Louisiana College (3-1) vs #12 Hardin-Simmons(4-0) preview

Coming off by far their best defensive performance of the season in last week’s 35-7 conference opening win over Howard Payne, the Louisiana College Wildcats football team will need to be just as impressive against a 4-0 high powered, nationally ranked Hardin-Simmons team this weekend. The Cowboys will come to Pineville with a potent offense that ranks in the top 20 in all of Division III in passing offense (10th), scoring offense (T-11th), and total offense (18th). A major piece of the explosive Hardin-Simmons attack is the connection between quarterback Ryan Breton and receiver Reese Childress. Only a sophomore, Childress is piling up yards in chunks, as he leads the ASC in most receiving categories, and he ranks fourth in the NCAA in receiving yards per game with 155.8, with seven touchdowns.

 

On top of their season best performance last week, the Wildcats defense added to their conference lead with three more takeaways, giving them 18 on the year through four games.  The ball hawking LC secondary, including last week’s ASC Defensive Player of the Week Lecorey Demease, matching up with Childress and a talented group of HSU receivers could determine which team is able to come away with the victory this week.

With as explosive as Hardin-Simmons’ offense is the Louisiana College attack has been just as good under the helm of new offensive coordinator Ben McLaughlin and a return to form by quarterback Easton Melancon. The Wildcats are ranked 10th in the NCAA Division III in scoring offense at 47.8 points per game, 15th in passing offense, and 19th in total offense.  Melancon is third in Division III in passing yards per game and on of just three Division III quarterbacks averaging more than 400 yards per game through the air.  Melancon’s favorite target so far this year has been Shed Davis, who leads the team with 24 catches for 439 yards, but he has spread the ball around quite well to his other targets.  Lamar Carroway, Lawrence Williams, and Farron Jones all have over 200 yards receiving and Cole Crook is over 100 yards on the season.

A passing game that is so dynamic with so many options on every play also allows for the Wildcats to have the success they have had on the ground this year with a more experienced offensive line and the speed and power of running back Aurren Cooksey.  The senior from North DeSoto High School has turned in the best four game stretch of his career, including a career best 201 rushing yards last week against Howard Payne.  Cooksey has gone over 100 yards in three of the Wildcats four games this year and became just the third running back since the year 2000 to pass 2,000 career rushing yards. If Cooksey and the offensive reach at least 100 yards again this week, that would be the first time in his career Cooksey would rush for 100 plus yards in three consecutive games, and more importantly it would give the Wildcats a tremendous chance at winning the game.

 

Players to Watch

Aurren Cooksey

Cooksey is fresh off his career best 201-yard performance against Howard Payne, if he and the offensive line can establish the running game with some success, Melancon and the passing game will have a lot more room to work with over the top.

 

Willie Smith

With the Hardin-Simmons passing attack and the focus of Reese Childress, Willie Smith could be matched up with him all game.  Smith is a first team all-conference lock down corner and if he is able to cover Childress man-to-man throughout the game, which will hlep slow down the high-powered Cowboys offense.

 

Kickoff for the premiere game on the ASC schedule this week is set for 6pm at Wildcat Field on the Louisiana College campus. General admission tickets are available for $10 prior to the game and gates open at 4:30 pm.