Week 1 Preview: McNeese State
McNeese State, Southland Conference (FCS)
Broadcast: ESPN+ 1 PM EST/12 PM CST
When We Last Saw McNeese State
Spring 2021 3-4 (2-4)
Like almost everyone at the FCS level, McNeese has not played a full seas0n since the fall of 2019 which saw them finish with a 7-5 (5-4) record. Since then they have undergone a lot of change, first and foremost of which was losing Head Coach Sterlin Gilbert, who is now the Offensive Coordinator at Syracuse. Former UTSA Head Coach Frank Wilson was brought in, and before he could coach a game the 2020 season was canceled. As happens in coaching changes, there was quite a bit of roster turnover. Aside from Quarterback (more on this later), they bring back little production from their 2019 offense only 10 rushing yards and -2 receiving yards. Luckily for the Coach Wilson they have been able to reload their roster and participate in a seven game spring slate in 2021 winning three against Tarleton State, Northwestern State, and Nicholls, and look to have a handful of promising playmakers on both offense and defense for the Fall. With a new look roster, the Cowboys will be looking to move up into the upper echelon of the always tough Southland Conference.
Three Players to Know
RS Senior Cody Orgeron, Quarterback 6-1 192
Spring Stats: 119-194 (61.3%) 1560 10 TD 3 INT 222 YPG 8.0 YPA 13.1 YPC 90 rush 257 yards 3 TD
Orgeron is the engine that makes the Cowboys’ offense go, leading McNeese in passing and rushing yards in the spring. The RS Senior had his best season this spring in YPG, completion percentage, and TD:INT ratio. The son of LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron is one of the career leaders in all of the major passing categories for the Cowboys, and is a credible running threat. Excluding sacks he averaged over 5 yards per carry in the spring and has a 69 yard career long rush.
I really believe the Argos’ secondary should be able to hang with the Cowboys’ pass catchers, lead by Louisiana Tech Transfer Josh Matthews (32 485 4), so I think the battle to limit Orgeron’s effectiveness falls on the linebackers. Orgeron has enough leg to make a defense pay on broken plays or designed runs, but is a pass first QB, so he is particularly dangerous in play action or RPO looks. All four linebackers will have to keep their eyes disciplined and not lose track of the Quarterback. The Middle Linebacker, whether Shea Campbell or Stephon Williams, will probably be the most responsible for keeping Orgeron in the pocket and Nickel Trent Archie will likely be the man on cleanup duty on broken or extended plays. Lucky for the Argos those three guys bring a ton of experience and savvy to the defensive front 7.
Redshirt Junior Andre Sam, Safety 6-1 173
Spring Stats: 52 tackles (30 solo) 1.5 TFL 3 INT 2 PBU
Andre Sam lead the Cowboys in tackles (52), solo tackles (30), and INT (3) this spring, earning him First Team All-Conference honors. Sam will be an experienced leader on the defense, having appeared in 22 games over the last three seasons. The Junior is an athletic safety who uses his length to disrupt the passing game and isn’t scared to mix it up against the run.
It is hard to neutralize a high level safety like Sam. If you run away from them, they’re athletic enough to catch up. If you throw away from them, you’re giving up a deep third or quarter of the field. This burden will fall on Quarterback Austin Reed and the Argonauts’ offensive coaching staff. The Argonauts’ offense is likely to be pretty balanced, so Reed will have plenty of options to try and neuatralize Sam’s presence on the back end, but his decision making both pre- and post-snap will be critical. Additionally The coaching staff has to know where Sam is and try to get him in unfavorable matchups, whether it is the speed of a guy like David Durden (who is going to be a problem for defenses this fall) or the size of Ka’Ron Ashley. The Argos have plenty of weapons to attack even a very talented Defensive Back like Sam.
RS Senior Isaiah Chambers, Defensive End 6-5 251
Spring Stats: 32 tackles (17 solo) 14.0 TFL 7.5 sacks 11 hurries 2 PBU
A former top 200 prospect out of high school, Chambers originally signed with TCU. He transferred to Houston after one year where he played well logging 9.5 sacks in 15 games at the FBS level. A physical freak on the edge, the grad transfer lead the conference and was second in FCS in sacks and TFL in the Spring. Chambers, a consensus All-American and Conference Defensive Player of the Year, will be looking to build a draft resume in 2021, and is likely to be one of the top defensive players in all of FCS.
