Cowboys down Colonels

LAKE CHARLES – McNeese’s Defense With Attitude resurrected itself on Saturday night against Nicholls while the offense continued to impress in the passing game as the Cowboys cruised to a 38-13 win in notching their ninth straight win over the Colonels.

The win improved the 22nd-ranked Cowboys to 3-2 on the season and 1-1 in Southland Conference play while Nicholls fell to 1-3 and 1-1 in the league.

The Colonels picked up 372 yards of total offense but only managed 31 on the ground on 28 rushing attempts. The DWA picked off two Colonel passes, returning one 27 yards for a touchdown for the first score of the game.

“We played all four quarters tonight,” said head coach Lance Guidry. “That’s how McNeese plays football. I’ve been surprised by the other football we’ve been playing. But this is how we play. I’m proud of the guys for bouncing back.”

Quarterback James Tabary threw for 376 yards on 27 of 44 passes with two touchdowns and an interception. It’s the second-most passing yards in a game in school history for a McNeese quarterback and his second 300-yard passing game of the season.

“The defense really helped us get going,” said Tabary. “The DWA was back and that really set the tone for the night.”

A total of 10 players caught passes with running back Ryan Ross leading the way with eight catches while Kylon Highshaw hauled in 84 receiving yards on two catches, one coming on an 80-yard catch and run on the last scoring play of the night for the Cowboys.

Ross added 19 yards on the ground with two touchdowns and Lawayne Ross led the team with 30 yards rushing on six carries.

The Cowboys rolled up 447 total offensive yards on the night, averaging 6.4 yards gained per play.

McNeese struck first when Andre Fuller intercepted a Chase Fourcade pass after it was tipped by Khalil Thomas, and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown to give the Cowboys a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Nicholls, who struggled all night with a running game that came into the night averaging 165 yards per contest, was held out of the endzone until the end of the fourth quarter and only managed to get two field goals of 23 and 33 yards by David McKey.

Second quarter touchdowns by Ross (4 yards) and an 8-yard TD reception by Parker Orgeron, the first of his collegiate career, helped McNeese build a 21-3 halftime lead.

Ross added an 11-yard touchdown run with 5:17 to play in the third quarter to make it 28-6 then Gunnar Raborn split the uprights on a 37-yard field goal with 13:35 to play in the fourth quarter to put McNeese up 31-7.

The Cowboys got their second interception of the night from Damion Morgan in the second quarter that led to a McNeese touchdown.

Fourcade completed 25 of 47 passes for 341 yards and two interceptions for the Colonels. His top target was C.J. Bates who had eight catches for 94 yards.

WORTH NOTING:
• Kylon Highshaw, Parker Orgeron and Andre Fuller scored their first career touchdowns in the game.
• Kent Shelby extended his streak to 19 straight games catching a pass.
• James Tabary has thrown for 200 yards or more all five games this season, extending his own school record for most 200-yard passing games to start a season.
• 10 or more players caught a pass in a game for the third time this season.
• McNeese has scored a defensive touchdown in two straight games.
• After going the first three games without intercepting a pass, the Cowboys have picked off three in the last two games.
• Saturday’s attendance was 10,130.