LAKE CHARLES – McNeese senior quarterback Daniel Sams has been named the STATS FCS National Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Cowboys' 27-10 win over Sam Houston State, the organization announced on Monday. In addition, Sams was named the Southland Conference's Offensive Player of the Week while senior punter/kicker Jean Breaux was named the league and Louisiana Special Teams Player of the Week.
 
Also on Monday, McNeese moved up into the top three of both the FCS Coaches' and STATS polls, jumping three spots to No. 2 in the coaches' poll while moving up six spots to No. 3 in the STATS ranking.
 
Sams rolled up 332 total offensive yards in helping McNeese clinch the Southland Conference's automatic bid for the FCS playoffs with Saturday's win over the Bearkats. He rushed for 164 yards on 23 carries and threw for another 168 yards. He also was accountable for two touchdowns, one rushing and one passing.
 
Down 10-0 late in the second quarter, Sams sparked the Cowboys' to a 14-point burst in a matter of 1:40, beginning with a 64-yard touchdown run. He then found wide receiver Kent Shelby, who made a remarkable one-handed cradle catch, from six yards out with four seconds to play in the quarter to give the Cowboys a 14-10 halftime lead.
 
Breaux was highly effective in the punting game once again for the Cowboys while knocking through a couple of field goals as well as surprising the Bearkats with a couple of late game squib kicks.
 
In the punting department, he averaged 54.0 yards per punt on four kicks, booming them 57, 51, 45 and 63 yards. He pinned two inside the 20-yard line and hit a couple of those into a stiff wind.
 
Breaux scored nine points on the night, going 2-for-3 in field goals of 23 and 27 yards, and was a perfect 3-for-3 on PATs.
 
He helped put the game away for the Cowboys with a couple of fourth quarter kickoffs, both squibs, that were recovered by the Cowboys deep into SHSU territory. The first one was followed by a 20-yard touchdown run by Ryan Ross to make it 27-10.
 
FCS POLLS
 
McNeese climbed to No. 2 in the FCS Coaches' poll and No. 3 in the STATS poll on Monday.
 
The Cowboys, at 9-0 on the season, are one of three FCS and nine Division I teams remaining on the season.
 
McNeese jumped three spots to No. 2 in the weekly FCS Coaches' Poll with 617 points, including one No. 1 vote. Jacksonville State (8-1) remains the top team in the country and totaled 649 points in the voting, including 25 No. 1 votes.
 
In the STATS FCS poll, McNeese made one of the biggest jumps of all teams, climbing six spots to No. 3 with 3,613 total voting points while also collecting 12 No. 1 voting points. JSU is ranked No. 1 with 4,012 votes including 149 No. 1. They are followed by North Dakota State (7-2) with 3,739 total voting points.
 
It's the highest ranking for the Cowboys in the polls since being ranked No. 3 in the sixth week of the 2008 season.
 
The Cowboys have a bye week this Saturday before returning to action on Nov. 21 at Lamar in the regular season finale.
 
FCS Coaches' Poll
1.  Jacksonville State
2.  McNeese
3.  North Dakota State
3.  Coastal Carolina
5.  South Dakota State
6.  Illinois State
7.  William & Mary
8.  Charleston Southern
9.  Chattanooga
10. Eastern Washington
11. James Madison
12. Richmond
13. Harvard
14. North Carolina A&T
15. Southern Utah
16. Portland State
17. Fordham
18. Sam Houston State
19. Northern Iowa
20. The Citadel
21. Youngstown State
22. Montana
23. Bethune-Cookman
24. Dartmouth
25. Northern Arizona
 
STATS FCS Poll
1.  Jacksonville State
2.  North Dakota State
3.  McNeese
4.  Coastal Carolina
5.  South Dakota State
6.  Illinois State
7.  William & Mary
8. Chattanooga
9.  Richmond
10. Eastern Washington
11. Charleston Southern
12. Harvard
13. Sam Houston State
14. James Madison
15. Portland State
16. Fordham
17. Northern Iowa
18. Southern Utah
19. North Carolina A&T
20. Youngstown State
21. The Citadel
22. Montana
23. Dartmouth
24. Eastern Kentucky
25. Grambling