2002 McNeese State Cowboys football team
| 2002 McNeese State Cowboys football | |
|---|---|
Southland champion | |
NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game, L 14–34 vs. Western Kentucky | |
| Conference | Southland Football League |
| Ranking | |
| Sports Network | No. 2 |
| Record | 13–2 (6–0 Southland) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Matt Viator (3rd season) |
| Defensive coordinator | Lance Guidry (1st season) |
| Home stadium | Cowboy Stadium |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 McNeese State $^ | 6 | – | 0 | 13 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16 Northwestern State ^ | 4 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 23 Nicholls State | 3 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stephen F. Austin | 3 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jacksonville State | 2 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sam Houston State | 2 | – | 4 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southwest Texas State | 1 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2002 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Football League during the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by third-year head coach Tommy Tate, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 13–2 with a mark of 6–0 in conference play, winning the Southland title. McNeese State advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, beating Montana State in the first round, Montana in the quarterfinals, and Villanova in the semifinals, before losing to Western Kentucky in the NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game. The team played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 31 | No. 10 Grambling State* | No. 11 | W 52–20 | 20,300 | [1] | |
| September 7 | at No. 8 Youngstown State* | No. 6 | W 28–13 | 17,829 | ||
| September 14 | at Louisiana–Monroe* | No. 3 | W 24–19 | 10,091 | ||
| September 28 | Western Kentucky* | No. 2 |
| W 38–13 | 16,840 | |
| October 5 | at Nebraska* | No. 2 | L 14–38 | 77,192 | ||
| October 19 | Jacksonville State | No. 2 |
| W 28–20 | 15,600 | |
| October 26 | at Sam Houston State | No. 2 | W 47–10 | 6,110 | [2] | |
| November 2 | Stephen F. Austin | No. 2 | W 42–13 | 8,437 | ||
| November 9 | Southwest Texas State | No. 2 |
| W 47–7 | 15,200 | [3] |
| November 16 | at No. 7 Northwestern State | No. 2 | W 27–3 | 17,031 | ||
| November 23 | No. 17 Nicholls State | No. 1 |
| W 33–21 | 8,221 | |
| November 30 | No. 24 Montana State* | No. 1 |
| W 21–14 | 16,211 | |
| December 7 | No. 9 Montana* | No. 1 |
| W 24–20 | 15,758 | |
| December 14 | No. 12 Villanova* | No. 1 |
| W 39–28 | 16,517 | [4] |
| December 20 | No. 15 Western Kentucky* | No. 1 | L 14–34 | 12,360 | ||
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References
- ^ "Cowboys give GSU a rough ride". The News-Star. September 1, 2002. Retrieved March 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "McNeese 47, SHS 10". Daily World. October 27, 2002. Retrieved December 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "McNeese State's King runs for two TDs in blowout of Southwest Texas". Austin American-Statesman. November 10, 2002. Retrieved March 17, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Villaova tumbles in I-AA seminfinals". The Philadelphia Inquirer. December 15, 2002. pp. D1, D4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "McNeese State - 2002 Football Schedule". McNeese State Sports. Retrieved January 30, 2019.