The first thing every University of Maine football fan needs to know about this weekend’s playoff opponent is how to say its name.

McNeese State is pronounced MAC-Neeze, with the accent on the first syllable.

Coach Jack Cosgrove’s 8-2 Black Bears are bound for the bayou at Lake Charles, La., where they’ll end a 12-year postseason hiatus Saturday at 8 p.m. when they face the Southland Conference champions in a Division I-AA first-round game at Cowboy Stadium.

McNeese is no stranger to UMaine, which put a 35-7 hurt on the Cowboys at Orono in 1999. While the UMaine contingent isn’t attaching great significance to that outcome as it relates to this year’s game, it will serve as a motivator for the hosts.

“We have the game film and we didn’t burn it,” chuckled second-year McNeese coach Tommy Tate, who has been with the program for 27 years as a player and coach.

“I know they have some players on their team right now that played in that game and we do, too,” Tate said. “I’m sure Maine is feeling good about their draw.”

Tate didn’t admit it Monday, but he is looking forward to playing UMaine again. He was quoted in his local newspaper, the American Press, as saying, “We couldn’t have asked for a better first-round opponent because we are familiar with Maine and we didn’t have a very good experience when we went up there.”

McNeese should be a formidable opponent. The 8-3 Cowboys are making their second straight postseason appearance, and their fourth in five years, after winning the Southland’s automatic bid.

The Cowboys, much like UMaine, have been playing under playoff-like conditions for weeks.

“We had to win out,” said Tate, whose team lost its league opener. “We had five games to play and three of them were on the road. We really have had a lot of emotional games with a lot at stake in every one of those.”

McNeese has the benefit of postseason experience. Last season, the Cowboys lost a first-round game at eventual national champion Georgia Southern.

In 1998, Massachusetts traveled to Lake Charles and knocked off McNeese in the first round. The Cowboys had played for the national title in 1997, losing to Youngstown State.

“We really feel like right now we have the chance to be a good football team,” Tate said.

Defense has been the cornerstone of the Cowboys’ success. McNeese ranks third in the nation in total defense, allowing 253.6 yards per game. It is particularly stingy against the run, surrendering 85 yards per outing (5th in I-AA) and only 2.5 yards per carry.

McNeese also is fifth in pass efficiency defense with an 87.9 rating while allowing 169 yards per game. The Cowboys run a 4-2-5 scheme, which consists of two tackles, two ends, two linebackers and five defensive backs.

“We’ve been playing with that personnel for a long time here,” Tate said. “It’s very flexible. I think we can defend most formations with it.”

Heading up the unit are safeties Hadley Prince, Arthur Goodly and Joe Judge, along with linebackers Brad Archie and Ryan Garrison.

Prince, a 5-foot-9, 195-pounder, leads McNeese with 98 tackles and three interceptions. Judge (6-0, 198) has 87 tackles, including six sacks, and has blocked three kicks.

Archie checks in at 6-1, 227 pounds, and has posted 85 tackles for the Cowboys, who have given up 17.5 points per game.

“We try to create turnovers and try to have a lot of speed on the field and try to play physical,” Tate said.

McNeese features a steady offense that is designed to keep opponents guessing with a balanced run-pass mix. The Cowboys, who score 30.6 points per outing, have averaged 359 yards, 191 on the ground and 168 through the air.

Versatility is a key for a squad that lists four players on its depth chart at quarterback, tailback and fullback. In the backfield, Aaron Pierce is a capable runner with 697 yards (4.8 per carry), but sophomore Vick King has come on strong in recent weeks.

King (5-11, 194) has covered 592 yards (5.7 ypc) in 10 games, rolling up 489 of those on 78 carries in the last four games. He rushed for 211 yards in Saturday’s win over Jacksonville State (Ala.).

Another run threat is fullback Luke Lawton (291 yards, 5.7 ypg), who leads the Cowboys with seven touchdowns.

Slade Nagle runs the show at QB, having passed for 1,193 yards and 12 touchdowns on 58 percent accuracy. He has been intercepted 12 times.

“We’re at our best when we can spread the ball, establish a running game, and then we can throw the ball to the tight ends or the fullback or the running backs,” Tate said.

Nagle has numerous options as targets – 14 different players have caught passes – including wide receiver Jermaine Martin (41 receptions, 674 yds., 3 TDs), flanker Britt Broadhead (26-303-3), and WR B.J. Sams (25-460-4).

The Cowboys’ special teams feature punter David Latta (38.9 yards per kick) and their two placekickers have been inconsistent (combined 7-for-14 on field goals). Return man Sams averages a healthy 25 yards on kickoffs and 11.5 on punts.