McNeese State faces formidable task against Miami.

Byline: Andrea Szulszteyn

CORAL GABLES, Fla. _ Cancel the Cecil Collins comments. McNeese State has done a lot more than allow Collins on its football team two years ago.

McNeese State, with an enrollment of 8,000 in Lake Charles, La., is one of the better Division I-AA schools in the country. In the 1990s, the Cowboys made the playoffs seven times, including a runner-up finish in 1997, and won four Southland conference championships.

Despite going 6-5 last year, McNeese State is ready to regroup with a new coach and new attitude this season.

First up on Thursday: the No. 5 University of Miami Hurricanes, their first Division I opponent since 1990. The game will not be televised live but can be seen tape delay on Fox Sports Net at 1 a.m.

"It is a great challenge our players are looking forward to," said first-year coach Tommy Tate. "It's one of those games where as a coach, you can't worry about Miami. We know what they can do. You're concerned about your team and how they play, and the effort our players give."

Effort alone probably won't be enough to beat the Hurricanes, who added McNeese State to their schedule last year to fill one of two open spots when East Carolina and Cincinnati asked to have their games rescheduled for a later year.