LORMAN, Miss. – The McNeese State football team survived a back-and-forth battle on the road against Alcorn State and came away with a 34-27 victory in Spinks-Casem Stadium on Saturday night.

The Cowboys (2-1) clinched the win in the final minute when junior quarterback James Tabary found senior wide receiver Kent Shelby for a 33-yard touchdown pass with 23 seconds left.

“They were giving us one-on-one matchups all night,” Shelby said. “The corner was five yards off me, and coach (Joseph) Kerry tells me every day that if I get on his toes to look back. At a time like this knew it had to come to me. After all the bad things that happened in this game, I knew I had to be the one to make that play.”

Tabary viewed the touchdown pass and drive as a sort of redemption.

Earlier in the fourth quarter he threw a pass directly to a Braves (1-2) defender for an interception that cost the Cowboys a scoring opportunity and easily could have cost them the game.

He also said he feels this is the first time he has been able to close a game out in a McNeese uniform.

“I’m just glad I was finally able to seal a game,” Tabary said. “With Southeastern and Stephen F. Austin last year, and even Nicholls this season, I wasn’t able to finish a whole four quarters. But we did tonight, and we came together. It was a great team win.”

It wasn’t the prettiest win in the world, but head coach Lance Guidry said he’ll take it.

McNeese was hampered by the same problems it has struggled with all season – such as ill-advised penalties and giving up big plays – as well as some new challenges like injuries and issues with the kicking game.

“We were our own worst enemy,” Guidry said. “We busted some coverages. Jermaine (Antoine) didn’t play tonight. … and their quarterback (Lenorris Footman) kept scrambling and kept finding guys.”

The Cowboys gave up several big plays defensively that allowed the Braves to stay in the game, most notably a 69-yard touchdown pass from Footman to Marquis Warford and a 70-yard touchdown pass to De’Lance Turner.

The Cowboys also allowed a 56-yard reception by Raidarious Anderson that set up a 7-yard touchdown pass to Norlando Veals that tied the game at 20 points apiece.

McNeese, however did receive a boost from sophomore cornerback Callum Foster, who perhaps made the play of the game when he intercepted a pass near the end zone in the fourth quarter.

The Cowboys didn’t score on the ensuing drive, but the play prevented the Braves from taking a late lead, and helped set the offense up for a game-winning touchdown drive.

“I just wanted to execute the play, do what the coach tells us to do and make a play on the ball,” Foster said. “We just have to execute every time. We have to stop them and allow our offense to go score on the other end.”

The Cowboys had an opportunity to extend their lead to 10 points later in the third quarter, but Trent Manuel’s 37-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left. That was his second miss of the day as he had missed an extra point attempt earlier in the quarter, and he was promptly pulled off kicking duty for the fourth quarter.

Guidry said a messy win is still a win, and he’s excited to go back into Southland Conference play next week against Houston Baptist with a big road win against a good team behind the Cowboys.

We just have to keep moving forward and finding ways to win,” Guidry said. “Last year it seemed like we found some ways to lose. If we’re playing good football at the end of the year, that’s the main thing.”