The Kamden Sixkiller era has officially begun at McNeese State.

After getting his first taste of college football last Saturday, the true freshman quarterback will get a plate full of it starting right now.

Cowboy head coach Gary Goff officially named Sixkiller his starting quarterback for the remainder of the season Monday.

“We will put him back there and let him rip,” said Goff. “We want to see what he can do moving forward.”

Sixkiller is the third starting quarterback for the Cowboys this season and will replace Ryan Roberts, a walk-on sophomore. Roberts took over for Nate Glatz, who started the first six games for McNeese. Roberts has started the last two.

Sixkiller, a 6-foot-4, 187-pounder from Norman, Oklahoma, will be the fourth quarterback to take snaps this season for the Pokes and seventh since Goff took over the program last fall. Goff hopes McNeese (1-8, 1-4 in Southland) can build around Sixkiller.

“Guys are excited to see him,” said Goff. “He will get all the first-team reps this week. He has a big arm and we have seen that in practice and he throws a catchable ball.”

Sixkiller played just over half of last Saturday’s at Southeastern, guiding McNeese to 17 points in a 38-24 loss. He showed flashes of both good and bad during his debut, finishing 9-of-19 for 130 yards and a touchdown.

He also threw a key interception in the fourth quarter to seal any hopes of a Cowboy comeback.

“I thought Sixkiller made some nice plays and some rookie mistakes which is to be expected,” said Goff. “Sixkiller showed some flashes of being the quarterback of the future but it is just one game. There are still two more games he will get to play in so we will see how he handles the pressure.

“Overall pretty pleased with his play but not the outcome of the game.”

Sixkiller was supposed to make his debut at home a week earlier but that game against Northwestern State was canceled.

“I thought he was really composed for it being his first time playing college football,” said Goff. “He was poised in the pocket and in the huddle. The other players said that about him too.”

Sixkiller became the first true freshman to throw for a McNeese touchdown sinch Cody Stroud in 2010 when he hit Jihad Marks with a 77-yard scoring strike on the first play of the second half. That is the kind of spark the Cowboys have been looking for.

“We want him to go in there and do what he knows how to do and have fun and throw the ball around,” said Goff. “There is no pressure on him now. We want him to execute and have fun.”

Sixkiller’s first start will come Saturday night inside Cowboy Stadium when McNeese hosts Houston Christian in the home finale. He will then get to play at Lamar to end the season if all goes right.

“He has two games to show us what he can do and get some much-needed experience,” said Goff.

Under NCAA rules players get four games before losing a year of eligibility. That means Sixkiller will still be considered a freshman next season and have four years of play remaining.

He is not the only youngster getting an extended look. Most of the freshmen on the McNeese roster have already seen time so the hope is the gained experience will soften the blow of what could end up being the worst season in program history.

Redshirt freshman Joshon Barbie is another one of those young guys getting their shot. He has run for 214 yards on 33 carries and two touchdowns over the last three games since injuries forced him into the lineup.

“I’m so excited about Barbie,” said Goff. “Every game that he gets in there you can just see his confidence growing.”

Barbie finished with 68 yards on 10 runs last week while splitting time with starter D’Angelo Durham. Both will get their carries over the final two games.

Goff is hoping that McNeese can earn a win on the field after playing better over the last few games.

“We have to stay consistent throughout the game,” he said. “We have the ability to make big plays and do it during games. We just don’t do it constantly.”

Goff hopes Sixkiller can help change that.