On the surface the Southeastern Louisiana and McNeese State programs don’t seem to share much aside from the same state and helmet color.

SLU (3-1, 2-0 Southland Conference) is built largely from Division I and junior college transfers — almost half of the roster came to Hammond from that route — while McNeese (4-0, 3-0) prefers to build from high school recruits and sprinkle transfers in as needed.

The Cowboys have been married to the 4-2-5 defense for decades, while the Lions mold their defense around a monstrous three-man front that eats up space for the eight speed demons behind them.

McNeese is the old money of the SLC with 13 championships since joining the league in 1972. SLU is the Gatsby-like nouveau riche, coming out of nowhere to win the last two titles.

Yet, in reality, the two teams have plenty in common. For all their differences in team-building and schemes, both adhere to the same principle: you win by establishing the run on offense and aggressively blitzing to stifle it on defense.

“I think there’s a lot of similarities philosophically, if not schematically, how (we both) get it done,” said Lions coach Ron Roberts. “Both teams have done a great job of running to the football, and traditionally that’s what wins. That’s why McNeese has always competed year in and year out the last 20-however-many years, because they’ve always done that.

“We may do it differently, but we’re going to find a way to play great defense and run the ball to protect our defense and protect the field.”

McNeese ranks first in the conference in run defense (76.2 ypg) and second in run offense (247.2 ypg) and SLU is second in run defense (102.5 ypg) and first in run offense (252.2 ypg).

Defensively the Lions return the majority of a secondary that allowed the lowest passing efficiency in the country a year ago.

All-American cornerback Harlan Miller leads a group that includes fellow all-Southland pick Denzel Thompson at the other corner spot and former LSU Tigers Micah Eugene and JQ Sandolph at safety. Nickelback Jordan Batiste was a two-time all-Conference USA honorable mention at Tulane.

It is no surprise then that the Lions lead the league with nine interceptions and 14 turnovers.

Despite all those takeaways, the Lions offense has not yet had a breakout game putting points on the board because it has 11 turnovers of its own.

The lack of starting quarterback D’Shaie Landor for the majority of two games may have something to do with the lack of flow.

Roberts admitted that he simplified things for Landor in the season opener, and then had to take a step back when the quarterback was knocked out of the Florida Tech game and sat out the following week at Ohio.

After throwing for fewer than 200 yards in their first three games, the Lions showed they have some passing to go along with their running attack as Landor went 12 of 20 for 283 yards and a touchdown last week against Lamar in his return from injury.

“He’s a little behind where we expected him to be because he missed a couple ballgames,” Roberts said. “I kind of handcuffed him in Game 1 because I didn’t want him starting off his career with mistakes. But then he misses (games) 2 and 3. It’s not his fault he’s behind, but we saw the tip of what he’s capable of (against Lamar).

“That’s why it was huge to get him back on the field. I don’t think anybody in our locker room questions our ability to throw, but based on what they had seen on Saturdays, people on the outside had questioned our ability to be able to do these things. We’re now confident throwing the football, and that will be huge going up against McNeese’s defense with the way they’re playing.”

(Rick Hickman/American Press)