LAKE CHARLES – McNeese quarterback Cody Orgeron connected with Trevor Begue on a 33-yard touchdown pass with 2:21 to play to lift the Cowboys to a 38-34 Southland Conference win over No. 19 Southeastern Louisiana here Saturday evening.
 
The win evened the Cowboys' record to 3-3 on the season and 1-2 in the league. SLU lost for the first time in conference play, falling to 2-1 in the league in 3-2 in the conference.
 
"We had multiple guys come through in all three phases of the game," said head coach Sterlin Gilbert. "Multiple guys stepped up that came in and made plays and got results and were productive."
 
One of those big plays came in that game-winning drive that started on McNeese's own 11 when facing a third-and-13 at the 8, Orgeron handed off to Elijah Mack who barreled his way for the exact amount of yards to get the first down and keep the drive alive.
 
"That was a great check by Coach Gilbert," said Orgeron who completed 12 of 29 passes for 248 yards and his first-career three touchdown game. "They (SLU) stacked five in the box and checked off into the run and Mack did a great job of fighting for the yards."
 
Three plays later with the ball at the McNeese 31, Orgeron found Rhashid Bonnette on the sideline who made a remarkable over the shoulder catch in coverage for a 34-yard gain.
 
"That was a vertical route that Roddy made a great grab on," said Orgeron.
 
A 2-yard pickup by Mack then an incomplete pass was followed by the game-winning strike to Begue.
 
"Tonight it was about finish and battle, finish and battle, and we were able to do that on both sides," said Gilbert.
 
The Lions had one last attempt to win the game but the Cowboys' defense forced them into a turnover on downs to retake the possession with 1:35.
 
Mack finished the game with a career-high 142 yards rushing on 28 carries and two touchdowns and J'Cobi Skinner added 66 yards on 18 carries.
 
McNeese scored the game's first 10 points on a 20-yard Orgeron pass to Davion Curtis then a 21-yard Bailey Raborn field goal.
 
Both scores were set up by turnovers created by the defense. First, a Justin Jackson pick and return of 22 yards to set up the Cowboys at the SLU 36. Then after the TD pass by Orgeron to Curtis, Cory McCoy forced a fumble that was recovered by C.J. Semien at the Lions' 39.
 
SLU got on the board with a 20-yard Bryce Broussard field goal to cut the margin to 10-3 at the end of the first quarter. Orgeron then hit Cyron Sutton on a catch and run for a 58-yard touchdown, then Mack ran it in from 2 yards out to put the Cowboys up 24-3. Three plays prior to Sutton's score, Mack rolled off a 57-yard touchdown run that was called back because of a McNeese holding penalty.
 
The Lions scored two TDs in the final 2:42 of the second half to close the gap to 24-17 at the break.
 
The lead trimmed to 24-20 after a 21-yard Broussard field goal at the end of the third quarter, then Lion QB Chason Virgil fourn Lorenzo Nunez open down the middle for a 60-yard score to five SLU its first lead of the night at 27-24 with 13:02 to play in the game.
 
McNeese retook the lead three minutes later on a 1-yard Mack run to make it 31-27 that was set up by his 55-yard sprint on the Cowboys' first drive of the fourth quarter. Following that, Cole Kelley hit Bransen Schwebel with a 2-yard jump pass to give the Lions back the lead at 34-31 with 7:06 to play.
 
The Cowboys followed with a three-and-out and punted back to SLU with 6:27 to play. Chris Livings recorded his third sack of the season, No. 23.5 of his career, to force the Lions to put it away on their ensuing possession and set up the Cowboys for their game-winning drive.
 
McNeese finished with a season-high 473 total yards – 225 rushing and 248 passing, and 23 first downs, also a season-high. The Cowboys also converted 7 of 18 on third downs and scored on all four possessions in the red zone (three touchdowns and one field goal).
 
SLU finished with 452 total yards – 86 rushing and 366 passing. Virgil completed 27 of 49 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns.
 
McNeese ran 86 plays on the night with 12 of those going for 10 yards or more and five for 20 or more yards.
 
The Cowboys will be back in action next Saturday when they visit Central Arkansas in the Red Beans and Rice Bowl.
 
Missed Opportunities:
• Leading 7-0, McNeese had a 4-yard touchdown run by Elijah Mack called back due to a false start. Four plays later, Bailey Raborn connected on a 21-yard field goal to put the Cowboys up 10-0 in the first quarter.
• Up 10-7 in the second quarter, a 57-yard touchdown run by Mack was called back due to a holding penalty.
• Leading 17-3 midway through the second quarter, the Cowboys drove to the SLU 33-yard line before turning it over on downs.
 
Notables:
• The Cowboys' 83-yard drive in the second quarter to put them up 17-3 was the longest drive of the season in terms of yards. That was topped on the game-winning drive when the Cowboys had a 9-play, 89-yard possession.
• LB Justin Jackson made his first career start for the Cowboys.
• WR Davion Curtis made his first touchdown catch on a 20-yard pass by Cody Orgeron.
• This is the fourth game this season that Orgeron has thrown for two or more TDs in a game and recorded his first-career three TD game.
• WR Cyron Sutton has caught a pass in 15 straight games.
• Sutton has caught a TD pass in four consecutive games.
• DB Jovon Burriss recorded a career-high 14 tackles.
• OL Grant Burguilles made his 28^th consecutive start.
• Bailey Raborn's 64-yard second quarter punt was the longest of his career.
• The Cowboys have forced a turnover in 19 of the last 20 games.
• McNeese has led at the half in four games this season and is 3-1 in those games.
• The 14 points scored in the 4^th quarter is the most for the Cowboys this season.