Though BYU is now ranked and just had a humongous win at Wisconsin, its next opponent apparently isn’t quaking in their cleats.
And that’s the case even though McNeese State, an FCS program, plays in a lower NCAA subdivision than the Cougars.
“We are going to get off the plane and go play,” McNeese State Cowboys quarterback James Tabary told The Daily Iberian. “We won’t be scared. We are looking forward to playing in that type of an environment.”
McNeese coach Lance Guidry believes his underdog squad will be prepared for the challenge.
“I don’t ever worry about getting our guys up to play,” Guidry told AmericanPress.com this week. “Our guys think they’re going to win. They really do. We as coaches think we’re going to win. We think we’re just as good of coaches as anybody else and our players think they’re just as good of players as anybody else.”
The Cowboys, whose school is located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, bring a 3-0 record into this Saturday’s showdown at LaVell Edwards Stadium. They also have confidence from previously giving some big-name FBS teams a challenge in money games.
I don’t ever worry about getting our guys up to play. Our guys think they’re going to win. They really do. – McNeese State head coach Lance Guidry
Guidry predicted that BYU coach Kalani Sitake would tell his players about McNeese State losing to 19th-ranked Nebraska in 2014 on a last-second touchdown. In 2008, the Cowboys lost by a touchdown at North Carolina but only after a late 82-yard punt return and a 52-yard touchdown pass. In 2001, McNeese State had a 24-10 lead at Texas A&M before the Aggies rallied for a 38-24 victory.
“I’m smart enough to know that this is lagniappe,” said Guidry, who admitted his team’s season won’t be ruined by a loss in Provo. “It’s extra if we get it done, plus we get a big check.”
Here’s how The Daily Iberian described Saturday’s matchup:
Saturday McNeese takes on Brigham Young University, which back in the day before Twitter, the internet or even cell phones, was a great football program. The Cougars had their share of All-Americans, especially at quarterback.
Jim McMahon, Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young and Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer all played a part in the air circus that helped change college football forever.
“They have a great history there,” McNeese head coach Lance Guidry said. “They were one of the great programs.”
These are not your father’s Cougars that McNeese will face. They are, much like the Cowboys, searching for attention in a crowded world of college football.