LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA (September 19, 2009) The top two running backs in the nation will be on display tonight when McNeese State hosts Savannah State in a FCS non-conference game. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Cowboy Stadium.
No. 8 ranked McNeese is 2-0 on the season and coming off a 40-35 road victory over then No.2 ranked Appalachian State while Savannah is 1-1 and dropped a three point decision to Alabama State last week.
Toddrick Pendland, who has been instrumental in McNeese’s two victories this season, ranks No. 4 in the nation with a 139.5 yards per game average while Justin Babb has been just as significant in the Savannah offense as he’s averaging 153.5 yards per game rushing and is ranked No. 2 in the nation.
Pendland, a senior from Newton, TX, became the first Cowboy to ever run for more than 100 yards and catch passes for more than 100 yards in a single game when he did it in McNeese’s win over Appalachian State. For his effort he was named the national player of the week by The Sports Network. He also enters the game as the nation’s leading scorer with a 17 point per game average. He scored 20 points against Appalachian.
The Cowboy offense, which netted 522 total yards against Appalachian State, is also led by quarterback Derrick Fourroux. He’s been a solid performer under center in the first two games, completing 69 percent of his passes for 525 yards and four tds and averaging 304 yards per game total offense.
Savannah alternates a pair of quarterbacks, Kurvin Curry who has completed 17 of 28 passes for 225 yards and A. J. DeFilippis who has hit on 10 of 14.
McNeese’s lead receivers are Pendland, wide out Chad Davis and tight ends Corday Clark and Wes Mangan. Pendland has caught 14 passes for 155 yards and two tds, Davis has seven catches for 118 yards, Clark six catches for 137 yards and a score and Mangan five for 29 yards and a td.
Savannah State has one of the nation’s top 10 running games as the Tigers are averaging 237.5 yards a contest.
In its first two games this season, McNeese produced game winning scores late in the contest. Fourroux went over from four yards out in the final minute of play in the 27-24 triumph over Henderson State and rookie place kicker Josh Lewis booted an 18 yard field goals with only four seconds left to give the Cowboys the winning points against Appalachian State.
Next week the Cowboys travel to New Orleans to tackle Tulane and will then have an open date before starting Southland Conference play on Oct. 10 on the road against Stephen F. Austin.
COWBOY NOTES: McNeese will recognize most valuable athletes from the 2008-09 season at halftime of Saturday’s game. Those MVPs were John Pichon in men’s basketball, Shante’ Perry in women’s basketball, Toddrick Pendland in football, Kamryn Koch in soccer, Bethany Stefinsky in softball, Sarah Cartie in volleyball, Victoria Martinez in tennis,Taylor Freeman in baseball, Cory Vincent in men’s golf, Maggie Welch in women’s golf, Ben Chretien in men’s track and DeAnn Washington in women’s track.
FORMER COWBOYS AGAINST EACH OTHER: Former Cowboys Quinten Lawrence, Luke Lawton and Adam Henry will go against each other this weekend when Kansas City and Oakland meet in a NFL football game. Lawrence is a wide receiver and kick returner for Kansas City while Lawton plays fullback and Henry is the tight ends coach for Oakland.
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