| Year: | 2012 |
| Team: | McNeese State Cowboys |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Southland Conference |
| Short Conf: | Southland |
| Record: | 7–4 |
| Conf Record: | 4–3 |
| Head Coach: | Matt Viator |
| Hc Year: | 7th |
| Off Coach: | Tim Leger |
| Oc Year: | 6th |
| Def Coach: | Mike Collins |
| Dc Year: | 2nd |
| Stadium: | Cowboy Stadium |
The 2012 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Matt Viator, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 7–4 with a mark of 4–3 in conference play, tying for fourth place in the Southland. McNeese State played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
See also: 2012 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team. Sources:
After Texas A&M bought out the 2012 game scheduled against McNeese State, the Cowboys were able to find a replacement to open the season in the form of the Blue Raiders. It will be the first ever meeting between the two schools.[4]
----The Cowboys look to get rid of a goose egg when they meet the D2 Independent War Hawks. McMurry and McNeese State have met twice before, in 1957 and 1958, with the War Hawks owning a 2–0 record against the Cowboys.[5]
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----See also: 2012 Weber State Wildcats football team. The Cowboys and Wildcats meet for the third time in 2012 with the series even at 1–1, the last having taken place in 1990 with Weber prevailing 27–7. The Wildcats will head to Lake Charles in 2013 as part of this home-and-home series.[6]
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----See also: 2012 Southeastern Louisiana Lions football team. SLC play begins with this match against the Lions. The Cowboys currently own a 22–15 record against the Lions.
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----See also: 2012 Northwestern State Demons football team. SLC play continues when the Demons and Cowboys meet with the Cowboys owning a 40–20–1 record against Northwestern State.
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----See also: 2012 Central Arkansas Bears football team. Central Arkansas heads to Cowboy Stadium in 2012. The Cowboys are 3–3 against the Bears.
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----See also: 2012 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team. The defending conference champions appear near the end of November. The Cowboys own a 24–8–1 record against Sam Houston State, but the Bearkats have won the recent games.
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----See also: 2012 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football team. An attempt to pull further away from the Lumberjacks takes place in this 2012 contest. The Cowboys own a 16–13–2 record against the Lumberjacks.
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----See also: 2012 Nicholls State Colonels football team. The Cowboys open November with the Colonels. It's the 37th meeting with the Cowboys owning a 25–11 advantage in the series.
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----See also: 2012 UTSA Roadrunners football team. The Roadrunners stand as the final non-conference team until playoff time comes for the Cowboys in 2012. It's the second meeting between the 2 with McNeese having won the 2011 match.
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----See also: 2012 Lamar Cardinals football team. The 31st meeting between the Cardinals and Cowboys closes the 2012 SLC season. The Cowboys own a 21–8–1 record against the Cardinals.
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----All McNeese State games will be broadcast on Gator 99.5 FM. KVHP 30.2 is the local affiliate for SLC TV and will air McNeese State games on SLC TV.