LAKE CHARLES – McNeese changed gears a bit in its fourth preseason game of the spring season, playing two full, 15-minute quarters and treating them like the first and third quarter of a game.
 
Quarterback Cody Orgeron continued to look solid in the preseason, completing 10 of 15 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns for the White Team while JUCO running back transfer Deonta McMahon took snaps from each the White and Blue teams and rolled up 124 yards rushing on 17 carries for three touchdowns.
 
Overall, the offenses combined to run 62 plays gaining 408 yards with six TDs. Quarterbacks Orgeron, Walker Wood and Cade Bartlett combined to complete 16 of 26 passes for 200 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The running game had 208 yards on 46 carries and four scores.
 
"We're trending in the right direction," said head coach Frank Wilson whose Cowboys open up the season in two weeks at Tarleton State. "We played a more prominent down situation – base down, free willing. Not necessarily a whole bunch of 4-minute, 2-minute scenarios as preseason game number three was."
 
One thing the Cowboys wanted to prove upon from last weekend's scrimmage was on third down conversions, where on Saturday, McNeese converted 40 percent combined while the White Team alone converted 5 of 8 for 62.5 percent. The White Team also averaged 6.3 yards on first downs for the day.
 
"Much improvement," said Wilson about the third downs. "Last week we were less than 20 percent. That was something we concentrated on in this week's preparation, and wanted to be better, and I thought we accomplished that."
 
Josh Matthew led the receivers with four catches for 53 yards and a touchdown, that coming on the White Team's first score, a 3-yard grab from Orgeron. Orgeron, who ran for 33 yards and a score, totaled 177 offensive yards and three TDs for the day.
 
McMahon scored on a couple of 1-yard runs, book-ending a 27-yard burst.
 
Severyn Foster caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Orgeron to end a 3-play, 64-yard drive that took just over a minute off the clock.
 
Defensively, the White Team held the Blue offense to 77 total yards and picked off two passes to end drives, both coming from Enos Lewis.
 
Isaiah Chambers had the day's only sack but the defense combined for nine tackles for a loss and broke up four passes.
 
McNeese will hold its final preseason game of the spring next Saturday and will open the season the following week, February 13, at Tarleton State.
 
 
Preseason Scrimmage #4 Stats
 
Total Offense: 62 plays, 408 yards, 6 TDs.
 
Passing: Cody Orgeron 10-15, 144, 2 TD; Cade Bartlett 5-9, 44, INT; Walker Wood 1-2, 11, INT. Totals 16-26, 200, 2 TD, 2 INT.
 
Rushing: Deonta McMahon 17-124, 3 TD; J'Cobi Skinner 13-43; Cody Orgeron 5-33, TD; Walker Wood 6-19; Josh Parker 4-(-5); Mason Pierce 1-(-4). Totals 46-208, 4 TD.
 
Receiving: Josh Matthews 4-53, TD; Trevor Begue 2-39; Dontay Hargrove 2-22; Jamal Pettigrew 2-4; Severyn Foster 1-32, TD; J'Cobi Skinner 1-13; Deonta McMahon 1-11; Deon Cormier 1-10; Zach Hayes 1-10; Chris Thomas 1-7; Ivory Roberts 1-5.
 
Interceptions: Enos Lewis (2).
 
Sacks: Isaiah Chambers.
 
Tackles For Loss: Dorion Pollard (2), Brayden Adams, Isaiah Chambers, Andrew Croker, Chris Joyce, Mason Kinsey, Tahj Samuel, Leon Young.
 
Passes Broken Up: Chris Joyce, Dorion Pollard, Andre Sam, Tahj Samuel.
 
1^st Downs: 17 (12 White, 5 Blue).
 
3^rd Down Conversions: 6-15 overall, 40% (White Team 5-8, 62.5%; Blue Team 1-7, 14.3%).
 
Scoring Summary:
1^st BLUE 5:31 Deonta McMahon 1-yard run. 4 plays, 20 yards, 2:15
1^st WHITE 2:30 Josh Matthews 3-yard pass from Cody Orgeron. 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:01
1^st WHITE 00:29 Cody Orgeron 8-yard run. 5 plays, 50 yards, 00:47
2^nd WHITE 14:21 Deonta McMahon 27-yard run. 1 play, 27 yards, 00:06
2^nd WHITE 12:24 Severyn Foster 32-yard pass from Cody Orgeron. 3 plays, 64 yards, 1:02
2^nd WHITE 2:19 Deonta McMahon 1-yard run. 8 plays, 52 yards, 3:04