LAKE CHARLES – Antwon Wells ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns while Hayden Hildebrand threw for 252 yards and two scores as Central Arkansas handed McNeese its first shutout loss since 2001 after blanking the Cowboys 35-0 in Southland Conference play here Saturday night.
 
The 22^nd-ranked Bears (5-1, 4-0 SLC) racked up 483 offensive yards against the league's No. 2 defense. UCA, the conference's top defense, held the Cowboys to just 309 offensive yards on the night – 121 on the ground and 188 through the air.
 
Cowboys' quarterback James Tabary completed 8 of his first 9 passes of the game then connected on 9 of his next 26 the rest of the way as he was held without a td pass for just the second time this season.
 
McNeese turned the ball over five times on the night, four in the first half, but trailed just 14-0 at the half.
 
The Bears opened the game up in the second half with two quick scores to open up a 28-0 lead.
 
The first of the half was an 8-yard Wells run to make it 21-0 with 12:06 to play in the third quarter capping a 7-play, 74-yard drive.
 
On McNeese's next possession, the Cowboys faked a punt on a 4^th-and-5 from the UCA 48. Lawayne Ross took the snap and fumbled the ball that was recovered by UCA at the Cowboys' 38.
 
The Bears scored their fourth touchdown of the night three plays later on a 33-yard pass by Hildebrand to Jatavious Wilson to make it 28-0 with 9:20 to play in the quarter.
 
McNeese had a chance in the fourth quarter to snap the shutout but a drive that started at its own 20 ended at the UCA 13-yard line when and 4^th-and-1 attempt was stopped for no gain on a run by Ryan Ross.
 
UCA wasted little time in getting the final points on the board on its next possession. After Wells picked up 5 and 1 yards on back-to-back carries, Hildebrand found an open Roman Gordan for an 83-yard scoring strike with 8:01 remaining to make it 35-0.
 
In addition to it being the first shutout loss since 2001, is the first shutout loss against in a Southland Conference game since Oct. 15, 1988 against North Texas (37-0) and first time the Cowboys have been shutout at home since Oct. 3, 1987 against Arkansas State (17-0).
 
Ryan Ross led the Cowboys in rushing with 46 yards on 11 carries while Benjamin Jones added 25 yards and Justin Pratt 20.
 
A total of 12 players caught passes on the night, led by Parker Orgeron's 4 catches for 57 yards.
 
McNeese trailed 7-0 at the end of the first quarter despite coughing up the ball twice in the period, the first one on the opening drive of the game with McNeese driving inside the UCA 40 when Ross lost it on the end of a 6-yard gain on a pass from Tabary at the UCA 38.
 
Later, Lawayne Ross fumbled at the Cowboys' 32 and six plays later, UCA's Kelton Warren scored from four yards out to put the Bears up 7-0 with 5:52 to play in the quarter.
 
McNeese avoided an earlier score two possessions prior when Dominique Hill and Christian Jacobs stuffed Antwon Wells for a loss on a 4^th-and-goal attempt at the 1-yard line.
 
The Bears made good on another McNeese turnover – the third of the first half after Tabary's throwing arm was batted from behind by UCA's Cardell Best to allow cornerback Jaylon Lofton to intercept the pass. The Bears followed with runs of 13 and 10 yards by Wells, the latter ending in the end zone to put the Bears up 14-0 with 7:57 to play in the second.
 
McNeese will be back in action next Saturday at Northwestern State.