LAKE CHARLES – The stage is set for round two, not only in the FCS playoff bracket, but also between 4^th-seeded McNeese and Sam Houston State.
 
The Southland Conference rivals met just three weeks ago in Cowboy Stadium with McNeese posting a 27-10 win over the Bearkats to claim the conference championship.
 
Now the two squads will go at it one more time this year when the two face-off once again in Cowboy Stadium on Saturday at 6 p.m. The winner will move on to the quarterfinal round to face the winner of the Colgate-James Madison second round game. McNeese, 10-0 and ranked Nos. 2 and 3 in the latest FCS top 25 polls, will host that game with a win on Saturday.
 
Sam Houston (9-3 and ranked Nos. 10 and 6) rallied to beat Southern Utah 42-39 on Saturday in Saturday's first round. The Bearkats, who finished 7-2 in the league and in second place behind the Cowboys, rallied from a 39-26 deficit midway through the third quarter by scoring 16 straight points to seal the win.
 
McNeese will be making is conference-record 16^th appearance in the FCS playoffs – third-most appearances among current FCS teams. This will be the first time the Cowboys will play a Southland Conference member in the playoffs.
 
The McNeese ticket office will be open from 8-5 Monday through Friday and will open at noon on Saturday game day. Tickets can also be purchased online at McNeeseSports.com.
 
Thousands of tickets have already been sold so fans are encouraged to purchase tickets as soon as possible as a capacity crowd is expected.
 
Ticket prices are: $25 for reserved seating; $20 adult general admission; $15 senior citizen general admission; $10 general admission for youth ages 13-17; $5 general admission for youth ages 4-12. McNeese students with a valid ID should check with the Office of Student Services for tickets.