Two teams hoping for fresh starts look to turn their seasons around Saturday night inside Cowboy Stadium.

Nicholls (0-3) comes to town to open Southland Conference play against 0-4 McNeese State, with the winner possibly turning their season around.

The Cowboys, who have lost their last four SLC openers, are looking to avoid starting the season with five straight defeats for the first time since 1954. McNeese is also trying to snap a streak of three straight losing seasons.

“This team has nothing to do about the last year or the past,” said McNeese quarterback Nick Glantz. “We are focused on the present and the future.”

The Cowboys will be home for just the second time this season and first since opening night. They hope the home field gives them an added boost as they try to press the restart button on their season.

“We are excited to be back home,” said McNeese head coach Gary Goff. “The league gives us a new start. There is still a lot of football left to be played.”

The Cowboys claim they have learned a lot from their first four games, especially last week when they lost a three-touchdown lead at Eastern Illinois.

“That was the biggest lesson of all,” said linebacker Micah Davey. “We learned we have to keep our foot on the pedal at all times. We have to keep the pressure going.”

Davey leads the Southland in tackles with 14.8 a game and is second in the country on the FCS level. However, the rest of the defense has had its struggles.

McNeese is giving up 37.2 points a game and a whopping 262.3 yards on the ground. Nicholls will likely test the Pokes’ run defense out behind tailback Collin Goggenheim.

“We have got to stop the run,” said Goff. “No secret about that. They are strong in the run game.”

Guggenheim is a power back who leads the Colonels with 172 yards on 44 carries. Transfer quarterback Pat McQuaide has also been solid.

McQuaide, who moved over from Mississippi Gulf Coast, is 56-of-104 for 646 yards and two touchdowns. He has also thrown six interceptions.

The Colonels have had a tough schedule, having played a pair of FBS teams that were in New Year’s Six bowl games last season. Their only FCS foe was nationally ranked Sacramento State which knocked off Stanford.

“They are a very good football team,” said Goff. “They are going to come in here and play us tough. They want their first win too.”

The Pokes hope they found their offense last week. In the first half, they scored four touchdowns but struggled to finish drives after intermission.

“You saw a lot of flashes of what we can do,” said Glantz, who had his biggest game as a Cowboy.

Glantz finished 13-of-24 for 196 yards and a pair of touchdown passes to Jon McCall. Now the Pokes are looking for a complete game.

“We have still not clicking on all cylinders,” said Goff. “It takes four quarters to win. You have to finish the game.”

The Pokes did get a breakout game from running back Coleby Hamm, who raced 72 yards for a touchdown. He finished with 131 yards on just eight carries.

McNeese continues to use newcomers as 41 players have made their Cowboy debut already this season with 26 getting starts. That includes a host of freshmen.

“We will continue to play freshmen,” said Goff. “That is why we brought them here. They will make good plays and they will struggle.”

The Cowboys hope that they can find a way to have their defense slow down the Colonels.

“You might see just about anything and everything,” said Goff.

The Pokes believe they can turn things around and if so that must start tonight.

“We have to pick ourselves up off the matt,” said Goff.

And stop the run.