Returning home a winless team, the Lions (1-3, 1-0) overcame turnovers and errors to complete a storybook ending in their game against the McNeese State Cowboys (3-1, 0-1). Despite turning the ball over three times and racking up 69 yards in penalties, the Lions were able to pull off the upset against the Cowboys, winning 25-24.
The win at home in Strawberry Stadium helped the Lions avoid their first 0-4 start since 1985. Winning the conference opener, the Lions rallied  behind improved play on both sides of the ball while silencing some critics in the process.
“I think you can say a lot of things right now… to come back from 14 down and we still made a lot of mistakes,” said head coach Ron Roberts. “I think that’s the beauty of it for our players. We just beat a top 20 team and we didn’t play our best football.”
Momentum was not on the Lions’ side in the first half as penalties and three costly turnovers stifled promising drives. After going down 14 points halfway through the first quarter, the Lions offense started to click after a 49-yard field goal by junior kicker Seth Sebastian, the longest of his career, with four seconds left in the quarter.
Following a sack of Cowboys quarterback Cody Stroud, junior wide receiver Tony McCrea returned the punt for 35 yards to the McNeese 43 yard line. The Lions were unable to capitalize on the big play after gaining only one net yard. The defense, rallying behind their offense, was able to force and recover a fumble by McNeese running back Champlain Babin. The ensuing drive would end in the Lions’ first touchdown of the first quarter on a 2-yard quarterback sneak by senior quarterback Nathan Stanley.
The defense could not keep the Cowboys from scoring again however. After a three play, 72 yard drive, Stroud completed a 26-yard touchdown pass to running back Jarvis Murray. Another Lions turnover would end their next drive. With the end of the second quarter drawing to a close, the defense allowed the Cowboys to put together a 60-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown. The drive included a big misstep for the defense as they allowed a 29-yard rush off of a McNeese trick play on a 4th and 27. The end of the quarter could not come sooner for the Lions with the score Southeastern 10, McNeese 24.
While McNeese started the second half with the ball, the Lions’ defense was able to battle it out with the Cowboys and keep them from scoring. Behind Stanley, the Lions’ offense answered the rallying cry of the defense. Marching down 86 yards in 15 plays, the offense found their first rushing touchdown of the season in the hands of senior running back Michael Chaney.
The Cowboys would not end their push for another score and marched down for what looked like a sure field goal. After a McNeese false start penalty, senior kicker Josh Lewis missed the chip shot field goal, giving life to a Lions team primed to strike.
The next Lions drive proved that with great risk comes great reward. After putting together a promising drive, the Cowboys succeeded in stopping the Lions on third down and forcing a 4th and 11. In what would become the game changing moment, senior punter Beau Mothe completed the fake punt with a 27-yard pass to long snapper Rogers Mueller for a first down and renewed life on the Lions’ bench.
“It came in a last minute call. We got on the field and coach decided to change his mind and as we were on the field he kind of told us we were going to run it,” said Mothe about the play. “There really wasn’t much time to think about it and get nervous, it was just more of ‘Okay, here it is, time to execute it.'”
Stanley capped the miracle drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to freshman tight end Taylor Jenkins bringing the score to 23-24. With a chance to tie the game in grasp, the Lions took another risk. After the Cowboys committed a penalty during the extra point that brought the ball half the distance to the goal, Chaney pounded the ball into the endzone for the two-point conversion. Senior defensive back Robert Alford succeeded in intercepting a pass from Stroud in the final 2:33, sealing the come from behind victory, 25-24.
“This was a big win for us. That was against a good team, they’re conference contenders every year and that gave us a whole bunch of momentum, all kinds of confidence, and yeah it silenced some critics I guess,” said Stanley. “We’re not really worried about that. We just got to celebrate it for tonight and we got to get ready for Lamar next week.”
The Lions have a tough task ahead as they continue SLC play this week at Lamar University (2-2) on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 3 p.m.