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The Mississippi College football team will hit the road this weekend to face Division I-FCS McNeese State. Kick-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, La.
This will be the third all-time meeting between the two schools with the Cowboys holding a 2-0 edge in the series. Both games were played at McNeese with the 1988 games being decided by a 6-2 score. In 1989, the Choctaws would trail 20-0 at the close of the third quarter, but 21 unanswered points gave them a lead late in the game. The Cowboys would come back to get the 28-21 victory, but MC would go on to win the Division II national championship that season.
Second year head coach John Bland leads the Choctaws, while 10th-year head man Matt Viator brings the Cowboys into the matchup.
The Choctaws (2-1) come into the game off a 42-21 victory over Belhaven that saw them outscore the Blazers 28-0 in the second half, MC ran for 500 yards and five touchdowns on the night, led by sophomore quarterback Kyle Smith, who tallied 192 yards and a score. Senior signal-caller Raymond Cotton rushed for 158 yards and three second half scores.
Junior wide receiver Marcel Newson has been the featured target for both quarterbacks this season, catching 17 passes for 256 yards and five touchdowns, including one in all three games. In 2014, the Choctaws tallied just three touchdown passes in all 10 games.
The defense stole the show in the second half against Hal Mumme’s “Air Raid” offense, giving up just over 100 yards and pitching a shutout in the final 30 minutes. Junior Reggie Bennett leads the team with 23 tackles, including making 16 stops in the game at #9 North Alabama two weeks ago.
Sophomore defensive back Chris Manning has tallied 13 tackles with 1.5 for loss, three pass breakups and an interception. The Choctaws have tallied four interceptions this season as freshman Krishun Cash picked off a pass to stop a Belhaven drive in the second half.
The Cowboys are coming off a 28-14 win over Stephen F. Austin last week, helping them to move up to #25 in the latest NCAA FCS rankings. McNeese State rushed for 261 yards in the game and turned a fumble into a 97-yard defensive touchdown in the opening minutes. The Cowboys were scheduled to play LSU to open the 2015 season, but lightning cancelled the game.
Quarterback Daniel Sams, a transfer from Kansas State University, leads the Cowboy offense, rushing for 179 yards and two scores in the first two games. He also averages 160 passing yards per game with two touchdowns.
Bo Brown leads a McNeese State defense that allows just 80 rushing yards per game. He has 11 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and a forced fumble.
The game will be available on WHJT Star 93.5 FM with the pre-game show beginning at 5:30 p.m.
