McNeese State heads into the final week of its regular season needing victory to assure the school  of its 13^th Southland Conference football title.

      And, the Cowboys will go into that game with an 8-2 won-loss record and on a five game winning streak.

     McNeese will  host Central Arkansas in that final contest, a game whose kickoff has been moved to 6 p.m. to accommodate the Southland Conference television network which will carry the game.

     The Cowboys go into the game tied with Stephen F. Austin for the league lead, both teams at 5-1.  Should both teams win their final game (SFA is at Northwestern State), then they are co-champions and the Lumberjacks would get the league's automatic berth in the FCS playoffs since they beat the Cowboys earlier in the year.

      McNeese, however, will go into that season ending game as the league's top ranked team (they were No. 10 in last week's poll) and the Cowboys are also expected to receive a bid (their 14^th) if they win out.

      Since 2000 McNeese has been the dominate team in the SLC, winning five titles, finishing second twice and qualifying for the playoffs six times.

      McNeese is coming off a 30-27 road victory over Texas State.  It was the fourth time this year that the Cowboys have produce the winning score in the final minutes of play.  A 28 yard field goal by Josh Lewis (who also kicked the game winner against then No. 2 ranked Appalachian State earlier in the season) provided the winning points.

      Quarterback Derrick Fourroux and tailback Toddrick Pendland were also top hands in that victory.

      With the statistics he produced in that game, Fourroux became McNeese's career leader in total offense (9,884 yards breaking record of 9,676 set by Kerry Joseph), passing yards (7,973 yards breaking record of 7,874 set by Kerry Joseph), passes completed (584 breaking record of 565 set by Kerry Joseph), quarterback rushing yards (1,911 yards breaking record of 1,906 set by Stephan Starring) and touchdowns rushing and passing (91 breaking the record of 90 set by Joseph).

      Pendland, who continues to lead the nation in scoring with a 12.44 point per game average, got into the Cowboy record book with the three tds he scored in the game.  That gives him a total of 45 touchdowns (rushing, pass receiving and returning kicks) and that ties former great Buford Jordan for the McNeese mark.

      The Cowboy tailback has scored a total of 112 points this year and that is only five shy of the school single season record of 117 that was set by place kicker Shonz LaFrenz in 1997.

      With the 187 yards Pendland netted in last Saturday's win over Texas State, his season total is now at 948 and has lifted him to the No. 6 position in the nation.

     Also nationally for the Cowboys, Fourroux is No. 9 in total offense (278.1 yards per game) and No. 11 in passing efficiency.

    In team totals on the national level, the Cowboys are now No. 2 in scoring (38.6 ppg), No. 4 in total offense (462.3 ypg) and No. 5 in both rushing offense (229.3 ypg) and passing efficiency.

    Besides the McNeese-Central Arkansas game, which is the battle for the Red Beans and Rice Bowl, other games will have SFA at Northwestern State, Sam Houston State at Texas State and Nicholls State at Southeastern Louisiana (Thursday).

SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE STANDINGS

Games this week

Thursday

Nicholls State at SE Louisiana (6 p.m)

Saturday

Sam Houston State at Texas State (2 p.m.)

SFA at Northwestern State (2 p.m.)

Central Arkansas at McNeese State (6 p.m., SLC TV)

Last Week's Results

McNeese State 30, Texas State 27

Nicholls State 28, Northwestern State 21

SFA 41, SE Louisiana 10

Sam Houston State 17, Central Arkansas 14