KC Keeler Stacks the Sandbags

[JohnStOnge]

“This is a team capable of winning a national championship at this level,” Keeler said. “This McNeese team is every bit as good as that Eastern Washington team, just a little different. Eastern Washington is gonna kill you with offense. McNeese is very balanced.”

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Actually McNeese did look good enough to be a FCS national title contender against Nebraska. Not only because they played close, but because they looked like they matched up well physically. Matched up well in terms of speed and athleticism. Matched up well on both lines of scrimmage.

But McNeese has looked really good before early in the regular season then gone on to lay a lot of eggs.

As a fan I'm hoping this year will be not be like that. But I'll believe them showing something in the playoffs again when I see it.

[vutomcat]

Mcneese is on the short list of major contenders. How do they stand with injuries?
As a fan of Nova I am watching them destroy everyone they play but they have now lost starters at linebacker,tight end,defensive end and cornerback and it appears they are all lost for at least the regular season. Doesn't bode well for a championship run.

Good luck

[93henfan]

As a fan of Nova I am watching them destroy everyone they play but they have now lost starters at linebacker,tight end,defensive end and cornerback and it appears they are all lost for at least the regular season. Doesn't bode well for a championship run.

[vutomcat]

As a fan of Nova I am watching them destroy everyone they play but they have now lost starters at linebacker,tight end,defensive end and cornerback and it appears they are all lost for at least the regular season. Doesn't bode well for a championship run.

Maybe. But can't dispute that injuries play a part especially at fcs level.

With VA injured I suppose Robertson becomes the favorite for player of the year.

[clenz]

OH....

Tomcat is back!


Oh boy!

[vutomcat]

[JohnStOnge]

Mcneese is on the short list of major contenders. How do they stand with injuries?
As a fan of Nova I am watching them destroy everyone they play but they have now lost starters at linebacker,tight end,defensive end and cornerback and it appears they are all lost for at least the regular season. Doesn't bode well for a championship run.

Good luck

So far McNeese is going OK injury wise. Better than in previous years at this point as they have had horrible luck in that area I'd say every year from 2007 through 2013. I would consider them a potential title contender based on how good they looked physically and athletically against Nebraska. Can't tell much from the other three games because it was three very weak opponents.

I'd be a lot more optimistic if this was the McNeese of the 1990s. Back then they tended to play, if anything, better in the playoffs than during the regular season. Since 2002 they've established a pattern of playing better early in the season than during the playoffs.

Like in 2007 they looked great early. I have no doubt that if you'd have asked then-coach Jerry Glanville whether McNeese or Eastern Washington was the better team after his Portland State squad played them both early in the season that year he'd have said it was McNeese and it wasn't close. But Eastern Washington destroyed McNeese in the first round of the playoffs.

In 2008 McNeese opened the season losing by 8 to a North Carolina team that went on to finish 8-5 after losing by 1 to West Virginia in a bowl while notching 22 first downs to the tar heels 13 and edging them 391 to 384 in total yards. Had no problem with matching up on both lines of scrimmage and looked like they should tear it up in FCS. They didn't make the playoffs.

In 2009 they beat Appalachian State at Boone in their second game of the season. Appalachian State went on to lose a nail biter at Montana in the semifinals while New Hampshire blew McNeese out in the first round.

in 2012 they dominated Middle Tennessee State in their opener. Middle Tennessee was in the Sun Belt but beat Georgia Tech and finished 8-3 against FBS teams. They contended for the Sun Belt Title and by power ratings were equivalent to a top 5 FCS team. McNeese lost to Southeastern Louisiana and Central Arkansas each by 1 point and didn't make the playoffs.

And of course last year posted the biggest margin of victory ever by a I-/AA FCS over a I-A/FBS team as well as the Southland's only win ever during the BCS era over an automatic qualifier conference team. Looked very impressive in that game as well as in a number of others. But they looked horrible in blowout losses to Northern Iowa and Southeastern Louisiana and REALLY laid an egg in getting handled by Jacksonville State in their first playoff game. I'm sorry, but Jacksonville State wasn't that good. THAT playoff loss among ALL of the disappointments during 2003 through 2013 was by far the worst.

So anyway at this point if you're a McNeese fan it's wonderful to see them look really good in an early season game but you know from hard experience that it doesn't necessarily say anything about what's going to happen later. Hopefully this year it will work out. But...again...I'll believe it when I see it.

