McNeese Looks to Bounce Back Saturday Against Texas Wesleyan
Lake Charles, Louisiana – Matt Viator thinks his 2026 squad still has an opportunity to be really good, and an opportunity to work on some of the "fixable mistakes" will come on Saturday, as McNeese will host Texas Wesleyan on Saturday.
McNeese opened the season with a 38-27 loss to No. 13 Stephen F. Austin. One of the biggest bright spots was running back Omiri Wiggins. In his first game as a Cowboy, Wiggins rushed for 126 yards on just 12 carries. He also scored two touchdowns, including a 75-yard touchdown run. With the big opening night as a Cowboy, Wiggins became the first McNeese player since 2010 to rush for at least 100 yards in his first game with the Cowboys.
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Devil Lippold To Get Start For McNeese vs Texas Wesleyan
A topic of conversation this week for McNeese has been the Quarterback position, and the Cowboys will have a new QB under center on Saturday.
Devin Lippold will make his first career start after Jake Strong suffered a shoulder injury against SFA. Lippold played the entire second half last week, completing 10 of 18 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 40 yards and scored another touchdown on the ground.
According to head coach Matt Viator, Strong is listed as day-to-day after throwing for the first time since the injury on Thursday. True freshman Brady Barrier will be the backup to Lippold.
The Cowboys will also be looking to keep up the strong play from their defense. McNeese recorded three sacks, 10 tackles for loss and two interceptions against SFA. Cohen Charles and Sentario Willis each recorded the first interceptions of their careers. The Cowboys have now picked off multiple passes in back-to-back games dating back to last season.
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KNOW THE FOE: Texas Wesleyan (0-1)
While McNeese is looking to bounce back, Texas Wesleyan will be doing the same. The Rams opened their season with a 59-7 loss to NCAA Division II Central Oklahoma. Texas Wesleyan is an NAIA program from Fort Worth and is a member of the Sooner Athletic Conference. The Rams were able to run the football in their opener, finishing with 154 rushing yards. Ian Jernagin led the way with 90 yards and a touchdown.
Texas Wesleyan struggled to throw the ball, finishing with just 108 passing yards. Charlie Adamoli completed 8 of 22 passes for 75 yards, while Cole Francis completed 5 of 12 for 33 yards.
McNeese will take on Texas Wesleyan on Saturday Night inside Navarre Stadium, with kickoff slated for 6:00. It will be the annual "White Out" game, so fans are encouraged to wear White. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ or can be heard on 92.9 The Lake.
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Gallery Credit: Chaston Tavares