2020 McNeese State Cowboys football team

The 2020 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented the McNeese State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Cowboys played their home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana and competed in the Southland Conference. They were led by first-year head coach Frank Wilson.[1]

2020 McNeese State Cowboys football
ConferenceSouthland Conference
2020 record3–4 (2–4 SLC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorRonnie Letson (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorGrady Brown (1st season)
Home stadiumCowboy Stadium
(Capacity: 17,610)
2020 Southland Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 4 Sam Houston State $^  6 –0   10 –0  
No. 20 Southeastern Louisiana  4 –2   4 –3  
No. 23 Nicholls  3 –3   4 –3  
Incarnate Word  3 –3   3 –3  
Lamar  2 –4   2 –4  
McNeese State*  2 –4   3 –4  
Northwestern State  1 –5   1 –5  
Rankings from STATS Poll

On August 13, McNeese State Athletic Department decided to postpone all fall sports with the intent to play in the spring.[2] This decision canceled all games that were to be played from September through November 2020.

Previous Season

The Cowboys finished the 2019 season 7–5, 5–4 in Southland play to finish in the Southland Conference. Following the season, first-year head coach Sterlin Gilbert resigned following the mediocre season.[3]

Preseason

Recruiting class

Reference(s):[4]

Preseason poll

The Southland Conference released their spring preseason poll in January 2021. The Cowboys were picked to finish fourth in the conference.[5] In addition, three Bearkats were chosen to the Preseason All-Southland Team[6]

Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1Nicholls67 (7)
2Sam Houston State65 (6)
3Southeastern Louisiana48
4McNeese State45 (1)
5Incarnate Word32
6Northwestern State20
7Lamar17

Preseason All–Southland Teams

Roster
2020 McNeese State Cowboys football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
WR 1 Cyron Sutton Sr
QB 2 Cade Bartlett  Fr
RB 4 Elijah Mack Sr
QB 8 Cody Orgeron Sr
QB 10 Matt Keller Sr
QB 12 Matt Gardner  Jr
WR 13 Nate Briscoe Jr
WR 14 Draysean Hudson  Sr
WR 15 Zach Hayes So
WR 19 Tyler Washington  Fr
RB 33 J'Uan Gross Jr
RB 34 J'Cobi Skinner Jr
TE 36 Dontay Hargrove Sr
RB 37 Carlos Williams So
TE 40 Dominic Prudhomme  Fr
TE 44 Jacob Logan Sr
RB 47 McCaylon Thibeaux  Fr
OL 53 Kyle Herridge Jr
OL 55 Cutter Leftwich Jr
OL 57 Aaron McDaniel  Fr
OL 58 Tanner Pugh Jr
OL 62 Joe Latronico Sr
OL 63 Charley Zeno  So
OL 64 Jack Zelezinski  Fr
OL 66 Juwan Felix  Fr
OL 68 Caleb Gary Sr
OL 71 Jamarius Bolding Sr
OL 73 Calvin Barkat Jr
OL 77 DeMarcus Thomas So
OL 78 Hayden Shaw  Fr
OL 79 Nick Holiday  So
WR 81 Deon Cormier  So
WR 83 Trevor Begue Sr
TE 84 KJ Brown  Fr
WR 86 Markel Cotten  Fr
WR 87 Markquell Stewart  Fr
WR 88 Tylin Bryant  Fr
WR 89 Mason Pierce So
QB Morgan Clark  Fr
RB Ivory Roberts  Fr
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
DB 1 Darion Dunn Sr
DB 2 Cory McCoy Sr
DB 4 Colby Burton Sr
DB 7 Gabe Foster Sr
DL 8 Damien DeGruy Jr
LB 10 Darius Daniels So
DB 16 Colby Richardson Jr
DB 17 Darius Johnson Sr
DB 18 Eli Johnson So
DB 21 Andre Sam Jr
LB 23 Kordell Williams Jr
DB 25 Darius Shields  Fr
DB 27 Enos Lewis Jr
DB 28 Andrew Croker  So
LB 29 Jake LaFleur  Fr
DE 30 Marcus Foster Sr
LB 31 Dorion Pollard Sr
LB 32 Carlos Scott Sr
DB 35 Anthony Johnson So
LB 41 Eric Rene  So
DE 42 Earenest Grayson, III  Fr
LB 43 Tyrell Flugence So
LB 48 Andrew Hyacinth Sr
DL 54 Jonathon Hageon  So
LB 56 Brayden Adams  So
DL 91 Tyrique Gibson Jr
DL 92 Arthur Lott  Fr
DL 93 Steven Conerly Jr
DL 94 Kaleb Wenson  Fr
DL 95 Chase Davis Jr
DL 96 C. J. Semien Jr
DL 97 Camron Peterson Jr
DE 98 Logan Sonnier  Fr
LB Blake Robinson  Fr
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K/P 3 Noah Anderson  So
K 11 Kade Dixon Jr
K 26 Eric Martin So
P 38 Bailey Raborn Sr
LS 51 Trey Vondenstein So
LS 65 Chandler Perer  Fr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Ronnie Letson (Mississippi)
    Offensive Coordinator
  • Grady Brown (Alabama A&M)
    Defensive Coordinator
  • Gary Hyman (Humboldt State)
    Special Teams Coordinator
  • Landon Hoefer (Texas Tech)
    Running Backs
  • Chris Truax (LSU)
    Offensive Line
  • J. B. Lageman (West Virginia)
    Defensive Line
  • Deron Wilson (Southern Miss)
    Defensive Backs
  • Will Thomas (LSU)
    Linebackers
  • Blaine Gautier (Louisiana
    Wide Receivers
  • Kyle Washington (Angelo State)
    Offensive Assistant Coach
  • Kyle Little
    Director of Strength and Conditioning
  • Matt Saucier
    Head Equipment Manager
  • Raymond Donovan
    Video Coordinator
  • Jim "Doc" Murphy
    Director of Sports Medicine
  • Hunter Martin
    Assistant Athletic Trainer
  • Matthew Bonnette
    Assistant Athletic Director/Information Director
  • Alexandria Haley
    Director of Student Athlete Services
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Redshirt

