Viator on Monday. "They have got good players everywhere, but it's also a huge opportunity. Let's go make the most of it."
The Cowboys are coming off a game where they had to hold on late against East Texas A&M. McNeese led 27-10 in the third quarter before the Lions made a late push. The Cowboys' defense stopped East Texas A&M in the final minute to secure the win.
Omiri Wiggins had 116 rushing yards and a 74-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Jake Strong, making his first start in place of the injured Devin Lippold, threw for 202 yards and a touchdown. Strong also ran for 34 yards. On defense, Landon Barrett had a big night. The senior linebacker recorded a career-high 11 tackles and his first career interception. The interception helped set up another McNeese touchdown. Barrett was named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. He leads the Cowboys with 31 tackles this season.
Now Barrett and the rest of the McNeese defense will face a much different challenge.
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LSU is coming off one of its best games of the season. The Tigers dominated Texas A&M 35-6 last Saturday, holding the Aggies to just 106 passing yards, while also finishing with more than 500 yards of total offense. Quarterback Sam Leavitt had his best game of the season. He threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson Harris also had a huge night with 163 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while Winston Watkins Jr. added 107 receiving yards.
But LSU is heading into Saturday's game with some questions of its own.
The Tigers have been hit by several injuries, including a major loss at linebacker. Whit Weeks suffered a broken right leg against Texas A&M and underwent a procedure Monday. LSU head coach Lane Kiffin said Weeks will be out for a while. LSU is also dealing with injuries in the secondary. Safety Dashawn Spears is out, and Ty Benefield moved to the STAR position against Texas A&M. Kiffin said the move allowed LSU to keep much of its defense in place.
The Tigers are also being careful with QB Sam Leavitt, who played through a hamstring injury against Texas A&M. Kiffin said LSU will be "extremely" cautious with its quarterback this week.
Kiffin even said he is considering holding some injured players out completely against McNeese with seven SEC games still left on LSU's schedule.
"Their defense is what really jumps off the page," Viator said. "They're really, really good, an elite defense. It will be a really tough test."
LSU has recorded 19 sacks and 32 tackles for loss through its first four games. That will put a lot of pressure on Strong and the McNeese offensive line.
Saturday will be just the third time McNeese and LSU have actually played a full game against each other. LSU won the first meeting 32-10 in 2010 and won again 34-7 in 2021. The teams were scheduled to play in 2015, but that game was canceled after just 10 plays because of weather. The Cowboys and Tigers are also scheduled to meet again in 2029.
For the Cowboys, though, the focus is simple. They have a chance to test themselves against one of the best teams in the country. After struggling in the two games before the win over East Texas A&M, Viator said the Cowboys need to use Saturday as a chance to improve. "It's 100 percent about us," Viator said. "We have to come back from Baton Rouge a better football team than when we left."
That will not be easy. But for McNeese, that's exactly what makes Saturday night such a big opportunity.
McNeese and LSU will face off on Saturday Night in Baton Rouge; kickoff is set for 6:55. The game can be seen on SEC Network.
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Gallery Credit: Chaston Tavares