What: McNeese (0-0) at LSU (0-0)
When: Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015
Time: 6:39 p.m. exact kickoff
Where: Tiger Stadium (102, 321), Baton Rouge
Rankings: McNeese (23/25 FCS polls); LSU (13/14 FBS polls)
TV: SECN-Alternate (68 and 801 on Suddenlink; 611 DirecTV; 404 or 408 Dish Network)
LISTEN HERE
WATCH HERE
LIVE STATS HERE
 
BATON ROUGE – McNeese will open up its 2015 football season at one of college football's most intimidating venues when the Cowboys visit LSU in Tiger Stadium on Saturday.
 
Kickoff for the game is slated for 6:39 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the SECN-Alternate channel.
 
A sellout crowd of more than 102,000 is expected in Death Valley making it the largest crowd a McNeese team has even played in front. The record came against the Tigers in the 2010 season when 92,576 watched LSU beat McNeese 32-10.
 
Saturday will be the second time the two teams have played on the gridiron.
 
"We have a huge challenge going to LSU," said head coach Matt Viator who will be entering his 10^th season at the helm and is the second winningest coach in school history with 68 victories. "They are extremely talented, extremely well coached, and then going in and playing in a tough environment. You put those three things together and it's certainly going to be a huge challenge."
 
The Cowboys will be opening up the season against a Power 5 conference member for the second straight season. Last year McNeese fell just short in a 31-24 loss at Big Ten Conference member Nebraska.
 
McNeese is coming off a 6-5 season last year. The team started 6-2 but dropped the last three games after a rash of injuries plagued the squad.
 
"This year is a little bit different in the sense that we're playing them in the first game," said Viator. "Those teams you play in the first game you have an opportunity to watch them for a long period of time."
 
The Cowboys will be quarterbacked by a healthy Daniel Sams, who led the team last year with 711 yards rushing while throwing for another 624 yards despite playing with an injured throwing thumb all season.
 
The running backs are headed by sophomore Ryan Ross (599 yards), Derrick Milton (387 yards), and newcomers Benjamin Jones (redshirt freshman) and David Hamm (UTEP transfer).
 
The offensive line returns four of the five starters from last year's team that helped guide the Cowboys to over 220 yards rushing per game which ranked them in the top 15 in the nation. Those four – seniors Quentin Marsh (6-3, 310), Mason Martin (6-3, 297), Nick Gorman (6-3, 297), and Ben Jones (6-5, 283) – will be joined by junior Thor Miller (6-3, 300).
 
Sophomore Kent Shelby (4 catches for 108 yards) before getting injured in third game of the season last year) is expected to be Sams' top target of the wideouts but senior David Bush (18 catches for 195 yards) and redshirt freshmen Keylon Highshaw (6-5, 208) and Tavarious Battiste (5-10, 173) are expected to get some balls thrown to them.
 
Defensively, McNeese is replacing all four defensive starters from last year. The lone returning starter, senior Brian Hine, will miss the game due to a knee injury. The front four now consist of sophomores Anthony Yruegas (6-2, 288) and Isaiah Golden (6-2, 335) in the middle with senior Cameron Smith (6-3, 238) and sophomore Jammerio Gross (6-3, 240) on the ends.
 
The strength of the defense is expected to be the backfield where three starters return – Gabe Hamner (6-0, 200), Dominique Hill (5-10, 177), and preseason all-American Brent Spikes (6-1, 201) – along with a fourth, Wallace Scott (6-1, 211), who started at linebacker last season but is making a return to his initial position at free safety.
 
Preseason all-conference linebacker Bo Brown (6-1, 216) will head up a physical backer position that also includes sophomores Ashari Goins (5-10, 200), Christian Jacobs (5-11, 204) and Ed Duplessis (6-2, 206).
 
Senior Jean Breaux will assume the punting and kickoff duties while redshirt freshman Trent Manuel will handle field goals and extra point kicks.
 
LSU posted an 8-5 record last year but possesses one of the most talented teams in the nation, including sophomore running back sensation Leonard Fournette who rushed for 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns as a true freshman in 2014.
 
The Cowboys will enter the game ranked No. 23 in the FCS Coaches Poll and 25^th in the STATS media top 25 while LSU is 13^th in the Amway Coaches and 14^th in the AP poll.
 
WORTH NOTING: McNeese is 8-23-1 all-time against members of the FBS… head coach Matt Viator is 5-3 in season openers and 2-3 against FBS members… McNeese DB Dominique Hill is the son of former LSU tight end Chris Hill… LSU wide receiver Trey Quinn is the grandson of former McNeese head coach Bobby Keasler, the school's all-time winningest coach… LSU has the nation's longest regular-season non-conference winning streak at 49 games and have won 43 straight against non-SEC teams in Tiger Stadium… both teams will remember the 10^th anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita by wearing special decals on the helmet backs.