There is no question the Cowboys are better than a year ago, how much better we may find out Saturday night.

McNeese State begins the first of four straight road games with their longest trip of the season, a flight to Ogden, Utah for a showdown with No. 25 Weber State 

Kickoff inside Stewart Stadium will be 7 p.m. Lake Charles time and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.

“This would be a big one to get,” said McNeese safety Boogsie Silvera. “We want to get this one.”

A victory in their final nonconference game would send a clear message that the Cowboys (3-2) are on the right track after a disastrous 1-10 campaign the previous year.

“It is a big game against a very good program,” said McNeese head coach Gary Goff. “We will find out a lot about where we are Saturday night.”

The Wildcats (2-2) are a solid program from the traditionally tough FCS power Big Sky Conference. They have posted nine straight winning seasons.

But the improving Cowboys definitely have their attention.

“They’re a fast and physical team, well-coached, they play hard and they’ll be a good opponent in Ogden,” WSU head coach Mickey Mental said of the Cowboys.

McNeese has won two straight and is 3-0 at home, but they won’t return to Cowboy Stadium until Nov. 4. Until then they will be on the road.

“We will just have to be ready,” said receiver Jonathan Harris. “We just have to play the next game on the schedule.”

That is the Wildcats, who have spent the previous two weeks splitting a pair of games in the Southland Conference. They lost two weeks about at the wire to Lamar in Beaumont, Texas but toppled hapless Northwestern State 39-0 last week.

Now they get to be home, where the Cowboys last played at Weber State in 2012 and are 2-0 all-time there. They are 3-1 in the series, winning the last three meetings. 

The last time they met in 2013 McNeese won 43-6 in Lake Charles. The teams will finish their home-and-home series next season inside Cowboy Stadium.

The game marks the return of McNeese quarterback Clifton McDowell to the Big Sky. He was the Newcomer of the Year in the conference last season at Montana. 

McDowell has accounted for 11 touchdowns this year, throwing for six and running for another five, to lead the Cowboys. Their 42-14 win last week over Alcorn State was their best performance in Goff’s three seasons.

McDowell leads FCS in yards per completion and tops the Southland in six categories and is second in five others.

“Clifton is playing at a very high level, playing really well,” said Goff. “He is the guy we expected him to be when we got him here.”

Weber State is also coming off a big game, blanking the Demons so both offenses are on the rise. The Wildcats got a career day from their quarterback, sophomore Richie Munoz, who threw for 327 yards and three scores last week.

Munoz was sacked five times by Northwestern State and McNeese will try to take advantage of a young Weber State offtense line. The Cowboys have nine sacks on the season, equaling last year’s total.

“We want to put pressure on them,” said Goff. “Our defensive line has done a good job of that.”

McNeese will be concerned with Wildcat defensive end Kemari Munier-Bailey, who leads FCS with 10 tackles for loss, including five sacks.

The Cowboys got mixed news on the injury front this week. Receiver Curtis Deville practiced and will play after missing the last two games with a shoulder injury.

However, linebacker Tristan Driggers is out with a sprained ankle and All-American Micah Davey will travel but is unlikely to play because of a rib injury.

Goff is hoping both linebackers can return the following week against Houston Christan when league play resumes.

“Both continue to improve but we don’t want to rush either one,” said Goff. “It’s important we get them 100 percent healthy.
A win over Weber would show the McNeese program is also healthy.