LAKE CHARLES – McNeese quarterbacks Cam Ransom and Walker Wood combined to throw for 316 yards and five touchdowns on 15 of 27 passing while the DWA racked up eight sacks and one interception in Saturday's first preseason scrimmage for the Cowboys.
 
Ransom completed 9 of 14 passes for 217 yards and four TDs, hitting 9 of 11 after going 0 for 3 in his first two series. His touchdown strikes went for 35, 29, 20 and 25 yards. Wood connected on 6 of 13 passes for 99 yards, a touchdown and threw the scrimmage's only interception.
 
Preseason All-Southland Conference receiver Mason Pierce caught five passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. He opened up the scrimmage with a 65-yard catch and run pass from Wood on the day's fourth play.
 
Defensively, preseason All-SLC end Mason Kinsey recorded two sacks as did lineman Joey McNeely.
 
The punting game saw returning punter Callum Eddings place all six of his boots inside the 20 while averaging 45.6 yards per punt with a couple going for 50 yards.
 
After Pierce's score in the scrimmage's opening series, the defense held on the next five and forcing the offense to punt. In those five series, the defense recorded four of their nine sacks.
 
On the seventh series, the offense put together a 9-play, 70-yard drive that ended with McCall going up over his defender for a 35-yard touchdown lob by Ransom. And two series later, Ransom led Pierce for a 29-yard TD strike.
 
Deonta McMahon got into the action with a 20-yard run on the second play of the red-zone situation portion of the scrimmage while Jarvis Newton and Ivory Roberts each scored TDs in the sequence – both on 13-yard runs.
 
With the 1s and 2s back on the field and on the first play of the next series, Ransom connected with Koby Duru on a 20-yard touchdown strike and two plays later, D'angelo Durham ran it in from seven yards for the score. The final score was also the final play of the scrimmage and saw Severyn Foster score on a 25-yard catch and run pass from Ransom.
 
The Cowboys will return to the practice field on Sunday morning before taking Monday off for the first day of classes. McNeese is scheduled to hold its second scrimmage on Friday under the lights beginning at 7.
 
SCRIMMAGE STATS (1s and 2s)
Passing: Cam Ransom 9-14, 217, 4 TD; Walker Wood 6-13, 99, TD, INT. Total: 15-27, 316, 5 TD, INT.
Rushing: Josh Parker 6-29; D'angelo Durham 4-24, TD; Deonta McMahon 3-24, TD; Marcus McElroy 3-18. Total: 16-95, 2 TD.
Receiving: Mason Pierce 5-139, 2 TD; Koby Duru 2-63, TD; Jon McCall 1-35, TD; Jalen Johnson 1-19; Kyle Klink 1-13; Josh Matthews 1-7; D'angelo Durham 1-4; Josh Parker 1-2; Zach Hayes 1-1.
Sacks: Mason Kinsey (2), Joey McNeely (2), Brayden Adams, Earenest Grayson, Grayson Mays, Will Rogers, Welland Williams.
Interception: Grayson Mays