This is how it is supposed to look.

Behind their most productive half of football, the Cowboys rolled over Alcorn State Saturday night and above in front of 10,252.

In the process, they exercised a pair of demons haunting head coach Gary Goff in his first three seasons on the McNeese sideline.

With the 42-14 victory inside Cowboy Stadium, McNeese ended a two-game losing streak to the Braves (1-3). The Pokes also gave their head coach his first winning record at 3-2 since he hit town.

“We needed a win like that,” said Goff. “I think we have a chance to be a good football team but we have to keep working.”

It took the Cowboys just eight seconds to grab the lead for good. On their first play from scrimmage, Clifton McDowell hit a streaking Kameran Senegal with a 50-yard touchdown pass.

The play came just 49 seconds into the game and after the McNeese defense had held the Braves to a three-and-out followed by just a 22-yard punt. 

“We talked all week about getting off to a good start and we did that,” said Goff. “It was important that we were able to do that.”

The Cowboys ended the half up 28-7 after D’Angelo Durham capped a perfect closing drive by powering his way into the end zone from 2 yards out. That gave the Pokes a 28-7 halftime lead.

McDowell finished with 305 yards of total offense, throwing for 229 and rushing for another 76. He left the game after three quarters, hitting on 15 of 21 throws for a pair of scores and running for another, a 14-yard jaunt midway through the third.

He also hit Jer’Michael Carter on a 5-yard TD pass to put the Cowboys up 42-14 with 4:02 left in the third.

The Cowboys used their biggest first quarter since 2018 against Houston Christian, taking a 21-0 lead. The wildest play was a blocked punt in the end zone that Jaylon Jackson caught on a fly for the score with 1:18 left. 

That came three plays after punter Finn Lippin downed a kick at the one. 

“Finn is a huge weapon,” said Goff.

Alcorn quarterback Xzavier Vaughn was about the only offense for the Braves. He finished with 204 yards passing and another 127 rushing, but he missed on 25 of his 41 pass attempts. 

He did throw for a score and ran for another, but a good portion of his yards came after the game had long been decided.

McNeese sacked him three times for 24 yards led by Marcus White. The senior linebacker had a sack, knocked down to passes, and harassed Vaughn most of the night. 

“It’s been overdue,” said White, whose sack was his first of the season. “I needed a game like this. It’s what I need to do.”

Joshon Barbie ran for 76 yards and a score as the Cowboys finished with 211 yards on 36 rushes. Barbie scored his first TD of the year on a first-quarter 5-yard run.

Barbie recovered from a slow start to the season when he had a case of the fumbles.

“I knew I could overcome this,” said Barbie. “The offensive line played great, getting a push off the ball.”

The Cowboys finished with 457 yards of total offense but still had eight penalties for 80 yards.

“We have to still clean that up,” said Goff. 

But this week they will do that with a winning record.