2006 McNeese State Cowboys football team

2006 McNeese State Cowboys football
Southland champion
NCAA Division I First Round, L 6–31 vs. Montana
Conference	Southland Conference
Ranking
Sports Network	No. 21
Record	7–5 (5–1 Southland)
Head coach	Tommy Tate (7th season; first 4 games) Matt Viator (interim, games 5–12)
Offensive coordinator	Matt Viator (7th season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Ben Norton (1st season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Jason Rollins (2nd season)
Home stadium	Cowboy Stadium
Seasons ←  2005 2007  →

2006 Southland Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 21 McNeese State $^		5	–	1					7	–	5
Sam Houston State		4	–	2					6	–	5
Stephen F. Austin		4	–	2					4	–	7
Texas State		3	–	3					5	–	6
Nicholls State		2	–	4					4	–	7
Northwestern State		2	–	4					4	–	7
Southeastern Louisiana		1	–	5					2	–	9
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 2006 McNeese State Cowboys football team was an American football team that represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference (Southland) during the 2006 NCAA Division I FCS football season. In their seventh year under head coach Tommy Tate, the team compiled an overall record of 7–5, with a mark of 5–1 in conference play, and finished as Southland champion. The Cowboys advanced to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs and lost to Montana in the first round.

After a 1–4 start to the season, Tate was fired as head coach and replaced with Matt Viator as interim head coach. ^[1] After a 5–1 start as interim head coach, on November 13 Viator was named as permanent head coach of the Cowboys. ^[2]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 2	at South Florida *	No. 11	Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL	L 10–41	26,351	[3]
September 9	West Virginia Tech *	No. 16	Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA	W 76–0	12,127
September 23	at Toledo *	No. 13	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	L 7–41	20,057	[4]
September 30	South Dakota State *	No. 16	Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA	L 17–20	10,400	[5]
October 7	Southern Utah *		Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA	W 30–27	9,450	[6]
October 14	Texas State		Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA	L 17–27	11,640	[7]
October 21	at Stephen F. Austin		Homer Bryce Stadium Nacogdoches, TX	W 20–17	8,754	[8]
October 28	at Sam Houston State		Bowers Stadium Huntsville, TX	W 31–18	10,018	[9]
November 4	Southeastern Louisiana		Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA	W 34–13	9,834	[10]
November 11	at Northwestern State		Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	W 29–26 OT	11,218	[11]
November 18	Nicholls State		Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA	W 26–10	11,842	[12]
November 25	at No. 2 Montana *	No. 22	Washington–Grizzly Stadium Missoula, MT (NCAA Division I First Round)	L 6–31	20,077	[13]
*Non-conference game Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "McNeese replaces coach". Omaha World-Herald. October 4, 2006. Retrieved March 8, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
2. "MSU names Viator as head football coach". Daily World. November 14, 2006. Retrieved March 8, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
3. "Bulls win easily despite losing Julmiste, Plancher". The Naples Daily News. September 3, 2006. Retrieved March 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
4. "Toledo 41, McNeese St. 7". The Shreveport Times. September 24, 2006. Retrieved March 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
5. "SDSU shocks No. 16 McNeese". Argus-Leader. October 1, 2006. Retrieved March 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
6. "T-Birds come up just short". The Daily Spectrum. October 8, 2006. Retrieved March 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
7. "Turnovers help lift Bobcats on road". Austin American-Statesman. October 15, 2006. Retrieved March 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
8. "McNeese St. edges Lumberjacks, 20–17". The Tyler Courier-Times. October 22, 2006. Retrieved March 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
9. "McNeese St. 31, Sam Houston St. 18". The News-Star. October 29, 2006. Retrieved March 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
10. "McNeese State 34, Southeastern Louisiana 13". The Shreveport Times. November 5, 2006. Retrieved March 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
11. "Another close one gets away from NSU in loss to McNeese". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. November 12, 2006. Retrieved March 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
12. "McNeese defeat Nicholls". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. November 19, 2006. Retrieved March 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
13. "Montana dominates Cowboys in all phases of game". Great Falls Tribune. November 26, 2006. Retrieved March 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.