Cowboys end three-game slide, defense wraps up Demons
Published 2:10 pm Sunday, March 21, 2021
- Photo Credit
Jim Gazzolo, Special to the American Press
Maybe he felt the footsteps or heard the whispers, whatever the reason, Cody Orgeron came out firing Saturday.
The senior showed this is still his football team, leading visiting McNeese State to a 21-7 win over Northwestern State in Natchitoches.
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It was the 17th McNeese victory in the last 18 meetings.
The win was the first for the Cowboys (2-3, 1-3), who snapped a three-game losing streak, in Southland Conference play this spring. The Demons fell to 0-3, all in league action.
“We needed this one,” said Cowboys head coach Frank Wilson.
With a passing game and offense stuck in neutral, there was talk of a possible change at quarterback for the Cowboys. Orgeron made everybody forget such gossip with his best game of the spring.
He threw for 306 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 75-yard bomb to Trevor Begue, showing that the offense does possess big-play potential. It was Orgeron’s third 300-plus game of his career.
For Begue, the day was even better. He had career highs in yards (165) and catches (8). His 75-yard score broke a 7-7 tie on the third play of the third quarter and set the tone for the rest of the game.
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With injuries to the backfield — not one of the five scholarship backs could play by game’s end for McNeese — the Cowboys even had to turn to backup quarterback Walker Wood to play a new position.
The transfer from Kentucky had nine carries for 13 yards, finding the end zone on a 1-yard plunge that gave McNeese the game’s final points midway through the third quarter.
“Our offense did what it needed to do,” Wilson said. “It answered their score, put touchdowns on the board and finished strong.”
Freshman Josh Parker had 77 yards on 16 carries before he was hurt. