SAN MARCOS, TX - McNeese State's No. 10 ranked Cowboys knocked off Texas State 30-27 in Southland Conference competition Saturday with a 28 yard field goal from freshman Josh Lewis in the final minute of play providing the winning points.

It was the fifth straight victory for the Cowboys who remain tied for the SLC lead with Stephen F. Austin, both with 5-1 records.  The Lumberjacks knocked off Southeastern Louisiana by a 41-10 score.

    Victories by McNeese and SFA left them the only teams tied for the league lead now.

    In beating Texas State, McNeese, which had entered the game as the nation's leading scorer with a 39.6 mark,  sent its record to 8-2 and has only a regular season ending contest with Central Arkansas remaining on its docket.  That game will be played in Cowboy Stadium and will carry a 6 p.m. start and will be carried live by the SLC television network.

    Besides Lewis, the Cowboy offense was led by quarterback Derrick Fourroux and tailback Toddrick Pendland.  Fourroux put his name into the McNeese career record book in passing yardage, passes completed, rushing yards for a quarterback and touchdowns rushing and passing with his performance in the game.  Pendland, the nation's leading scorer,  tied the school record for total touchdowns scored.

    Texas State, now 7-3 overall and 4-2 in league play, held a 13-7 first quarter lead but the Cowboys came back to make it 20-20 at the end of the half.  McNeese then went on to outscore the Bobcats 10-7 in the second half, the game winner coming off the leg of Lewis, who had also booted the winning points in McNeese's earlier victory over Appalachian State, also on the road.

    Pendland, who rushed for a game high 187 yards, scored three of the Cowboy touchdowns to lift his career total to 45 (tying the record held by Buford Jordan).  He scored on runs of three, 33 and five yards.

    Fourroux completed 17 of 23 passes for 222 yards and a scoring shot of two yards to tight end Corday Clark.  He also rushed for 45 yards.  This moves his career totals to 7,951 yards passing, 583 completions, 64 touchdowns, 1,931 rushing yards and 91 combined rushing and passing touchdowns.  All are career records except for the 64 touchdown passes which are three shy of the record.

    Texas State got scoring in the game from running back Alvin Canady on rushes of five, 12 and 14 yards and from Mishak Rivas on a 17 yard pass from Bradley George.

    Defensive leaders for the Cowboys in the game were Malcolm Bronson with six tackles and a game ending pass interception  and Terrance Freeman, Seth Thomas and Ford Smesny with four tackles each.

    The Cowboys game winning drive started from their own 16 yard line with Fourroux engineering the effort.  In this drive he was four for five for 45 yards and he also rushed for 11 yards.

    Key third down conversions for the Cowboys on that drive were a 16 yards completion from Fourroux to Wes Mangan, a 10 yard run by Fourroux and a 10 yard pass from Fourroux to Chad Davis.

    On the game winning field goal, holder Richard Conner picked up a low snap, placed it on the ground and Lewis' boot split the uprights.

   Texas State still had one last chance but after moving the ball to the McNeese 39, Bronson intercepted George's pass on the 10 yard line and returned it to the 27, enabling the Cowboys to run out the clock.

   It was the fourth time this season that McNeese has scored the winning points in the final minutes of play.  Other victories have come this way over Henderson State, Appalachian State and Southeastern Louisiana.

(Score by Quarters)
McNeese State     7    13    7    3    --    30
Texas State        13    7    7    0    --    27
TS (1, 11:46) Mishak Rivas 17 pass from Bradley George. Ryan Batchelor kick
M (1, 7:50) Toddrick Pendland 3 run. Josh Lewis kick
TS (1, 3:16) Alvin Canady 5 run. Kick failed
TS (2, 8:19) Alvin Canady 12 run. Bachelor kick
M (2, 5:49) Toddrick Pendland 33 run. Kick failed
M (2, 0:26) Corday Clark 2 pass from Derrick Fourroux. Lewis kick
M (3, 4:03) Toddrick Pendland 5 run. Lewis kick
TS (3, 3:04) Alvin Canady 14 run. Batchelor kick
M (4, 1:30) Josh Lewis 28 field goal.