This is going to be a tough matchup for the Argos (more below on the OL vs DL battle this week), but it would be a tough matchup for just about anyone at the D2 level. Chambers looks like a 2022 draft pick and maybe the best individual player the Argos will face all season. It is going to be a big early season test for Tackles Bruce and Roman, but the hidden key here might be Junior Tight End Jacure’ Jackson. Jackson, a blocking specialist standing 6-5 245, chipping and doubling on Chambers could provide the extra time needed to keep UWF’s passing game moving. Whether it is with timing in the passing game or extra help blocking, slowing down Chambers is a must.
Matchup of the Week
UWF’s Offensive Line vs McNeese’s Defensive Line
A major test right out of the gate for the Argos’ offensive front, the Cowboys have a future NFL player in Chambers and another All-Conference Defensive End in Mason Kinsey (38 tackles (22 solo) 7.5 TFL 3.5 sacks) as well as some promising interior guys in Accord Green (4.5 TFL 2.5 sacks) and Masry Mapieu (2.0 TFL 2.0 sacks). The Cowboys front is very athletic, but not overwhelming in size with none of the four expected starters tipping the scales above 265 pounds per the current roster. Meanwhile, the Argos will roll out two new starters on the line with IUP transfer Right Tackle Kenneth Roman and Center Zac Elam currently projected to get their first action for the Argos. Additionally, Left Guard Dalton Simpler will be taking over a full time a starting role after getting two starts in 2019 and contributing as one of the primary Offensive Line backups last season. Coach Saulnier’s guys do return of 32 total starts from 2019 including the two for Simpler, and 15 each from Mike Dilla (Right Guard) and Jacob Bruce (Right Tackle, now Left Tackle). In the spring RS Fresh. Nash Nelson had been getting reps at Right Tackle as well as JUCO transfer Parker Thompson, but the addition of Roman, an experienced starter from PSAC West powerhouse IUP, should really bolster this unit for the 2021 season, and in particular in Week 1 going against this potentially elite defensive front. The Argos will probably use a blend of extra blockers and quick timing in the passing game to slow down the front, with a heavy dose of the multi-headed Running Back beast to keep those Linemen from pinning back their ears.
Prediction
This will be a tough first test for the Argos against an established team in a higher classification, and on the road to boot. It is hard to know, really, how teams will look coming off of a long layoff with all of the roster and staffing changes that occurred over that period. As the season goes on, I’ll try to hedge less on my weekly predictions, but the logical part of my brain knows there just isn’t enough information available to give a predicted score. Instead, I’ll give some keys to an Argo victory.
Win the battle up front. The Cowboys Defensive Line will pose a stiff test for the Argos Offensive Line, but if UWF can hold its own, the offense has enough talent to move the ball. Getting the ball beyond the line of scrimmage and allowing their playmakers space to operate in the second level is going to be critical.
Avoid early turnovers. The long and short of a game like this is the Argos are playing a team that has the benefit of 1) having played competitive games much more recently 2) having more scholarship players (63 for FCS, 36 for D2) 3) getting to play at home to open the season. That is a lot of advantages to overcome, so West Florida needs to make sure they don’t give up any big momentum swings against early in the game. Points off turnovers could be a major storyline in this game, with the Argos’ penchant for creating chaos on defense.
Contain Orgeron. The Super Senior will be trying to replace his second leading receiver from the spring, so he might have to do more with his legs. He isn’t a burner, but if the Argos don’t contain him he will be able to extend drives and tire out the front. The bigger issue though, is not letting his improvisation with his legs open up big plays through the air. Everyone from the Defensive Line to the Safeties are going to have to play disciplined football to keep him operating in the pocket and maintain coverage if he is able to consistently escape.
Ultimately, I think the West Florida defense does enough to limit the Cowboys offensively. With all their experience in hostile environments and returning so much experience in the secondary, West Florida can stymie Orgeron and the passing game and force McNeese to run the ball. If they can hold up against the McNeese Defensive Line I predict the Argos win in a defensive slug fest.
Tune back in later this weekend for a recap of the game and some more detailed analysis of Week 1 ahead of the Week 2 Preview: Southwest Baptist, next Thursday.
