Southeastern (4-3, 1-1 SLC) at McNeese (1-6, 0-3 SLC)
Oct. 29, 2022 | 7 p.m. | Cowboy Stadium | Lake Charles, La.
Series History: McNeese leads 25-23
Last Meeting: Southeastern 23, McNeese 20 (Oct. 30, 2021 | Hammond, La.)
Television: ESPN+
            Announcers: Jeff Palermo and Kip Texada
Radio: Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM, The Boss 103.7 FM/1400 AM
            Announcers: Mark Willoughby, Allen Waddell, Harris Beall and Robbie Rhodes
 
HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University football team will return to Southland Conference action with a 7 p.m. contest at McNeese Saturday night in Cowboy Stadium.
 
The game between the in-state SLC rival Lions (4-3, 1-1 SLC) and Cowboys (1-6, 0-3 SLC) will be televised on ESPN+. The game, which is the second of three straight road contests for Southeastern, can also be heard on the Southeastern Sports Radio Network (Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM, The Boss 103.7 FM/1400 AM).
 
The Lions picked up their first win away from home last Saturday, outscoring Jacksonville State, 18-0, in the fourth quarter on the way to a 31-14 victory over the Gamecocks, who are in the midst of a transition to FBS.
 
The SLU offense controlled the ball with a balanced attack in Saturday's win, finishing with 459 total yards (259 rushing, 200 passing) and over 41 minutes of time of possession. Cephus Johnson III led the Lions with 91 rushing yards and threw touchdown passes to Jessie Britt and Ivan Drobocky on the way to being named Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week.
 
Johnson III (59-for-92, 609 yards, 6 TD, 1 INT) and Eli Sawyer (78-128, 1,051 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT) have split time under center for a Southeastern offense that is averaging 416.6 yards and 33.4 points per game, while also sharing the FCS lead for fewest turnovers with four.
 
Gage Larvadain (26 catches, 355 yards, 1 TD) and CJ Turner (18-286-3 TD) are the top targets in the passing game. Carlos Washington Jr. leads SLU with 447 rushing yards and is ninth in the FCS with a SLC-high nine rushing touchdowns.
 
In Saturday's win, Southeastern held a JSU offense that came in averaging 436.7 yards and 37.4 points per game to 290 yards and 14 points - none in the second half. Herman Christophe led Southeastern with nine tackles, while he and Darrius Harry each finished with 1.5 tackles for loss. Brandon Barbee and Kunta Hester each intercepted passes for SLU.
 
Opponents are averaging 407.1 yards and 23.7 points per contest versus the Lions. Donte' Daniels leads the team with 49 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss, while Christophe (47), Anthony Britton Jr. (43), Jack Henderson (36) and Donniel Ward-Magee (36) round out the top five tacklers on the team.
 
Christophe leads the team with two interceptions, while Barbee, Hester, Henderson, Markell Linzer and Garrett Crawford each have one interception. Arlen Williams has a team-high two forced fumbles, while he, Daniels and Rowan Briggs all have fumble recoveries.
 
Austin Dunlap downed four of his five punts inside the 20 and averaged 45.8 yards per punt at JSU, while Riley Callaghan connected on three field goals.
 
Dunlap is seventh in FCS with a 44.4 punting average, while Darius Lewis is sixth nationally with 13.6 yards per punt return. Since taking over as placekicker, Callaghan is seven for eight on field goals and a perfect 15-for-15 on PAT's.   
 
Following this week's action, Southeastern will close its road swing with a 3 p.m. contest next Saturday, Nov. 5 at Lamar. The Lions-Cardinals matchup will be televised on ESPN3 and can be heard on the Southeastern Sports Radio Network (Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM, The Boss 103.7 FM/1400 AM).
 
TICKETS
For ticket information, contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net. Southeastern will continue offering mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets for the 2022-23 season. All tickets will be available via e-mail or text message in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Football, follow @LionUpFootball and @Coach_Scelfo on Twitter, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
 
TOUCHDOWN CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the football program are encouraged to join the Touchdown Club. Lion football alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Touchdown Club and S Club (football) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern football program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events, effective with the start of the 2018 football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.