Riding High, Cowboys Off to Strong Start

By Jim Gazzolo

With so many big games still to play, it’s hard to call last week’s win by McNeese over No. 25 Weber State a signature one. 

At least not yet.

The Cowboys hope for bigger victories down the road, but traveling all the way to Ogden, Utah to pick up what is arguably the biggest win for the program since 2015 is going to be up there.

It was McNeese’s first win over a Top 25 FCS team in six tries and first on the road since 2013. It ended an 8-game losing streak overall and put the Pokes into the Top 25 in both major polls.

That also had not happened since the final week of the regular season of 2018 as well. 

McNeese off to its best start since that 2018 season, sits at 4-2 with one more game left before they finally get a bye week. The Cowboys travel to 2-3 Houston Christian as they restart their Southland Conference schedule. 

The Pokes lead the league in the early going at 1-0, having beaten Stephen F. Austin a few weeks back. That is still the only SLC game played until this weekend where there is close to a full slate. 

Coming off a 1-10 campaign last fall things are really looking up.

“We are in a good place, but we are not done,” said McNeese head coach Gary Goff. “We have to keep working, keep getting better. We haven’t done anything yet.”

That’s a little rough but we get it. Coach speak is always about the same, tomorrow.

In fact, the Cowboys have already done a lot this year. With 59 new players on the roster, they flipped the script. No longer do they look like the J.V. team when pitted against their foes.

They are bigger, stronger, and faster than most of the competition they have played. Truth is, they only really were outplayed against SEC power Texas A&M from the FBS level in their money game. 

Outside of a missed field goal, the Cowboys have been the better to the two clubs every time they have hit the turf.

Last year that could not have been said once with any real confidence.

They have also gotten a few breaks as perhaps the football gods have smiled on them after recent years of dumping on the program. The Cowboys and their fans have earned a little bit of luck. 

After four losing seasons, we can call it football karma.

However, this team isn’t looking back on what they have done but rather ahead.

“It’s a great start but 4-2 isn’t going to get us where we want to go,” said quarterback Clifton McDowell. “This is the new norm.”

McDowell is the biggest of all the newcomers. The transfer from Montana who led the Grizzlies to the FCS title game last season, came to McNeese to be closer to his home in Texas and help turn the Cowboys around.

He is doing that with his arms, legs, and experience.

McDowell leads the Pokes in rushing with 352 yards to go along with his 1,018 from passing. He has thrown for six touchdowns and run for another six. He has had a hand in 12 of the 21 McNeese TDs.

When asked if he likes running or throwing better, McDowell said it didn’t matter.

“Just as long as we get in the end zone,” he said. 

The Cowboys are doing that, scoring at a 29-point a-game clip if you take away the FBS game against the Aggies. That’s 10 points more than a year ago.

“It’s what happens when you have the right triggerman,” said Goff. 

All this and the Pokes have been playing without All-American linebacker Micah Davey during the win streak. Davey could be back this weekend.

“It’s just the next man up,” said Peyton Lemaire, the sophomore from Sulphur who has filled in for Davey.

“You can’t fill Micah’s shoes, but you have to play your best,” Lemaire added. “We all had to step up.”

Joshon Barbie, who struggled with fumbles earlier in the season, scored three times against Weber State to give the Cowboys another weapon.

“There is still a lot of football to be played,” warned Goff.

He’s right, but unlike last year the second half of the season will be interesting.:

And maybe that true signature win is still to come.

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese athletics. He is the host of Poke Nation on CBS-Lake Charles