Having found their offensive mojo, the Cowboys now hit the road for over a month on the heels of their best overall performance.

Knocking off recent nemesis Alcorn State Saturday night 42-14 behind early big plays, McNeese State will play its next four games on the road with three against nationally ranked opponents.

It is a stretch that will go a long way in defining this season.

McNeese won’t return to the comforts of Cowboy Stadium, where they are 3-0 on the season, until Nov. 2. For a little perspective, that’s just two days before the start of basketball season.

“We are going to talk about the road warrior mentality,” said McNeese head coach Gary Goff. “You can’t ignore it. You have to embrace it.

“We can’t be salty about it. It is what it is. It’s not going to change.”

McNeese, playing a game above .500 for the first time in 43 outings, will start the road odyssey at Weber State (2-2) out of the tough Big Sky Conference Saturday night in Ogden, Utah.

The Cowboys will be looking to end an eight-game road losing streak at a traditionally tough place to play. It is also well above sea level, meaning their conditioning will be tested.

“We will have to stay hydrated,” said Goff. “We are going to treat it like the game is being played in 100-degree heat. I think we are in pretty good condition, we will just have to be smart.”

As for the Wildcats, who come into the game ranked 25th in the nation in the STATS Perform media poll, they have always been tough on opponents, especially at home.

“This is like a playoff game,” said Goff. “This is the type of team you expect to see in the playoffs. I think they are a playoff team.”

The Cowboys will go to Utah with a lot of momentum. Last Saturday they recorded 457 yards of total offense, the third time they have done so this season. They did it just once a year ago. 

They had eight passing plays go for 15 yards or more and nine runs picked up at lead 10. 

One defense they did not allow a point in the fourth quarter, despite playing a bunch of backups, for the fourth time this season. Only Texas A&M scored against the Cowboy defense down the stretch and that was just one touchdown. 

They also recorded three sacks, giving them nine for the season. They had just a nine all of last season.

“It was a solid team effort, a big win for us,” said Goff, who agreed it was the best McNeese game in his three seasons on campus.

The Cowboys are hoping for good news on the injury front. Both linebackers, Tristan Digger (ankle) and Micah Davey (ribs) could play this weekend. 

Driggers was hurt last week against Alcorn while All-American Davey has missed the last two weeks after being hurt in the second quarter against Texas A&M. Both will be evaluated throughout the week.

The same holds true for receiver Curtis Deville, who has also been out since the game against the Aggies. 

Despite some missing parts, McNeese’s offense has been hot behind quarterback Clifton McDowell. McDowell is second in the league in the Southland Conference with 264.5 yards per game. 

His five touchdowns are tied for the league lead with Incarnate Word receiver Jalen Walthal. 

“He is exactly what we were hoping for from him,” Goff said of his transfer quarterback.

For the second straight week a Cowboy earned conference Player of the Week honors. Redshirt freshman Cody Smith earned the award for special teams when he blocked an Alcorn punt in the end zone that McNeese recovered for a touchdown in the first quarter.