| 2002McNeese 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 |
Seasons | |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2McNeese State $^ | 6 | – | 0 | 13 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16Northwestern State ^ | 4 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 23Nicholls 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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The2002 McNeese State Cowboys football team representedMcNeese State University as a member of theSouthland Football League during the2002 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by third-year head coachTommy 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 theNCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, beatingMontana State in the first round,Montana in the quarterfinals, andVillanova in the semifinals, before losing toWestern Kentucky in theNCAA Division I-AA Championship Game. The team played home games atCowboy Stadium inLake Charles, Louisiana.
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 31 | No. 10Grambling State* | No. 11 | W 52–20 | 20,300 | [1] | |
| September 7 | at No. 8Youngstown State* | No. 6 | W 28–13 | 17,829 | [2] | |
| September 14 | atLouisiana–Monroe* | No. 3 | W 24–19 | 10,091 | [3] | |
| September 28 | Western Kentucky* | No. 2 |
| W 38–13 | 16,840 | [4] |
| October 5 | atNebraska* | No. 2 | L 14–38 | 77,192 | [5] | |
| October 19 | Jacksonville State | No. 2 |
| W 28–20 | 15,600 | [6] |
| October 26 | atSam Houston State | No. 2 | W 47–10 | 6,110 | [7] | |
| November 2 | Stephen F. Austin | No. 2 | W 42–13 | 8,437 | [8] | |
| November 9 | Southwest Texas State | No. 2 |
| W 47–7 | 15,200 | [9] |
| November 16 | at No. 7Northwestern State | No. 2 | W 27–3 | 17,031 | [10] | |
| November 23 | No. 17Nicholls State | No. 1 |
| W 33–21 | 8,221 | [11] |
| November 30 | No. 24Montana State* | No. 1 |
| W 21–14 | 16,211 | [12] |
| December 7 | No. 9Montana* | No. 1 |
| W 24–20 | 15,758 | [13] |
| December 14 | No. 12Villanova* | No. 1 |
| W 39–28 | 16,517 | [14] |
| December 20 | No. 15 Western Kentucky* | No. 1 | L 14–34 | 12,360 | [15] | |
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