Lake Charles, La. - Senior quarterback Derrick Fourroux led McNeese State on a fourth quarter rally that gave the Cowboys a 36-35 Southland Conference victory over Southeastern Louisiana here Saturday.

The payoff with only 39 seconds left in the game was a five yard pass from Fourroux to senior wide receiver Richard Conner that put the Cowboys over the top.

The Lions had scored 21 unanswered third quarter points to overcome a 24-14 McNeese halftime lead and carry an 11 point advantage into the final stanza. 

McNeese began its comeback early in the period with rookie tailback Javaris Murray capping a 73 yard drive by diving over from the two.

And, after some other failed attempts by the Cowboys, they made their final pitch by traveling 78 yards on eight plays with Fourroux hitting Conner in the end zone for the winner.

It was the third time this season that McNeese had come from behind for a victory.  The Cowboys beat Henderson State 27-24 with Fourroux scoring with 1:04 left and whipped Appalachian State 40-35 on a field goal by Josh Lewis and a safety with four seconds left.

The victory sent the No. 12 ranked Cowboy record to 2-1 in league play and to 5-2 overall.  Southeastern fell out of the undefeated ranks in SLC play and now stands 2-1 also and 4-3.

Fourroux finished the night with 335 total offensive yards.  He carried the ball 13 times for 67 yards and a score and he completed 21 of 36 passes for 268 and three tds.

Champlain Babin, another McNeese rookie running back, also had 67 yards rushing while Murray tallied 49, both filling in for senior Toddrick Pendland who made a brief return, netting two yards on only one carry.

Southeastern’s Jasper Duckssworth was the game’s leading rusher with 88 yards while Lion quarterback Brian Babin completed 23 of 37 passes for 250 yards and three scores.

McNeese had looked like it might run away with the game early as the Cowboys scored on two possessions in the first quarter and on their first possession in the second to take a 17-0 lead.

Lewis got things going with a 43 yard field goal – his longest of the season – at the 11:08 mark in the first quarter.  Fourroux then came back with his first td pass of the night, a 40 yarder to tight end Corday Clark.

Fourroux later went to Wes Mangan for a nine yard score just barely into the second  quarter.

Later in the second period the Lions got two scoring passes from Babin, 29 yards to Simmie Yarborough and four yards to Chris Wilson.  McNeese also added a 20 yard scoring run by Fourroux.

It was in the third period that Southeastern made its run. A blocked punt, a fumble and a pass interception in the third and then a lost fumble in the fourth brought the Cowboys down.  The Lions scored following the blocked punt and fumble and halted a McNeese scoring drive with an interception in the end zone in the third period while recovering a fumble as McNeese was driving in the fourth frame.

The Cowboys started their first scoring drive in the final period late in the third quarter following a Southeastern punt.  Fourroux got the first 18 yards and then he picked up more on a 28 yard compeletion to Clark and a 17 yard strike to Chad Davis to take the ball to the two.  Murray went on from there.

The Cowboys went for two but failed and then had to wait until there were only three minutes and 18 seconds left on the clock to get their winning drive underway.

McNeese had had a drive going midway the period but lost possession on a fumble (the Cowboys fumbled the ball away three times in the game) and got its final drive moving following a missed field goal by the Lions’ Jeff Turner.

Going from their 22, the Cowboys moved ahead with Fourroux hitting Davis for 17 and then Immanuel Friddle for 20 yards.  A personal foul penalty against the Lions moved the ball to the 26 from which Fourroux rushed for 17 yards, Murray for four and then Fourroux and Conner connected for the game winner from five yards out.

Again the Cowboys went for two but failed.  They then kicked off and held the Lions in check as the game clock wound down.

Defensive leaders in the game for McNeese were Desmund Lighten with seven tackles, one for a loss and a fumble recovery, Malcolm Bronson with seven tackles and a pass interception and Ford Smesny and Geremy Pilate with pass interceptions.

McNeese had 436 total offensive yards in the game and the Lions had 383.  The Cowboys, also  held a four minute edge in possession time.

(Score by Quarters)