LAFAYETTE – McNeese quarterback James Tabary threw for 237 yards on 25 of 38 passing but missed most of the first and some of the second quarter due to an injury he suffered at the end of the Cowboys' first possession, but Louisiana-Lafayette controlled the third quarter to down the Cowboys 30-22 in front of 26,891 here Saturday night.
 
The Cowboys (1-1), who saw their 11-game regular season win streak snapped, compiled 364 total yards of offense with just 63 of those coming in the third quarter as ULL (1-1) scored 13 straight points after McNeese gained a 15-14 lead after a Trent Manuel 28-yard field goal with 9:31 to play in the quarter.
 
"I told the team it was going to be a fist fight," said head coach Lance Guidry. "I said whoever was going to be the most physical team was going to win and I thought they were more physical."
 
Ryan Ross led the Cowboys with 118 yards rushing on 21 carries to mark his fourth 100-yard rushing game in his career.
 
The Cajuns got a balanced attack from quarterback Anthony Jennings who threw for 170 yards on 15 of 21 passing with a touchdown, and ran for another 47 yards and two scores.
 
ULL running back Elijah McGuire picked up 139 yards on 19 carries to lead all rushers.
 
"He really ran hard. He ran possessed and we just didn't tackle," said Guidry. "Anytime they run the football like that, they're going to have the pass and the run."
 
The Cajuns finished with 220 yards on the ground and 170 through the air.
 
McNeese got on the board first on a 33-yard Manuel field goal after Tabary marched the Cowboys down the field with ease. But after taking a hard sack for a loss of 12 prior to the field goal, Tabary would sit out the next three series after suffering a mild injury from that sack.
 
Grant Ashcraft entered and on the second play of his first series, his lateral pass to Ross was in line with the sun and Ross fumbled it allowing ULL to recover on the McNeese 17.
 
On the ensuing play, Jennings found Ja'Marcus Bradley for a 17-yard touchdown pass to put the Cajuns up 7-3.
 
"That was a big turning point of the game," said Guidry. "We gave them an easy one on that swing pass and they hit the next play."
 
Two possessions later, Ashcraft marched the Cowboys down the field but the drive stalled at the 23-yard line where Manuel sank a 40-yard field goal, his second of three on the night, to cut the lead to 7-6.
 
Jennings put his Cajuns up 14-6 on a 3-yard run with 6:14 to play but McNeese, with Tabary back in the game, went 75 yards on 13 plays in 5:44 to cut the margin to 14-12 after the two-point conversion failed.
 
After Manuel's third field goal put McNeese up 15-14 with 9:31 to play in the third quarter, a 7-yard touchdown run by Raymond Calais followed by a 5-yard Jennings TD run and a 17-yard field goal by Stevie Artigue, opened up a 30-15 lead for ULL.
 
McNeese answered with a 3-yard touchdown run by Dylan Long, the second score of the night for the senior, to cut the margin to 30-22, but the onside kick attempt was recovered by the Cajuns who ran out the clock for the win.
 
"Everything can be corrected," said Guidry. "We just have to play with more intensity. In our conference, there are the Sam Houston's of the world so we'll have to play more physical."
 
The Cowboys open Southland Conference play next Saturday at home against Stephen F. Austin.