Raymond Stewart
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 80th win in his McNeese career and 99th 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.
**MCNEESE PRESS RELEASE**
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