LAKE CHARLES – McNeese quarterback Jake Strong rolled up 241 total offensive yards, including 108 on the ground, and scored three rushing touchdowns, tying a single-game school record for most running TDs by a quarterback, and the Cowboys cruised to a 27-0 Southland Conference win over HCU on Saturday night.
 
The victory improved McNeese's record to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in league play as head coach Matt Viator notched his 80^th win in his McNeese career and 99^th overall win as a head coach. HCU fell to 2-5 and 1-2.
 
Strong completed 14 of 22 passes for 133 yards with an interception and ran the ball 16 times for 108 yards (6.8 ypc) and three TDs to become the first McNeese QB to run for three touchdowns since Derrick Fourroux in 2008 against South Dakota State.
 
As an offense, McNeese ran for 270 yards and averaged 5.1 yards per carry. Coleby Hamm added 93 yards on 15 carries for a 6.2 ypc average.
 
Defensively, the Cowboys intercepted two passes – Shoes Brinkley and Brandon Jones – and after allowing HCU to gain 121 yards in the first quarter, allowed just 158 yards the final three quarters combined, 279 total. Brinkley tied for the team lead with six tackles while adding a half tackle-for-a-loss.
 
Joshua Jackson caught five passes for 56 yards to lead six pass catchers who hauled in at least one grab.
 
Strong put McNeese on the board first with a 7-yard run with 3:49 to play in the first quarter, capping a 14-play, 80-yard drive. Fabrizio Pinton connected on a career-long 47-yard field goal as time expired to end the first half as the Cowboys carried a 10-0 lead into the break.
 
Back-to-back rushing TDs by Strong – 7 and 34 yards – grew the lead to 24-0 at the end of the third, then Pinton added a 29-yard field goal with 5:12 remaining in the fourth quarter to make it a 27-0 game.
 
The shutout win was the first for McNeese since winning 35-0 at Stephen F. Austin in 2017, and it was the first home shutout since beating Mississippi College 37-0 in 2015.
 
Notebook:
• McNeese head coach Matt Viator picked up his 80^th win as McNeese's head coach and 99^th career victory.
• The shutout was the first for McNeese since winning 35-0 at Stephen F. Austin in 2017, and the first shutout at home since 2015 when beating Mississippi College, 37-0.
• McNeese scored on its opening drive for the second time this season and the first time since scoring on the opening drive at ULL back on September 6.
• With the touchdown on opening drive of the second half, McNeese scored TDs in first drive of each half for the first time this season.
• Jake Strong's three rushing TDs tied a school record for most rushing TDs in a game by a quarterback. The last to do it was hall of fame QB Derrick Fourroux who ran for three scores against South Dakota State in a 46-44, three overtime win in 2008.
• Strong's 102 yards rushing yards marks the first 100-yard rusher by a QB this season and the first since Clifton McDowell ran for 109 yards in a win at Weber State last year.
• Four of the plays in the opening 14-play drive went for 10 yards or more for the Cowboys.
• McNeese held its opponent scoreless in the first quarter for the second time in the last three games (at SFA).
• The Cowboys benefitted from two penalties by HCU on punts, both resulting in first downs to extend the drives. The first came in the first quarter in the Cowboys' opening drive when a roughing the punter extended McNeese's drive and resulted in a touchdown. The second coming in the second drive of the third quarter when the Huskies were called for an offsides on a 4^th-and-4 to give McNeese a first down which also resulted in a touchdown.
• The Cowboys picked off two passes in the game to mark the second time this season with two interceptions in a game (vs. Weber State).
• Freshman Brandon Jones intercepted his first career pass in the fourth quarter.
• Two of the Cowboys' touchdown drives went for 80 yards while the third went for 75 yards.
 
How It Happened:
1^st McN 3:49 – Jake Strong 7 yd rush. Pinton kick good. 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:43. McN 7-0.
2^nd McN 00:00 – Fabrizio Pinton 47 yd field goal. 10 plays, 59 yards, 1:43. McN 10-0.
3^rd McN 10:40 – Jake Strong 7 yd rush. Pinton kick good. 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:20. McN 17-0.
3^rd McN 4:13 – Jake Strong 34 yd rush. Pinton kick good. 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:42. McN 24-0.
4^th McN 5:12 – Pinton 29 yd field goal. 11 plays, 37 yards, 6:06. McN 27-0.
 
Next Up:
McNeese will travel to face Nicholls next Saturday at 3 p.m.