Today’s game
UCA AT McNEESE STATE
WHEN 6 p.m. Central
WHERE Cowboy Stadium, Lake Charles, La.
RECORDS UCA 5-2, 4-1; MSU 5-2, 4-1 COACHES Nathan Brown (5-2 in first season at UCA and overall); Lance Guidry (20-9 in third season at MSU and overall)
SERIES UCA leads 6-5
LAST MEETING 2017: UCA 47, MSU 17 RADIO KUCA-FM, 91.3, in Conway; KKPT-FM, 94.1, in Little Rock INTERNET ucasports.com/KUCA
WHEN UCA HAS THE BALL Redshirt freshman quarterback Luke Hales leads an offense that ranks first in the Southland Conference in points scored with an average of 35.4 a game. UCA is third in the Southland in total offense with an average of 427.4 yards but will face a McNeese State defense that leads the conference in fewest total yards allowed with an average of 334.3 yards a game. Hales’ passing is balanced by UCA’s three-man running back committee of junior Carlos Blackman, sophomore Kierre Crossley, and senior Cedric Battle. Blackman is third in the conference in rushing with 521 yards in seven games. Crossley is ninth with 403. Battle ranks fifth with an average kickoff return of 22.3 yards. Senior receiver Lester Wells is fourth in the conference with 41 receptions for 481 yards and 3 touchdowns.
WHEN MCNEESE STATE HAS THE BALL MSU tries to establish the run first but has struggled offensively behind a revamped offensive line. Whereas the Cowboys lead the Southland in defense, they are last in offense with an average of 300.0 yards a game. Only two schools in the conference average fewer than 400 yards a game. Senior quarterback James Tabary has passed for an average of 173.9 yards a game, but sophomore Cody Orgeron, son of LSU Coach Ed Orgeron, came off the bench for the second half to pass for 80 yards and one touchdown in the Cowboys’ 45-17 loss at Incarnate Word last Saturday. Justin Pratt leads McNeese State in rushing with 240 yards.
WHAT’S AT STAKE UCA is currently in a three-way tie for first place in the Southland Conference with McNeese State and Incarnate Word at 4-1 in conference play. Incarnate Word is scheduled to host Nichols State at 3 p.m. today.