HOUSTON – HCU rolled up a season-high 622 total offensive yards, including a school-record 414 on the ground and used that firepower to cruise past 22^nd-ranked McNeese 43-22 in Southland Conference play on Saturday night.
 
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Cowboys as they fall to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in league play. McNeese will now have its much-needed open date next Saturday. HCU won for the second straight time to improve to 3-3 on the season while winning its league opener and will host Southeastern next Saturday.
 
HCU quarterback Eli Brickhandler ran for 138 yard and threw for another 159 (7 of 20 passing) while running back Calvin Hill added 104 on the ground.
 
McNeese played without its top three tacklers on the season for most of the game (Boogsie Silvera and Micah Davey the entire game and Tristan Driggers for most) and was down to several walk-on players seeing a lot of action at linebacker and in the defensive backfield.
 
In addition, quarterback Clifton McDowell aggravated his injured finger on his throwing hand in the first quarter and missed the second. He returned in the third with it re-taped but was still unable to play at 100 percent. Kamden Sixkiller played the second quarter and most of the second half behind center.
 
The Cowboys ended with 341 total yards (105 rushing and 236 passing). Sixkiller completed 16 of 25 passes for 200 yards and rushed for another 18 with a touchdown. Joshon Barbie ran for 44 yards and Bryce Strong scored his first TD as a Cowboy.
 
Jer'Michael Carter caught five passes for a season-high 108 yards and averaged 21.6 yards per catrch. Thomas Miles recorded a career-high 14 tackles while Marques White finished with 12 including 1.5 tackles for a loss.
 
The Huskies scored on five of their six possessions in the first half, including three touchdowns in the second quarter to help them build a 27-9 lead at the break.
 
HCU drove down the first its first two possessions but the McNeese defense was able to hold the home team to field goals both times.
 
McNeese threatened to take the lead on its second possession of the game as quarterback Clifton McDowell marched the team 78 yards down the field and faced a first-and-goal at the 2 after an HCU pass interference.
 
But the Cowboys weren't able to punch the ball across the goal line and was forced to kick a field goal which Tyler Larco knocked through from 23-yards out to cut the margin to 6-3.
 
HCU continued to move the ball quickly on the ground which then helped open up a 49-yard catch and run by Jesse Valenzuela off a pass from AJ Wilson that put the Huskies up 13-3 early in the second.
 
Sixkiller replaced McDowell at quarterback after McDowell appeared to re-aggravate his injured finger he suffered last week at Weber State. Larco knocked through two more field goals of 28 and 35 yards while HCU tacked on a couple more touchdowns in the quarter.
 
McDowell returned in the second half but McNeese struggled to move the ball down field while the Huskies added another field goal and touchdown to build a 37-9 lead after three quarters.
 
Sixkiller returned behind center in the fourth and scored the first McNeese touchdown of the game on a 4-yard dart to cut the HCU lead to 37-16 early in the fourth then after HCU connected on a short field goal to go up 40-16, Strong scored from a yard out to cut the lead to 40-22. A two-point try failed.
 
HCU capped the scoring with its fifth field goal of the game by Dillon Fedor to make it 43-22 with 2:29 to play.