LAKE CHARLES – McNeese looked strong in the first part of Saturday's game against Nicholls, jumping out to an early 7-0 lead while forcing three first half turnovers. But the Colonels rallied behind backup quarterback Kohen Granier and the Colonels scored 10 fourth quarter points to pull out a 24-14 win over the Cowboys.
 
The loss dropped the Cowboys to 3-6 overall and 2-4 in Southland Conference play with two games remaining – next Saturday at Houston Baptist and on Nov. 20 at home against Northwestern State. Nicholls (5-4, 4-2) keeps its title hopes alive by winning its third straight game.
 
McNeese quarterback Cody Orgeron accounted for 244 total yards – 164 passing and 80 rushing – and moved into third on the school's all-time total offense list with 7,461 yards, trailing just Derrick Fourroux (10,236) and Kerry Joseph (9,676).
 
Grainer completed 8 of 14 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown after replacing starter Lindsey Scott Jr. after the Colonels' first possession in the second quarter, one that ended when Andre Sam picked off a Scott pass and gave the Cowboys the ball at their own 43. Scott appeared to leave the game with an injury.
 
The Cowboys came up empty on the possession but forced a second straight turnover when Isaiah Chambers ripped the ball from Nicholls running back Collin Guggenheim's grip and was recovered Leon Young, putting an end to a Colonel drive in the red zone at the 18.
 
Nicholls tied the game with 49 seconds to play in the first half when Guggenheim scored from three yards out to make it 7-7.
 
Nicholls went up 14-7 when Granier completed a 14-yard pass to KJ Franklin on its first possession of the third quarter.
 
McNeese responded with an efficient drive that saw Orgeron complete a 26 yard pass to Josh Matthews, a 13-yard run by Deonta McMahon and a 14-yard scamper by Orgeron to get the ball to the Nicholls 15. The drive stalled when Orgeron fell 1-yard short of the first down at the 7-yard line, but kept Nicholls in poor field position despite not converting.
 
The defense came up with a stop to force a punt and the Cowboys began a game-tying drive with 6:24 to play in the third quarter.
 
Backup running back Carlo Williams provided a spark in the series, rushing the ball three times for 30 yards to help move the ball into the red-zone once again. And once again facing a fourth-and-2, this time the Cowboys called the perfect play that saw Mason Pierce release on the left side and was wide open for Orgeron for an easy pass and catch for a 2-yard score as the Cowboys knotted the game up 14-14.
 
After Nicholls went back up 21-14 on a Guggenheim 1-yard run with 12:42 to play in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys moved the ball inside the Nicholls 40, but a Williams fumble gave the Colonels the ball back with 9:01 to play.
 
The next Nicholls series proved to be the decider.
 
McNeese forced the Colonels into a punting situation, but an illegal participation penalty on McNeese due to having two of the same jersey numbers on the field at the same time, gave Nicholls the ball back.
 
"We had punt safety called there because it was a situation where we knew they could possibly run a fake," said head coach Frank Wilson. "It's the first time we've run it and Andre Sam is our punt safety returner. But he came off the field and Mason ran on."
 
The appeared to hold the Colonels once again into a possible punt, but on third-and-11, McNeese was penalized for pass interference, giving the Colonels an automatic first down at the Cowboys 30. Two plays later on another third down, the Cowboys were hit with an illegal hands to the face call that put the ball at the 11. Four plays later, Gavin Lasseigne made good on a 26-yard field goal to give Nicholls a 24-14 lead with 50 seconds to play.
 
Orgeron completed 16 of 25 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown while rushing 16 times for 80 yards. Pierce caught five passes for 26 yards and TD while McMahon had 53 yards rushing and a touchdown.
 
Guggenheim ran for 125 yards and two touchdowns and is the first running back this season to run for 100 yards against the Cowboys.
 
Kordell Williams led the defense with 11 tackles and added a tackle for a loss. Sam and Corrione Harris each had interceptions while Young recovered a fumble.
 
The Cowboys were penalized 13 times for 179 yards while Nicholls was flagged three times for 25 yards.