Staff Reports

The McNeese State football team returned to practice in shells on Monday morning to start a busy week of practices that will culminate in a fall camp-ending scrimmage on Saturday.

Head coach Lance Guidry said he had the Cowboys practice in shells for the first time in more than a week in an attempt to give their bodies a rest and to help them prepare for what will be a hard-hitting week of practice to close out fall camp. 

“We’re going to limit live reps on Saturday (during the scrimmage), so we’re going to get a lot of live reps in tomorrow (Tuesday),” Guidry said. “We’re going to get a lot of live reps tomorrow, probably 25 or 30. We’ll get 12 on Wednesday and 12 on Thursday, and we’ll go about 40 true live snaps on Saturday.”

Guidry referred to the last week of fall camp as the Cowboys’ fourth quarter of the preseason. 

As a result of this mindset, practice will run a lot faster and guys will hit a lot harder than they have so far during camp in hopes of getting everyone ready to play at game speed.

“We wanted them to rest their bodies. Tomorrow is going to be a hard day for them. We’re going to tackle a little bit more in practice than we have in the past. I’m not going to say it’s a scrimmage, but it’s almost a scrimmage.”

With the season opener now just 16 days away, the Cowboys’ depth chart is starting to take shape as players solidify their roles on the team. 

Newcomer defensive back B.J. Blunt has now worn a D.W.A. jersey for more than a week straight, and it looks as though he will be used as the Cowboys’ starting weak safety.

“B.J. has hung on at the weak safety position,” Guidry said. “Damion (Morgan) is pushing him, though. Andre Fuller is still the free safety. … We’re steadily making depth chart changes and seeing if people can hold off other guys and people can climb back up.”

Blunt originally committed to play for McNeese as a freshman but instead ended up at Garden City Community College where he helped the Broncbusters win last year’s NJCAA national championship. 

He said that experience taught him what it means to be a champion and that the Cowboys have the recipe for success. It’s just a matter of putting it all together and maximizing effort. 

“I tell the guys every day I feel the vibe, but we need more effort,” Blunt said. “We have so many seniors, there shouldn’t be a problem with leading. I just want some guys to step it up. If we all get on the same page, good things will happen.”

Another position battle has emerged at corner back, where a number of guys have stepped up and fought for a starting role. 

Senior Jermaine Antoine, transfer junior Kyree McLean, sophomore Colby Burton, red-shirt freshman Darion Dunn and more have received significant playing time at cornerback during practice, and each of them have made their fair share of memorable plays. 

Who starts and who plays as part of the rotation is still up for debate, Guidry said.

“I’m trying to get the best two corners on the field,” Guidry said. “And I’m definitely trying to position the top four games.”