If ever a team needed a break, it is the Cowboys.

Struggling through a record-bad 0-6 start, McNeese State hit the bye week looking to regroup before taking on nationally ranked Incarnate Word when the second half of the season begins.

The young Cowboys have a lot to work on before they welcome the No. 6 Cardinals to Cowboy Stadium.

McNeese’s roster continues to change as a few players have elected to leave while others have been asked to do so. The most recent exit was receiver Marcus Peterson, who decided to quit school earlier this week, head coach Gary Goff said.

There were high hopes for the Cincinnati transfer when he picked McNeese over larger schools, including the University of Houston. However, things didn’t work out as Peterson played in two games and didn’t catch a pass.

He was the third wide receiver to leave the program. Also leaving was Alaha Brown, who along with Peterson, are planning on joining the workforce, citing family reasons.

Only Jalen Johnson, who made eight catches in three games, entered the NCAA transfer portal from the group of receivers who have left.

“We want guys who want to be here,’ Goff has said all season.

With the exit of some players, expect to see more and more younger guys get playing time over the final five games as the Cowboys shift to a development status.

The six losses mean McNeese will have its fourth consecutive losing season, all since Hurricane Laura struck and the program was put on NCAA academic probation.

“I want our kids to go out there and have fun and play hard right now,” Goff said. “I don’t want them to worry about the pressure or what people are saying. Just go out and play the game.”

Moving forward, here are five things fans will likely see over the final five games as McNeese tries to pick up victories.

Youth Movement

This has already started but it will now likely move into hyperspeed as Goff and his staff find what they have moving forward and just as important what they still need to recruit.

While there is an easy answer to say a winless team needs everything, McNeese has found out there is some talent on the roster especially at wide receiver. Finding more pieces to go with an improving Jon McCall would help.

True freshman Makhi Paris has stepped up and will continue to be targeted. Having some of their younger linemen on both sides of the ball showing equal improvement is needed.

QB Rotation

Nobody is ever more loved on a losing team than the backup quarterback. Throw in a great name and you got freshman Kamden Sixkiller, who is a fan favorite despite having never been in the huddle.

The 6-foot-4, 187-pounder from Oklahoma has looked good in practice since recovering from a shoulder injury. He will likely get playing time over the next five games, but not enough to lose his redshirt season.

Goff has spoken highly of Sixkiller’s progress, calling him “a real dude who can really throw it.”

Seeing a young quarterback get his chance is always exciting.

Davey Watch

While the defense has struggled, linebacker Micah Davey is fun to watch. He continues to lead the Southland Conference in tackles with 82 total, averaging almost 14 a game.

A redshirt sophomore, Davey has quickly become the Cowboys’ top tackler and someone to build a defense around.

Improvement

Aside from winning some games, better play would go a long way in helping build for the future.

McNeese has simply turned the ball over too much and not gotten nearly enough turnovers themselves.

“We need to play clean games,” Goff said.

Trending upward is the biggest need to finish off a rough year. Last season McNeese won its last three to take the sting off a bad start. A repeat would calm some nerves in the program.

Recruiting

This is not just about getting newcomers either.

Maybe the most important part of the next few weeks is re-recruiting the locker room itself. In these times with the ease of entering the transfer portal, keeping the players you want to build around is just as important as attracting in new talent.

The best way to do this is to win and play better to give players a reason to stay.

That is what is riding on the next five weeks.