LAKE CHARLES – McNeese quarterback Cody Orgeron threw for a career-high 280 yards while wide receiver Cyron Sutton recorded career highs with 10 catches for 160 yards, but it was the play of Sam Houston State quarterback Ty Brock who stole the spotlight by leading the Bearkats to a come-from-behind 28-17 win over McNeese on Saturday night in Southland Conference action.
 
Brock guided the Bearkats to 13 unanswered fourth quarter points after McNeese went up 17-15 late in the third quarter following a 43-yard Bailey Raborn field goal. Brock connected with Chandler Harvin on a 12-yard score to put the Bearkats up 21-17 with 11:13 to play, then a 5-yard touchdown run by Kyran Jackson with 9:38 to play to make it 28-17 on a score that was set up by a 37-yard Brock completion to Nathan Stewart.
 
The loss was the first for the Cowboys at home this season and second straight overall as they fall to 2-3 and 0-2 in the conference. SHSU improves to 3-2 on the season while staying unbeaten in league play at 2-0.
 
After both teams rolled up nearly 400 offensive yards combined in the first half, 207 by the Cowboys, the Bearkats' No. 1 ranked defense in the conference held McNeese's offense to just 111 second half yards while limiting them to seven second half possessions.
 
Orgeron ended the night completing 18 of 40 passes for 280 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Brock, who entered the game in the first quarter after starter Eric Schmid exited the game with a hand injury, threw for 262 yards on 14 of 29 passing, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
 
Stewart led the Bearkats' receiving corps with six catches for 157 yards and a touchdown while Jackson ran for 111 yards on 20 carries with a score.
 
McNeese got on the board first when Orgeron connected with Sutton on a 67-yard strike with 3:07 to play in the first quarter. It was the longest scoring play of the season for McNeese.
 
SHSU tied the game two possessions later on a 21-yard pass by Brock to Stewart in tight coverage by Cory McCoy with 12:00 to play in the second quarter, then two McNeese possessions later, Orgeron found Draysean Hudson on a 27-yard score to put the Cowboys up 14-7 with 7:43 to play in the half.
 
After the Cowboys' defense forced the Bearkats into a punt, which Matt McRobert placed at the McNeese 4, Scean Mustin sacked Orgeron for a safety with 4:17 to play to cut the Cowboys' lead to 14-9.
 
McNeese missed out on two scoring opportunities in the first half, the first on a dropped touchdown by Rhashid Bonnette early in the first quarter, then a missed 41-yard field goal by Noah Anderson in the same series.
 
The teams swapped leads in the third quarter, first when the Bearkats went up 15-14 on a 61-yard Brock pass to Noah Smith with 8:45 to play in the third. Then a 43-yard field goal by McNeese's Bailey Raborn put the Cowboys back up on top 17-15 with 3:47 to play in the quarter.
 
SHSU followed on its next possession with an 18-play, 73-yard drive that chewed up 7:27 off the clock and ending with the eventual game-winning score of Brock to Harvin of 12 yards to make it 21-17 with 11:13 to play.
 
Two plays later, Dwayne Williams intercepted an Orgeron pass and returned it to the McNeese 43. Three plays after that, Jackson ran it in from 5 yards out to make it a 28-17 score with 9:38 to play.
 
The Beakats were able to run out the clock after picking off Orgeron for the second time of the night with 1:35 to play.
 
Jovon Burriss led the McNeese defense with 11 tackles to go along with a fumble recovery while Kody Fulp added 10 stops.
 
McNeese ended the night with 318 total yards (280 passing, 38 rushing) while Sam Houston finished with 416 yards (327 passing, 89 rushing).
 
The Cowboys will be back home next Saturday when they host Southeastern Louisiana at 4 p.m.
 
Notables:
• Cory McCoy's second quarter interception was his first of the season and third in his career.
• SHSU was victim an early in the first quarter rain shower that caused five bad snap fumbles.
• Draysean Hudson's second quarter TD of 27-yards was his first career touchdown catch.
• Cyron Sutton has recorded 100 yards or more receiving for the second straight game.
• The last time McNeese started 0-2 in conference play was in the 2004 season.