What: McNeese (0-0) vs. Incarnate Word (1-0)
When: Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015
Time: 6:04 p.m. kickoff
Where: Cowboy Stadium (17,610), Lake Charles
Rankings: McNeese (23/RV FCS polls); Incarnate Word (NR)
TV: ASN (The CW Lake Charles Suddenlink 7; DirecTV 30)
Radio: 92.9 FM The Lake; 960 AM The Gator in Lafayette
 
LAKE CHARLES – McNeese will finally open the 2015 season on Saturday evening when it hosts Incarnate Word at 6:04 in a game that will be broadcast on the American Sports Network.
 
The Cowboys had their originally scheduled opener at LSU last weekend washed out due to severe weather. It's the first time McNeese has ever had a game canceled after it had already started.
 
McNeese will enter Saturday's game ranked No. 23 in the FCS Coaches Poll while receiving votes in the STATS Top 25. UIW will coming in with a 1-0 record after opening the season last week with an 18-16 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville behind sophomore quarterback Trent Brittain's 109 yards rushing and another 160 passing.
 
"We're excited to be starting conference play," said head coach Matt Viator who has never lost a home opener against a non-FBS team. "I thought last year Incarnate Word was a formidable team on defense. They're big up front. I thought they did a nice job around the league last year.
 
"Last year they lost the Brittain kid in the first game of the year and missed the whole year. He's back now and is a true duel-threat guy.
 
"There are still some questions that need to be answered about our football team. How they respond after all this (LSU cancellation), I have no idea. Things happen that are out of our control."
 
Last week McNeese forced LSU to punt on its first possession and followed by a punt of its own before lightning struck nearby to force the game into a delay that would last nearly four hours before finally being called off.
 
"I felt like at the time, and I still do, that LSU did everything 100 percent right," said Viator. "You get up, you get down. You get back up and you get down. You can only do that so many times. Like Coach Miles told me when we met about the decision of the game, until it becomes a safety issue for the players. And I agree."
 
Now the Cowboys will be opening their season with a conference game for the first time since 1975 when they dropped a 21-14 decision to Louisiana Tech in Cowboy Stadium.
 
McNeese and Incarnate Word will be playing for just the second time in the series and the first in Cowboy Stadium. The Cowboys defeated the Cardinals 41-21 last season in San Antonio in a game that saw defensive back Brent Spikes set a new school, conference and Louisiana record with 148 interception return yards behind three picks.
 
WORTH NOTING: Saturday's game is designated Military Appreciation Game and the Cowboys will be wearing white camouflage jerseys. It's the first time in school history McNeese will be wearing white for a home game… McNeese has won its last five home season openers… McNeese will induct five new members into its Sports Hall of Fame at halftime. Those being inducted are Michael Cutright, Shannon Foolkes (Browning), Margie Hinton-Randleman, Bryan Smith, and Verril Young.