McNeese’s Financial Benefactor, the LSU Tigers

Going into this game tonight, figured we’d do things a little differently.

This is a money game, one of those necessities in the realm of college sports with the haves and the have nots so that the have nots have at least something.

Without the payday that McNeese banks for this game, college sports in Lake Charles would suffer to the point of near non-existence.

The Cowboys are an expensive but worthwhile cupcake for the Tigers.

There’s an understanding that this game isn’t going to be close. Right now, the spread sits at 53.5 and the Over/Under at 62.5, so that means Vegas is looking at this to be like a 56-3 type of game.

At the same time, this is a pivotal time for the Cowboys.

After this game, things get deathly serious.

Six conference games to go after to make this season matter. Drop another game after this one, and everything falls apart, no matter how close a loss is.

This team has already had the close losses to Stephen F. Austin and Tarleton State. A win over either of those teams and we might be looking at things differently, or even getting a road win against UT-RGV, but that milk’s been spilt, and if the Cowboys are going to have a spitting chance of the playoffs, they need to learn a lot about what kind of team they have in this game.

Three winnable games to start the season, with two of them at home.

So, things to watch for:

1. Quarterback play. So far, with Jake Strong things have been inconsistent. A lot of that can be attributed to an injury in the opening game, but since his return following Devin Lippold’s season ending injury, he hasn’t looked comfortable. For the Cowboys to have any hope going forward, they have to get quality quarterback play, and this game against LSU, where Strong is basically playing with house money, it will be interesting to see if he takes risks or plays overly careful.

Who are you, Jake Strong? And why are all most of my photos of you running the ball and not passing?

2. The defense, but more importantly, the run defense. So far, the Cowboys have been giving up nearly 200 yards on the ground, and if it wasn’t for a weak Week 2 match-up against Texas Wesleyan, that number might easily have crossed the 200 mark. There’s no doubt that LSU is going to run the ball all over the Cowboys, but, can they eclipse the 200 yard mark?

3. Escaping without injury. Let’s be real, this is the biggest measuring stick for the Cowboys coming out of this game. Having already played three different QBs this season due to injury, and with a banged up Tre’Vonte Citizen backing up Omari Wiggins all season, staying healthy for the remainder of the SLC schedule following is imperative, so let’s hope the Cowboys come back home in one piece.

With that in mind, we’ll check back at the end of each quarter to see what pros and cons McNeese can take from this game against big brother LSU.

Can McNeese bring all these guys home in one piece.

1st Quarter

McNeese took the opening kickoff and began moving the ball down the field, and for a second it felt like McNeese might get on the board first. But on a 3rd and 8, Strong let the pressure get to him, and he threw it right to Tamarcus Cooley.

Under the right lighting, the LSU purple can kind of look like McNeese blue…

LSU took the ball on the next drive, and using a balanced attack, punched the ball in for a 7-0 lead on a direct snap to Dilin Jones.

The rest of the first quarter went about as expected. McNeese has still been unable to really move the ball, and with a 4th and 2 in the middle of the field, elected to punt. This is probably why I’m not a head football coach anywhere, but why not go for it?

Score is 14-0 with LSU driving, Surprisingly, so far their drives have been balanced. 14 passes to 12 rushes, with 96 yards and 65 respectively. That’s 161 yards in just the first quarter, which would translate to 644 yards total offense for the game. Let’s hope they don’t maintain that pace.

If Wiggins can’t find any room to run, the Cowboys are in some deep trouble…

2nd Quarter

Good news! The secondary, which has been playing tight coverage on these receivers, got Leavitt to cough one up. Lorenzell Dubose gets the INT, but McNeese can’t do anything with it, and again we’re seeing George Dixon out to punt.

The secondary might have been the one bright spot for the Cowboys.

LSU knows what type of game this is. They’ve gone for it twice on 4th down, and got both of them.

Up 21-0 now after a 10 play, 47 yard drive from LSU, the wind seems to be completely out of the sails of the Cowboys.

After a sack and 4th and 17, we see Dixon again, and it feels like now the rout is about to be on.

And just like that, it’s 35-0 to end the first half.

Is there any fight left in McNeese? Can they keep it within the 53 point spread?

It’s looking less likely with every minute. Here’s hoping LSU takes the foot off the gas in the second half.

Any time I can sneak a WWE reference in…

3rd Quarter

Yes, the rout is on. The defense put up an effort to start the quarter, but LSU just kept it going on the ground and in the air. Landen Clark started the second half for the Tigers at QB, and he’s looked sharp so far. Is this the start of a quarterback controversy in Baton Rouge? One can only hope.

After a quick three and out and another Dixon punt, LSU was right back down the field, starting with a 38 yard pass from Clark to Tre Brown. Three plays later it was Harlem Berry for 11 yards up the left side for a touchdown to extend the lead to 49-0.

That impossible 53.5 point line is now decidedly close and almost a foregone conclusion.

With LSU pulling starters, can the Cowboys find any offense and break this shutout? Or is George Dixon going to be the Player of the Game for the Cowboys? Right now he’s averaging 42.7 yards a punt, which would make some NFL teams quite happy on Sunday.

As if on cue, McNeese holds LSU to their first 3 & out, and first punt period. Up until this point, minus the Leavitt INT, LSU had scored every drive.

And oh my stars and garters, McNeese has taken out Jake Strong and replaced him with Brady Barrier, who puts them on the the board with a one and done hook-up to Jamaal Levi, and just like that, covering the spread is back on the table!

After another LSU 3 & out, McNeese gets the ball again, and in two plays goes the distance, as Jamaal Levi, this time on the ground, goes 64 yards for the score.

That’s two touchdown drives led by Brady Barrier…maybe McNeese has a quarterback controversy as well.

Jamaal Levi left LSU in the dust twice in the 3rd quarter!

4th Quarter

Well, that was fun while it lasted. LSU opens the quarter with a direct snap to Stacy Gage for 46 yards, and this run defense continues to let the wrong one in.

It’s 55-14, with nearly an entire quarter left. How do the Cowboys finish this game? Can they keep LSU at bay and escape within the 53.5 margin of error?

Another 4th and 2 for McNeese, and another decision to punt when there’s no reason not to go for it. Again, I’m not a head coach, but make this one make sense? It’s the 4th quarter. You’re down by 40+. Why not?

And of course, LSU takes advantage and puts the ball in the endzone again, this time on a 39 yard rush by Gage, and remember how I mentioned that run defense being an issue? That’s now 307 yards on the ground.

It’s 63-14, and the only question is if that’s it? With nearly 11 minutes left, it’s doubtful.

But, the Cowboys hung on? Is that the right phrase? I don’t know.

I knew going into this game that it was going to be a beating, and still, somehow it feels a little worse with all things said and done.

Fans were so bored, Chaston pointed out they were throwing pizza boxes.

Overall Assessment

So, let's talk about the three points from the start.

There is a QB controversy? I don’t know if Coach Viator will address it or not, as he’s been able to side-step the discussion so far this season, but with two weeks off before an SLC match-up with 0-6 Northwestern State, this feels like the perfect time to give Brady Barrier the reps and get him ready for the rest of the season.

The run defense. I don’t know what the solution is. In the end, the Cowboys gave up 367 yards on the ground, and another 364 through the air. 731 yards. That’s a lot.

But, the good news is, no injuries. The Cowboys will return to Lake Charles beaten and bruised, but not on a stretcher, which gives hope for the final six game stretch of the season.

Here’s to it!