Roster
Last update: March 22, 2020

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
February 136:00 p.m.at Tarleton State*
FSSW+W 40–37 2OT1,324
February 2712:00 p.m.Incarnate WordNo. 19
ESPN+L 20–482,394
March 66:00 p.m.at No. 24 Southeastern Louisiana
ESPN+L 20–253,050
March 1312:00 p.m.Lamar
ESPN+L 26–27 OT4,523
March 204:00 p.m.at Northwestern State
CSTW 21–76,577
April 312:00 p.m.No. 13 Nicholls
  • Cowboy Stadium
  • Lake Charles, LA
CSTW 43–315,289
April 104:00 p.m.at No. 5 Sam Houston State
ESPN+L 13–273,103

[7][8][9]

Game summaries

at Tarleton State
McNeese State at Tarleton State
1 234Total
• Cowboys 10 0031 41
Texans 3 7147 31
        
See also: 2020 Tarleton State Texans football team
Over/under
TAR −3.051
StatisticsMcNeese StateTarleton State
First downs2725
Total yards400408
Rushing yards230180
Passing yards170228
Turnovers02
Time of possession33:3226:28
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
McNeese StatePassingCody Orgeron14/34, 170 yards, 3 TDs
RushingCody Orgeron19 carries, 180 yards, 2 TDs
ReceivingDeonta McMahon2 receptions, 35 yards
Tarleton StatePassingSteven Duncan22/39, 217 yards, 1 TD
RushingBraelon Bridges15 carries, 112 yards, 2 TDs
ReceivingTariq Bitson5 receptions, 87 yards, 1 TD

Incarnate Word
Incarnate Word at McNeese State
1 234Total
• Cardinals 14 17314 48
No. 19 Cowboys 3 0710 20
  • Date: February 27, 2021
  • Location: Cowboy Stadium
    Lake Charles, LA
  • Game start: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 43 minutes
  • Game attendance: 2,394
  • Referee: Ed Bourgeois
  • Television network: ESPN+
        
See also: 2020 Incarnate Word Cardinals football team
Over/under
MCNS −11.557
StatisticsIncarnate WordMcNeese State
First downs2224
Total yards518373
Rushing yards209171
Passing yards309202
Turnovers00
Time of possession25:2434:36
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Incarnate WordPassingCameron Ward24/35, 306 yards, 4 TDs
RushingKevin Brown10 carries, 117 yards
ReceivingJaelin Campbell6 receptions, 93 yards, 1 TD
McNeese StatePassingCody Orgeron18/32, 202 yards
RushingCody Orgeron18 carries, 72 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingJoshua Matthews4 receptions, 65 yards

at Southeastern Louisiana
McNeese State at Southeastern Louisiana
1 234Total
Cowboys 3 377 20
• No. 24 Lions 3 9103 25
  • Date: March 6, 2021
  • Location: Strawberry Stadium
    Hammond, LA
  • Game start: 6:00 p.m. CST
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 18 minutes
  • Game attendance: 3,050
  • Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C) • Weather: Fair • Wind: 9 N MPH
  • Referee: Scott Hardin
  • Television network: ESPN+
      
See also: 2020 Southeastern Louisiana Lions football team
Over/under
SELA −11.562
StatisticsMcNeese StateSoutheastern Louisiana
First downs2026
Total yards331492
Rushing yards166191
Passing yards165301
Turnovers41
Time of possession30:5929:01
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
McNeese StatePassingCody Orgeron13/20, 165 yards, 2 INTs
RushingAJ Carter15 carries, 57 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingSeveryn Foster2 receptions, 75 yards
Southeastern LouisianaPassingCole Kelley21/39, 301 yards, 1 TD
RushingMorgan Ellison15 carries, 127 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingJavon Conner5 receptions, 104 yards

