LAKE CHARLES – McNeese ran into a determined Northwestern State defense in Saturday's season finale as the Demons sacked quarterback Cody Orgeron 11 times and held McNeese to just 135 rushing and 343 total yards as NSU beat the Cowboys 24-20 and winning in Cowboy Stadium for the first time since the 1988 season.
 
With the loss, McNeese ends its season at 4-7 and 3-5 in Southland Conference play while the Demons ends their season at 3-8 and 3-5.
 
"We picked the wrong time to not execute in all three phases of the game," said head coach Frank Wilson. "We allowed them (NSU) to come in here and play harder than us. Very rarely you'll hear me say that, but that team played harder than us."
 
McNeese opened the game up with an impressive scoring drive that took just 2:13 off the clock and ended with a 39-yard Deonta McMahon touchdown run to put the Cowboys up 7-0. That run led to McMahon's second straight 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 111 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns.
 
The Demons quickly answered with a scoring drive of their own that lasted just three minutes and was capped by a 7-yard pass by Zach Clement to Kendrick Price to tie the game 7-7 with 9:28 to play in the first half and it appeared the day was in store for an offensive shoot-out.
 
NSU went up 10-7 off a Scotty Roblow 25-yard field goal then took a 17-7 lead after Clement connected with Jay Griffin for a 56-yard catch and run with 35 second to play in the first quarter.
 
But instead, both defense stepped it up.
 
After the Demons rolled up 168 yards in the first quarter, McNeese's defense held them to just 17 yards in the second quarter and 31 in the third quarter.
 
McMahon scored his second touchdown of the game on a 10-yard run early in the third quarter to pull the Cowboys to within 17-14. Defensively, McNeese held the Demon offense to four straight punts in the third quarter but was unable to capitalize on the opportunities offensively.
 
NSU went up 24-14 with 10:15 to play in the fourth while a 2-yard run by Josh Parker closed the gap to 24-20 after a missed extra point with 4:11 to play.
 
The Demons were able to run out the clock after picking up three first downs on their final drive.
 
Orgeron ended the game completing 16 of 29 passes for 208 yards and ends his career with 6,682 passing yards to move into fifth all-time in school history for passing yards.