Lance Guidry said it best. “A 6-5 season is not good enough at McNeese. Just having a winning season is not our goal.”
But 6-5 is where the Cowboys ended up after their season-ending 41-10 dismantling of a Lamar team that had fallen to the lower depths of the Southland Conference after a record-setting number of injuries. (They nearly ran out of quarterbacks to play.)
Guidry, in his first year as the head coach, said he doesn’t play the “woulda, coulda, shoulda” game when he’s looking back on a season that had its fill of ups and downs. He does agree that this year tilted sideways after the early conference home loss to Stephen F. Austin, coupled with the last-second heart-breaking defeat at Southeastern Louisiana.
I knew soon after the SFA game the Cowboys would be hard-pressed to make up that lost ground on the road. Their best shot was a win in Hammond, and it was there for the taking, but, well, you know the rest of that story. “There are good coaches on both sides and both teams want to win,” said Guidry. “We just came up on the short end of the stick twice this year in games we should have won, which were Stephen F. and Southeastern.”
Who knows what kind of lift an upset of U.L. Lafayette would have given the Cowboys going into the Stephen F. Austin game, but the 8-point loss to the Cajuns did not put this squad in a funk. They played hard and tough at Cajun Field, and it may have been a different ending if star quarterback James Tabary was not sidelined for some critical first-half series with an injury.
Tabary, and his near-record-setting passing, was the story of the season and a huge building block for 2017. More on that later.
Tabary’s success through the air was offset somewhat by McNeese’s uncharacteristic inability to run the ball in the first half during the year. The Cowboys couldn’t get anywhere near 100 yards rushing per game until later in the season. That didn’t bode well.
“It was (a problem early on),” Guidry explained. “Our offensive line had to grow up, and we had to threaten people big-time throwing the ball. Ryan Ross had some fumbling problems early, and it all kind of added up.”
As if Southeastern’s last-second heave downfield that was tipped into a streaking receiver’s hand for the game-winner wasn’t enough, then came the next week and Central Arkansas.
Facing the second best team in the conference was hard enough. But hours before kick-off, Guidry learned that his older brother had passed away unexpectedly in Georgia. That personal loss, and the burden he carried to the sideline that night, was made more difficult after McNeese endured five turnovers en route to a 35-0 torching by UCA.
At that point, any hope for post-season play was lost, especially given the way Sam Houston and Central Arkansas were playing.
But the unforgiving game of football does throw you a few bones if you keep grinding. That was evident with McNeese winning three of their final four. The lone loss was a back-and-forth offensive slugfest at Sam Houston in which the Cowboys did well to overcome a 28-9 half-time deficit to go on to lose 56-43.
Lady Luck was on the Cowboys’ side when it came to injuries this year, as receiver Kent Shelby was the only starter to miss significant time. But when it came to lucky bounces — not so much. “Last year, we won a bunch of close games,” said Guidry. “We got the bounces last year. We were lucky a lot last year (a 10-0, SLC championship season). But you have to be lucky in football. Football is crazy sometimes. But one thing you have to do is keep grinding and keep working and hopefully the ball will bounce your way.”
As with any season, there is a physical toll. This year, the emotional upheaval of life and the harsh realities of death engulfed Guidry and the program. “Mostly, I need some rest,” he said. “I’ve been through a lot of stuff this year, personally. From the get-go, [there was] the death of a former teammate. And that was really hard for me and the players. It’s been a lot of ups and downs.”
That former player was former All SLC defensive back Aaron Sam, who was shot and killed during an alleged house invasion earlier this year. To make matters worse, last year’s star quarterback, Daniel Sams, has been implicated and charged as an accessory after the fact in the case.
Guidry, who has been strong, resilient and focused during the lows of the season, expressed his pride in how the team stayed together and toughed out those down-the-stretch victories.
Unlike last year, we won’t have the play-offs to dissect. The Cowboys will be home for the holidays, allowing the coaches and returning players to decompress and let their minds wander toward next spring.
As I noted earlier, Tabary will be the epicenter of the offense going forward. He set single-season records for completions and attempts, and nearly broke Blake Prejean’s 19-year-old record for most single-season passing yards.
Tabary, a New Orleans native who transferred in this year from Arkansas State, finished with an impressive 3,033 yards. He’s only the second quarterback in school history to exceed the 3,000-yard mark in a season.
The passing attack will only expand with him at the helm in 2017. And the junior-to-be welcomes even more of a leadership role. “I take pride in it. I love being a leader. The guys around me really embrace it and allow me to be that guy. We have a lot of leaders on this team, both offensively and defensively.”
Guidry and his star quarterback have every reason to be excited about this team for next season. The bevy of talented receivers and running backs will return. A deep defensive line that was just beginning to find its ability to pressure quarterbacks from mid-season on will again be a strength. The linebackers come back as seniors with more experience and a high level of skill. The defense will lose only one cornerback (Khalil Thomas), and the staff is expecting improvement from the five safeties coming back, including the secondary’s leader in Dominque Hill.
The kicking game will be in the capable hands of Gunnar Raborn and punter Michael Mack.
The real work begins and ends with an offensive line that loses two veteran starters in center Mason Martin and guard Thor Miller. “Yeah, it really does,” Guidry admitted. “We got a couple of young kids in place who will step up. But we have to go out and get a couple of experienced guys (possible transfers), because I think we can really be dynamic offensively — maybe as good as we have ever been here, I think. With the quarterback and the kind of year he had and all those wide receivers and all those running backs … We will have to have some tight ends step up.
“I am really excited offensively and defensively. I think we can be as good as we were a couple of years ago. We should be hitting on all cylinders next year.”
With some luck and a few bounces, of course.
