LAKE CHARLES – McNeese closed out its first spring practice period under first-year head coach Gary Goff and staff with Saturday's spring game as the offense put 37 points on the board while the defense was credited with three.
 
The offense totaled 336 yards – 236 through the air and 100 on the ground – and four touchdowns, three passing. Knox Kadum completed 11 of 18 passes for 116 yards, a touchdown and interception while Walker Wood connected on 9 of 11 passes for 105 yards and two scores to lead the QB quartet.
 
On the ground, Deonta McMahon averaged 11.0 yards per carry with 55 yards on 5 carries and scored on a 29-yard burst.
 
Defensively, the unit forced one turnover, an interception in the end zone by Tremayne Evans, recorded a sack and a couple of tackles for a loss.
 
The kicking game was on point as well as CJ Moya connected on a 42-yard field goal with plenty of room to spare while three kickers combined to connect on 6 of 7 extra points.
 
"I was pretty pleased with today," said Goff. "We didn't have a lot of penalties but we still have to tighten up a few things. The officials told us at the end that it was a pretty clean game overall.
 
"I thought we moved the ball pretty well. I thought Knox started slow, especially in the first drive, but he picked it up after that and ended up having a good day."
 
The first score came in the second series of the scrimmage, the first in the red-zone, with Wood at quarterback. On a 2^nd-and-8 at the 13, Wood perfectly placed a lob in the corner to Severyn Foster who jumped over the defender to bring it in for a touchdown. Foster missed the entire 2021 season with an injury.
 
Wood guided the next series, a full drive this time, to a second score. McMahon reached the end zone after bursting through the line for a 29-yard score and capping a 7-play, 65-yard drive.
 
On the next possession, Kadum drove the team down the field from the minus-35 and setting up a 42-yard field goal by Moya to put the offense up 17-0. Kadum completed four straight passes in the drive, including a 29-yard strike to Josh Matthews, who ended the day with three catches for 67 yards and a TD.
 
In the second red-zone series, quarterback Cade Bartlett rode a hand-off to Marcus McElroy but pulled it back at the last second and ran around the end for a 7-yard touchdown to make it 24-0.
 
The defense came up with a good stop on the next possession. Facing a 1^st-and-10 at the plus-47, CJ Semien and Dillon Simon recorded a couple of tackles for a loss over the next three plays to stall the offense. On the play before Semien's TFL, Miles Thomas intercepted a Bartlett pass but was nullified after a pass interference was called on the defense.
 
A red-zone opportunity was halted by the defense when Tremayne Evans picked off a Kadum pass in the end-zone and giving the defense three points while cutting the margin to 24-3.
 
Another successful offensive drive followed and ended when Wood connected with Markel Cotten across the middle for a 39-yard catch and run score, capping an 8-play, 65-yard drive and putting the offense up 31-3. The Cowboys converted a couple of 3^rd-and-short situations with McElroy picking up both first downs on the tries.
 
The final scoring came on the next drive when Kadum hit Matthews from four yards out. That play was set up a couple plays prior when Matthews reeled in a 34-yard strike by Kadum to get the ball to the 10-yard line.
 
Mason Pierce, who scored four touchdowns combined in the first two scrimmages, caught one pass for four yards but came out after the first series for precautionary reasons due to a non-threatening injured toe.
 
Passing: Knox Kadum 11-18, 116, TD, INT; Walker Wood 9-11, 105, 2 TD; Cade Bartlett 2-4, 6; Ryan Roberts 3-7, 9. Total Passing 25-40, 236, 3 TD, INT.
 
Rushing: Deonta McMahon 5-55, TD; Marcus McElroy 7-18; Walker Wood 3-16; Josh Parker 2-6; Cade Bartlett 2-4, TD. Total Rushing 19-100, 2 TD.
 
Receiving: Jalen Johnson 4-14; Josh Matthews 3-67, TD; Deonta McMahon 3-28; Markel Cotton 2-47, TD; Zach Hayes 2-25; Deon Cormier 2-18; Christian Thomas 2-10; Josh Parker 2-7; Marcus McElroy 2-0; Severyn Foster 1-13, TD; KJ Brown 1-6; Mason Pierce 1-4.
 
First Downs: 16
 
3^rd Down Conversions: 4-12
 
4^th Down Conversions: 2-2
 
Interceptions: Tremayne Evans
 
Sacks: Accord Green
 
Tackles For Loss: Dillon Simon, Brayden Adams, C.J. Semien
 
Pass Break-Ups: Alijah Hamilton, Dillon Simon, Raekwon Starks, Thomas Miles
 
Scoring Summary:
Severyn Foster 13-yard pass from Walker Wood. CJ Moya kick. 2 plays, 15 yards
Deonta McMahon 29 yard run. Nolan Heitmeier kick. 7 plays, 65 yards
CJ Moya 42-yard field goal. 7 plays, 40 yards
Cade Bartlett 7-yard run. Heitmeier kick. 4 plays, 15 yards
Markel Cotton 39-yard pass from Wood. Branden Hayden kick. 8 plays, 65 yards
Josh Matthews 4-yard pass from Knox Kadum. Heitmeier kick missed. 7 plays, 90 yards