Lamar
Lamar at McNeese State
1 234Total
Cardinals 3 1007 20
Cowboys 13 007 20
     
See also: 2020 Lamar Cardinals football team and Battle of the Border (Lamar–McNeese State)
Over/under
MCNS −14.048
StatisticsLamarMcNeese State
First downs2118
Total yards330399
Rushing yards223321
Passing yards10778
Turnovers01
Time of possession38:1536:45
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
LamarPassingJalen Dummett8/11, 100 yards, 2 TDs
RushingMarcellus Johnson6 carries, 86 yards
ReceivingKirkland Banks4 receptions, 41 yards
McNeese StatePassingCody Orgeron9/16, 78 yards, 1 INT
RushingCarlos Williams16 carries, 90 yards, 2 TDs
ReceivingJamal Pettigrew1 reception, 31 yards

at Northwestern State
McNeese State at Northwestern State
1 234Total
• Cowboys 7 0140 21
Demons 7 000 7
  • Date: March 20, 2021
  • Location: Harry Turpin Stadium
    Natchitoches, LA
  • Game start: 4:00 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 6 minutes
  • Game attendance: 6,577
  • Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SW 6 MPH
  • Referee: Ed Bourgeois
  • Television network: CST
  
See also: 2020 Northwestern State Demons football team and McNeese State–Northwestern State football rivalry
Over/under
NSU −3.548
StatisticsMcNeese StateNorthwestern State
First downs2021
Total yards416394
Rushing yards11033
Passing yards306361
Turnovers12
Time of possession30:3629:24
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
McNeese StatePassingCody Orgeron17/22, 306 yards, 2 TDs
RushingJosh Parker16 carries, 77 yards
ReceivingTrevor Begue8 receptions, 165 yards, 1 TD
Northwestern StatePassingKaleb Fletcher13/18, 171 yards, 1 TD
RushingScooter Adams8 carries, 37 yards
ReceivingJavon Antonio6 receptions, 103 yards

Nicholls
Nicholls at McNeese State
1 234Total
No. 13 Colonels 14 377 31
• Cowboys 3 21712 43
  • Date: April 3, 2021
  • Location: Cowboy Stadium
    Lake Charles, LA
  • Game start: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 40 minutes
  • Game attendance: 5,289
  • Referee: Vidal Jones
  • Television network: CST
        
See also: 2020 Nicholls Colonels football team
Over/under
NICH −13.560
StatisticsNichollsMcNeese State
First downs2921
Total yards562541
Rushing yards273187
Passing yards289354
Turnovers32
Time of possession35:2624:34
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
NichollsPassingLindsey Scott Jr.26/53, 289 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
RushingLindsey Scott Jr.28 carries, 137 yards
ReceivingK. J. Franklin4 receptions, 76 yards
McNeese StatePassingCody Orgeron20/27, 354 yards, 4 TDs
RushingDeonta McMahon11 carries, 111 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingJoshua Matthews7 receptions, 147 yards, 2 TDs

at Sam Houston State
McNeese State at Sam Houston State
1 234Total
Cowboys 3 037 13
• No. 5 Bearkats 7 10100 27
  • Date: April 10, 2021
  • Location: Bowers Stadium
    Huntsville, TX
  • Game start: 4:00 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 18 minutes
  • Game attendance: 3,103
  • Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C) • Weather: Clear & Sunny • Wind: 9 N MPH
  • Referee: Dan Lewis
  • Television network: ESPN+
    
See also: 2020 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team
Over/under
SHSU −15.059
StatisticsMcNeese StateSam Houston State
First downs1919
Total yards328392
Rushing yards37190
Passing yards291202
Turnovers13
Time of possession30:0229:58
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
McNeese StatePassingCody Orgeron27/42, 291 yards, 1 TD
RushingCody Orgeron18 carries, 18 yards
ReceivingJoshua Matthews6 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD
Sam Houston StatePassingEric Schmid12/24, 202 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
RushingEric Schmid15 carries, 92 yards
ReceivingJequez Ezzard3 receptions, 87 yards

References
  1. "Frank Wilson hired as McNeese head football coach". www.msn.com. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  2. "McNeese postpones all fall sports competition". McNeese State University Athletics. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  3. "Gilbert resigns as McNeese FB coach to take Syracuse OC position". The Daily Iberian. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  4. "Frank Wilson announces signing class, introduces coaches". McNeese State University Athletics. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  5. "Nicholls Favored to Win Southland Football Spring Season". www.southland.org. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  6. "Southland Announces 2020 Preseason All-Conference Football Teams". www.southland.org. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  7. "2020 McNeese State Cowboys Football Schedule". Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  8. "McNeese State Cowboys". ESPN. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  9. "Southland Conference Postponed Spring Football Schedule Announced". www.southland.org. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
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