LSU 2021 Schedule Preview: McNeese State

Normally LSU taking on a FCS school in football would garner basically no interest from anyone except fans of the two schools. If I may borrow from Adam’s how to football series, there’s going to be so many more interesting games on September 11 and I wouldn’t blame you if LSU got relegated to your tablet or maybe even your phone. Here’s some games scheduled for that particular Saturday:

• Pitt vs. Tenneessee
• Oregon vs. Ohio State
• Texas A&M vs. Colorado
• Iowa vs. Iowa State
• NC State vs. Mississippi State
• Washington vs. Michigan
• Missouri vs. Kentucky
• Stanford vs. USC
• Virginia vs. Illinois (though sadly that’s football and not men’s basketball so maybe not)

But LSU vs. McNeese does have a small bit of spice to it as Ed Orgeron’s Tigers will take on the Cowboys who are quarterbacked by his son Cody.

McNeese State Cowboys

2020: 3-4 (2-4 Southland)

Head Coach: Frank Wilson (3-4, one season)

Offensive Coordinator: Ronnie Letson

Defensive Coordinator: Deron Wilson

A second familiar face will be on the sideline opposite Orgeron. Frank Wilson, former running back coach and ace recruiter for LSU, enters his second season as coach of the Cowboys after a four-year stint at UTSA.

Wilson was supposed to have made his return to Tiger Stadium last fall with the Roadrunners before COVID completely changed the college football season. Also keep in mind this is McNeese’s second football season of the calendar year as the FCS moved its fall 2020 season to this past spring.

Quarterbacking the Cowboys will be Orgeron’s son Cody, a fact that will surely be mentioned at least 6500 times over the course of the broadcast. Orgeron was one of the Southland’s best last spring completing a career best 61 percent of his passes for 1,560 yards.

Orgeron also doubled as McNeese’s leading rusher, carrying the ball 90 times for 257 yards and scored three touchdowns. But McNeese has a plethora of returning talent in the backfield as well, sophomore Josh Parker got the most carries among running backs last year with 47 and senior Deonta McMahon is the second leading rusher behind Orgeron. McNeese also brings back its top three receivers in Josh Matthews, Trevor Begue, and Severyn Foster.

Defensively the Cowboys were one of the better groups in the Southland. McNeese was the best in the conference at stopping third downs (32.6 percent), and caused its fare share of havoc leading the Southland in sacks with 25 and was third in interceptions with five.

McNeese State Schedule

September 4 vs. West Florida

September 11 @ LSU

September 18 @ Southern

September 25 @ Incarnate Word

October 2 vs. Southeastern

October 9 BYE

October 16 @ Northwestern State

October 23 vs. Incarnate Word

October 30 @ Southeastern

November 6 vs. Nicholls

November 13 @ Houston Baptist

November 20 vs. Northwestern State