The McNeese Cowboys (1-5) are set to face the Houston Christian Huskies (2-4) in a week eight matchup.
It’s been a tough time for McNeese as they have lost five straight games since opening the season with a dominant home win. The Pokes had the extra time off last week to rest and regroup for Saturday’s matchup.
Houston Christian, on the other hand, finds themselves two games below .500. The Huskies most recently secured a 20-17 win over Northwestern State last weekend. That comes after a four-game losing streak, where HCU fell to the likes of Eastern Kentucky, Nebraska, Northern Colorado, and UT Rio Grande Valley.
The kickoff between McNeese and Houston Christian from Navarre Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana, is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 18th.
GET BACK TO WINNING
The McNeese Cowboys started the season strong, dominating Louisiana Christian at home 54-9 in week one. Since then, it’s been rough for the Pokes.
In weeks two and three, McNeese was competitive with the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns until the fourth quarter, when they lost 34-10. They then had a near-epic comeback at home versus Weber State, losing on a failed two-point conversion attempt. Over the last three games, the Cowboys have been outscored 120-24, resulting in a 1-5 record.
As it stands, McNeese sits in last place in the Southland Conference standings, but isn’t far out from being in the top five. If you exclude Lamar, Southeastern, and Stephen F. Austin, there’s only one team with more than two wins, and that’s UT Rio Grande Valley. A McNeese win on Saturday could have a significant impact, not only on the team’s morale but also on the conference standings.
TIME TO RESET
This last weekend off for the Cowboys was a much-needed one. McNeese was battling some injuries, especially at the running back and linebacker positions. Head coach Matt Viator said he expects Landon Barrett and Emari Sibley to suit up against the Huskies and bolster that front seven.
The extra time off has also allowed the Pokes to correct some of the mistakes. The explosive plays allowed on defense are something that Coach Viator made note of to improve on before stepping back on the field.
Heading into the bye with a loss feels like it could also play a factor. Normally, the saying is to go into a bye week with a win, but this feels different. Going into the break with the product McNeese has put out there has forced the Cowboys to sit on those recent losses for consecutive weeks. That could create a new level of focus to turn things around.
QB PLAY
Over the last three games, the offense hasn’t looked as good as it did through the first quarter of the season. A big part of that has been the play at quarterback. Jake Strong has thrown for less than 90 yards in two out of the last three games and recorded a 2-3 touchdown-interception ratio in that time.
Strong needs to revert to the way he played in the first handful of weeks. The games where he was effective with his arm and legs. He and a consistent run game will complement each other and put pressure on a Houston Christian defense that has allowed a 200-yard passer twice this season.
The Huskies have had lackluster quarterback play in 2025. Jake Weir and Maddox Kopp have combined to complete slightly more than 50% of their passes, 849 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions in six games.
SERIES RECORD: McNeese Leads 5-2
Last 5 Meetings:
2024: Houston Christian 43 – McNeese 22
2023: Houston Christian 35 – McNeese 24
2022: McNeese 21 – Houston Christian 10
2021: McNeese 44 – Houston Christian 3
2019: McNeese 42 – Houston Christian 27
STAT LEADERS:
McNeese
Jake Strong: 94-168, 1138 Yards, 7 TD, 6 INT
Tre’Vonte Citizen: 51 Carries, 321 Yards, 3 TD
Logan Mauldin: 14 Catches, 218 Yards, 1 TD
Masey Lewis: 4.5 Sacks
Shyaub Brinkley: 46 Tackles (28 Solo)
Shyaub Brinkley, Johnquai Lewis, Javon Davis, Mason Edwards: 1 INT
Fabrizio Pinton: 3-of-4 Field Goals, Long of 45, 16-of-16 PAT
Houston Christian
Jake Weir: 85-158, 731 Yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Xai’Shaun Edwards: 102 Carries, 625 Yards, 8 TD
Ja’Ryan Wallace: 17 Catches, 180 Yards, 2 TD
Rodney Dansby: 38 Tackles (19 Solo)
Ravonte Blowe: 2 Sacks
Thio Georges & Tyran Chappell: 2 INT
Charlie Weinrich: 4-of-8 Field Goals, Long of 50, 15-of-15 PAT