[vutomcat]

WE OWE YOU ONE
McNeese State 39, Villanova 28
IAA PLAYOFFS Dec 14, 2002
McNeese State Schedule Villanova Schedule Back to previous page

Box Score Final
Villanova (4-1) 7 14 0 7 28
McNeese State (3-1) 0 7 13 19 39

Scoring Summary
Villanova: M Chila 3 YD PASS FROM B Gordon (A James KICK)
McNeese State: A Fairchild 45 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (J Marino KICK)
Villanova: S Brown 14 YD PASS FROM B Gordon (A James KICK)
Villanova: T Butler 1 YD RUN (A James KICK)
McNeese State: B Sams 5 YD RUN (J Marino KICK)
McNeese State: A Robin 3 YD RUN (PAT FAILED)
McNeese State: POINT CONVERSION FAILED)
McNeese State: J Martin 36 YD RUN (J Marino KICK)
Villanova: P DiGiacomo 6 YD RUN (A James KICK)
McNeese State: J Prim 14 YD RUN (PAT FAILED)
Team Statistics
McNeese State Villanova
TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 20 21
TOTAL NET YARDS 416 391
Total Plays 81 77
Average Gain 5.1 5.1
NET YARDS RUSHING 258 37
Rushes 57 27
Average per rush 4.5 1.4
NET YARDS PASSING 158 354
Completions-attempted 11-24 24-50
Sacked
Yards Lost
TOTAL TURNOVERS 3 3
Interceptions 1 2
Fumbles Lost 2 1
OTHER
Penalties 9 9
Penalty Yards 106 60
Time of Possesion 31:38 28:22
Punts 4 5
Punt Average 35.5 33.2
Return Yards 126 12

[htownbearkat]

21-7 kats at the half. Bearkats qb can not throw the ball. KcK play calling pretty bad as well. Mcneese cant stop the run though and the Kats def is shutting down the Pokes for the most part.

[htownbearkat]

Did we really beat the #4th ranked team in the country... or
is this just the unpredictable FCS?

I just dont come away thinking we are a contender.

The Def looked really good for the most part and we had some big plays on Off.

JJ just looks like a great athlete playing the wrong position.

Without a true QB I think our celling is low, but in the FCS and SLC we could still make some noise.

[EWURanger]

Without a true QB I think our celling is low, but in the FCS and SLC we could still make some noise.

?

Anyway, I've thought all year long Sam had some tremendous talent on that team. I agree, though, the offense is too one-dimensional to pose a serious threat to teams who can stuff the run.

[93henfan]

Casey Keller takes out #5 McNeese State. Are the Sam Houston folks starting to buy in now?

[YoUDeeMan]

That was an azz whuppin'.

If anyone didn't notice, SHSU's schedule worked out well.

They got to start practice earlier than everyone else due to their EWU game being moved up. They had a bye game already scheduled, and got an extra bye when the original EWU game was moved up.

Essentially, they had a bye week, then a regular week to prepare for Lamar, then another bye week, and then their regular week to prepare for the Cowboys. That is a hell of a lot of time to fix things...after the start of the season...where you can adjust for the things you've seen happening in real game situations.

SHSU's D was flying all over the place. Speed and size.

It will be interesting to see how they develop as the year goes on.

[bearkat91]

That was an azz whuppin'.

If anyone didn't notice, SHSU's schedule worked out well.

They got to start practice earlier than everyone else due to their EWU game being moved up. They had a bye game already scheduled, and got an extra bye when the original EWU game was moved up.

Essentially, they had a bye week, then a regular week to prepare for Lamar, then another bye week, and then their regular week to prepare for the Cowboys. That is a hell of a lot of time to fix things...after the start of the season...where you can adjust for the things you've seen happening in real game situations.

SHSU's D was flying all over the place. Speed and size.

It will be interesting to see how they develop as the year goes on.

Cluck,
After yesterday, it looks as though you were right. After the CSU-P loss, I was ready to hang KCK from the closest tree. The coaches obviously made some adjustments which worked out well. The biggest difference I noticed was how well the defense played. Kudos to the staff and the players.

[YoUDeeMan]

JSO gone fishin'?

[93henfan]

JSO gone fishin'?

Still working on his reply. If you think his posts are long when he's happy...

[htownbearkat]

Yeah, where are you JSO?

No Internet at the fish camp i guess.

[Grizalltheway]

Wait, wasn't JSO saying he was skeptical about whether or not this McNeese team was for real?

[clenz]

He's trying to find a way to tie this back to his "This D2 team would win the national title" post from last season when MSU damn near lost to a D2