Lance Guidry said it best. “A 6-5 season is not good enough at McNeese. Just having a winning season is not our goal.”
But 6-5 is where the Cowboys ended up after their season-ending 41-10 dismantling of a Lamar team that had fallen to the lower depths of the Southland Conference after a record-setting number of injuries. (They nearly ran out of quarterbacks to play.)
Guidry, in his first year as the head coach, said he doesn’t play the “woulda, coulda, shoulda” game when he’s looking back on a season that had its fill of ups and downs. He does agree that this year tilted sideways after the early conference home loss to Stephen F. Austin, coupled with the last-second heart-breaking defeat at Southeastern Louisiana.
I knew soon after the SFA game the Cowboys would be hard-pressed to make up that lost ground on the road. Their best shot was a win in Hammond, and it was there for the taking, but, well, you know the rest of that story. “There are good coaches on both sides and both teams want to win,” said Guidry. “We just came up on the short end of the stick twice this year in games we should have won, which were Stephen F. and Southeastern.”
Who knows what kind of lift an upset of U.L. Lafayette would have given the Cowboys going into the Stephen F. Austin game, but the 8-point loss to the Cajuns did not put this squad in a funk. They played hard and tough at Cajun Field, and it may have been a different ending if star quarterback James Tabary was not sidelined for some critical first-half series with an injury.
Tabary, and his near-record-setting passing, was the story of the season and a huge building block for 2017. More on that later.
Tabary’s success through the air was offset somewhat by McNeese’s uncharacteristic inability to run the ball in the first half during the year. The Cowboys couldn’t get anywhere near 100 yards rushing per game until later in the season. That didn’t bode well.
“It was (a problem early on),” Guidry explained. “Our offensive line had to grow up, and we had to threaten people big-time throwing the ball. Ryan Ross had some fumbling problems early, and it all kind of added up.”
As if Southeastern’s last-second heave downfield that was tipped into a streaking receiver’s hand for the game-winner wasn’t enough, then came the next week and Central Arkansas.
Facing the second best team in the conference was hard enough. But hours before kick-off, Guidry learned that his older brother had passed away unexpectedly in Georgia. That personal loss, and the burden he carried to the sideline that night, was made more difficult after McNeese endured five turnovers en route to a 35-0 torching by UCA.
At that point, any hope for post-season play was lost, especially given the way Sam Houston and Central Arkansas were playing.
But the unforgiving game of football does throw you a few bones if you keep grinding. That was evident with McNeese winning three of their final four. The lone loss was a back-and-forth offensive slugfest at Sam Houston in which the Cowboys did well to overcome a 28-9 half-time deficit to go on to lose 56-43.
Lady Luck was on the Cowboys’ side when it came to injuries this year, as receiver Kent Shelby was the only starter to miss significant time. But when it came to lucky bounces — not so much. “Last year, we won a bunch of close games,” said Guidry. “We got the bounces last year. We were lucky a lot last year (a 10-0, SLC championship season). But you have to be lucky in football. Football is crazy sometimes. But one thing you have to do is keep grinding and keep working and hopefully the ball will bounce your way.”
As with any season, there is a physical toll. This year, the emotional upheaval of life and the harsh realities of death engulfed Guidry and the program. “Mostly, I need some rest,” he said. “I’ve been through a lot of stuff this year, personally. From the get-go, [there was] the death of a former teammate. And that was really hard for me and the players. It’s been a lot of ups and downs.”
That former player was former All SLC defensive back Aaron Sam, who was shot and killed during an alleged house invasion earlier this year. To make matters worse, last year’s star quarterback, Daniel Sams, has been implicated and charged as an accessory after the fact in the case.
Guidry, who has been strong, resilient and focused during the lows of the season, expressed his pride in how the team stayed together and toughed out those down-the-stretch victories.
Unlike last year, we won’t have the play-offs to dissect. The Cowboys will be home for the holidays, allowing the coaches and returning players to decompress and let their minds wander toward next spring.
As I noted earlier, Tabary will be the epicenter of the offense going forward. He set single-season records for completions and attempts, and nearly broke Blake Prejean’s 19-year-old record for most single-season passing yards.
Tabary, a New Orleans native who transferred in this year from Arkansas State, finished with an impressive 3,033 yards. He’s only the second quarterback in school history to exceed the 3,000-yard mark in a season.
The passing attack will only expand with him at the helm in 2017. And the junior-to-be welcomes even more of a leadership role. “I take pride in it. I love being a leader. The guys around me really embrace it and allow me to be that guy. We have a lot of leaders on this team, both offensively and defensively.”
Guidry and his star quarterback have every reason to be excited about this team for next season. The bevy of talented receivers and running backs will return. A deep defensive line that was just beginning to find its ability to pressure quarterbacks from mid-season on will again be a strength. The linebackers come back as seniors with more experience and a high level of skill. The defense will lose only one cornerback (Khalil Thomas), and the staff is expecting improvement from the five safeties coming back, including the secondary’s leader in Dominque Hill.
The kicking game will be in the capable hands of Gunnar Raborn and punter Michael Mack.
The real work begins and ends with an offensive line that loses two veteran starters in center Mason Martin and guard Thor Miller. “Yeah, it really does,” Guidry admitted. “We got a couple of young kids in place who will step up. But we have to go out and get a couple of experienced guys (possible transfers), because I think we can really be dynamic offensively — maybe as good as we have ever been here, I think. With the quarterback and the kind of year he had and all those wide receivers and all those running backs … We will have to have some tight ends step up.
“I am really excited offensively and defensively. I think we can be as good as we were a couple of years ago. We should be hitting on all cylinders next year.”
With some luck and a few bounces, of course.
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