McNeese eager going into opener

• Advocate news services
• Published: Sep 2, 2009

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LAKE CHARLES — McNeese State head football coach Matt Viator is looking toward Saturday’s opener with as much anticipation as his players.

The Cowboys host Henderson State in their opener and Viator said that he and his players both feel that it’s time to play against someone other than teammates.

“I’m really excited to get the season underway,” Viator said during his weekly news conference on Tuesday. “Henderson will come in with a big offensive line, and reminds me of Delta State (who the Cowboys played last year in their home opener).”

Henderson lost 54-38 to Southeastern Oklahoma State in its opener last week.

Viator said that his coaching staff’s biggest concern is getting the Cowboys ready to play.

The Cowboy defense will go up against a quarterback that has set school records in the past two seasons. Roch Charpentier, former Teurlings Catholic Northwestern State football player, passed for more than 4,000 yards last season for a Henderson State single-season record.

Charpentier saw limited action when he played for NSU against the Cowboys in 2006, being sacked once and netting three yards on two carries. He passed for 274 yards last week.

MSU quarterback Derrick Fourroux has a shot at school career records in total offense and passing this season. The Cowboys will also rely on tailback Toddrick Pendland, the Southland Conference’s outstanding offensive player a year ago who set a school single-season record for rushing.

Northwestern State

In Natchitoches, first-year head coach Bradley Dale Peveto put the Demons through a two-hour practice Tuesday afternoon in full gear at Turpin Stadium.

The 46-year-old Peveto makes his head coaching debut not far from where he grew up in the fabled Golden Triangle area of southeast Texas. Peveto played high school football for his father, the late Ed Peveto, at Orangefield High School located near Port Arthur.

Peveto spent spent four seasons (1999-2002). He was the Cougars’ assistant head coach in 2000 and co-defensive coordinator in 2001-02.