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Jim Gazzolo, Special to the American Press

It seems only fitting that Frank Wilson’s weekly Monday news conference took place on Thursday morning.

It’s just been that kind of a school year. So why should Week 1 of this strange spring football season be any different?

“Par for the course,” Wilson said.

The double ice storms that hit Lake Charles are nothing more than the latest obstacle put in front of Wilson and his team, which somehow found a way to win its opener last weekend at Tarleton State despite all it has been through.

“It was a great character victory,” Wilson said.

The double-overtime comeback thriller meant Wilson was a winner in his Cowboys debut, even if that victory came more than a full year after he was hired.

Calling it a “sigh of relief” just to play the game, Wilson spoke more about the way McNeese won than the 40-37 victory itself.

“The character of these young men and their ability to overcome adversity showed itself,” Wilson said. “We got hit in the mouth, knocked down, and we had to respond.”

Respond the Cowboys did, scoring a pair of touchdowns in the final 2:46 to send the game into overtime. Quarterback Cody Orgeron led the rally, running for the winning score.

However, the victory was a total team effort, as McNeese got big plays from all three parts of the squad.

After an interception and down 14 with about 4 minutes to play, McNeese’s defense came up big, forcing a fast three-and-out. It did the same in the overtime, not allowing a touchdown.

The offense scored 23 points on its final four drives under heavy pressure. And special teams recovered an onside kick.

It’s a coach’s dream to have everybody chip in.

“The more people who contribute on Saturday the more people who are vested in practice Monday,” Wilson said.

It was the first loss for Tarleton during the regular season in the last three years, as the Texans were playing their debut game as a Division I Football Championship Subdivision program.

“They are a good team and we were able to battle through everything and get a win,” Wilson said. “We are still figuring things out, but I like our progress.”

Weather didn’t help as frigid temperatures seemed to throw off the timing of the offense. There were also 4-6 passes Wilson called drops that hurt drives.

“We have to be weatherproof,” he said. “We were physical, that was our redeeming quality.”

One area the coach said he found pleasing was how the defensive staff rallied around Deron Wilson, who called the plays. McNeese lost defensive coordinator Grady Brown 10 days before kickoff. Brown went to the University of Houston but left that job days later for a job with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“I though we worked well as a defensive staff,” said Wilson, who never officially named a new coordinator. “I wanted to see the natural chemistry and see how it played out. It just kind of revealed itself.”

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NOTES: Wilson said running back Elijah Mack was dismissed from the program for breaking team rules. Mack did not travel to Tarleton State for the opener.

Mack, a transfer from South Florida, ran for 533 yards and four touchdowns for the Cowboys in 2019 as a part-time starter. … McNeese’s home opener set for noon on Feb. 27 against Incarnate Word will be televised on ESPN+, the school announced. … It will be the first game for UIW as the Cardinals’ games against Sam Houston State, which was schedule for Saturday in San Antonio was moved to April because of weather and water issues.First-year McNeese State head football coach Frank Wilson says his players’ response to being down was more telling than the double-overtime win.

Special to the American Press