Box Score CHARLESTON, Illinois – Eastern Illinois kicker Stone Galloway squeaked over a 56-yard field goal with 20 seconds to play to lift the Panthers to a 31-28 win over McNeese Saturday afternoon.
 
The loss dropped the Cowboys to 0-4 on the season while EIU improved to 3-1. It's the first win by the Panthers over the Cowboys in four tries in the series.
 
McNeese out-gained EIU 467-452 in offensive yards but it was the running of Panthers back MJ Flowers who shined as he rushed for 272 yards on 37 carries.
 
The Cowboys ran for 271 yards on 34 carries with 131 of those coming from Coleby Hamm while D'Angelo Durham added 90. Quarterback Nate Glantz completed 13 of 24 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite target was Jon McCall who caught five passes for 83 yards and two TDs.
 
EIU went up 7-0 after its first possession of the game but McNeese quickly answered when Glantz found McCall for 30 yards to tie the game 7-7 with 9:47 to play in the first quarter.
 
McNeese went up 14-7 with 1:40 to play in the opening quarter when Durham burst through the line for a 12-yard score. The lead grew to 21-7 midway through the second quarter after Glantz and McCall connected for the second time on the day, this time from 22 yards out.
 
After the Cowboys got the ball back with a defensive stand less than three minutes later, Hamm put McNeese up 28-7 with a 72-yard touchdown sprint.
 
The Panthers scored with 34 seconds to play in the first half to pull to within 28-14 at the break.
 
McNeese was held off the board in the second half despite being able to continue to move the ball. EIU cut into the margin early in the fourth quarter on a 6-yard run by Foowers to make it 28-21, then a 19-yard run by Juwon Farri tied the game with 3:15 to play.
 
The Cowboys went three-and-out on their next possession and the Panthers moved the ball close enough for Galloway's 56-yard field goal to barely clear the crossbar.
 
McNeese will be back in action on Saturday when it returns home since the September 2 season opener, hosting Nicholls in the Southland Conference opener.
 
Notebook:
• McNeese won the toss and elected to receive the ball.
• EIU scored on its opening drive, marking the third straight game the opponent has scored on its opening drive against the Cowboys.
• After punting on its first possession of the game, the Cowboys scored touchdowns on their next four possessions of the first half.
• McNeese faced just three 3^rd-downs in the first half, converting on two of them.
• QB Nate Glantz's two touchdown passes were the first passing scores of the season for the Cowboys.
• RB Coleby Hamm became the first 100-yard rusher for the Cowboys as he rushed for 131 yards on 8 carries and a touchdown, averaging 16.4 yards per carry.
• LB Micah Davey finished with 16 tackles, marking the fourth straight game this season to record 10 or more tackles.
• McNeese came into the game with one sack on the year and posted three in the game.