HOUSTON – Deonta McMahon eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark on the season with 197 yards and Marcus McElroy added 136 yards and two touchdowns at McNeese defeated HCU 21-10 for its first Southland Conference victory of the season and second straight win.
 
McNeese improves to 3-7 overall and 1-4 in league play while HCU fell to 2-8 and 1-4. The Cowboys will go for the trifecta next Saturday when they host Lamar at 7 p.m. in the season finale.
 
Offensively, McNeese rolled up 399 total yards – 346 on the ground and 53 through the air while the defense kept the Huskies in check by giving up just 108 yards on the ground and 250 total.
 
McMahon becomes the first running back since 2015 to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and will head into Saturday's finale with 1,169 yards on the season. He also has 2,016 in his career, moving him into 16^th on the school's career list.
 
Quarterback Ryan Roberts, in making his first career start, completed 7 of 19 passes for 53 yards and three interceptions with two of those pics throwing against a brisk wind while the other after a Cowboy receiver was hit right after the catch that popped the ball loose.
 
McElroy gave the Cowboys a 7-0 lead on a 16-yard second quarter run but HCU tied it up just minutes later on a 74-yard catch and run by Ismael Fuller from Scott Pfeiffer.
 
HCU went up 10-7 following a 30-yard field goal by Nery Enriquez with 4:10 to play in the third quarter.
 
McElroy scored his second TD of the game, this one on an 11-yard run, to put the Cowboys up for good at 14-10 with 48 seconds remaining in the quarter.
 
A Roberts 5-yard keeper for a touchdown with 10:17 to go in the fourth quarter made it a 21-10 score. The scoring play was set up by three, 20-plus gain rushes – 23 and 26 yards by McMahon and a 22-yarder by McElroy.
 
Missed Opportunities:
• With the score 0-0 early in the second quarter and facing a 2^nd and 5 at the HCU 10, Ryan Roberts pass to Jon McCall was dropped in the end zone. Two plays later Roberts pass was intercepted in the end zone by the Huskies.
• Tied 7-7 with 1:47 to play in the first half, McNeese had the ball on 2^nd-and-9 at the HCU 24 when a Roberts pass would be picked off for the second time in the end zone.
• Third quarter, Roberts would over-throw an open Jaylon Henry down the middle, in large part to the strong wind at his back.
 
Notebook:
• RB Marcus McElroy scored his first TD of the season, that coming on a 16-yard run with 5:40 to play in the 2^nd quarter to put the Cowboys up 7-0.
• Two plays earlier, McElroy gained 30 yards on his first carry of the game.
• McNeese recorded a season-high 9 tackles for a loss and tied a season-high with three sacks.
• The 250 yards allowed is the lowest given up by the Cowboys this season.
• McNeese's 346 rushing yards are the second-most on the year (350 vs. Mississippi College).
• With McMahon and McElroy each going over the 100-yard rushing total in the game, that marks the second time this season to have two Cowboys clip 100 yards (D'Angelo Durham 157 and McMahon 138 vs. Mississippi College).
• McMahon topped 100 yards for the 6^th time this year and 9^th time in his career.
• OL Calvin Barkat made his 26^th consecutive start while OL Cole LeClair started his 24^th straight game.
• Freshman WR Jaylon Davis made his first collegiate start.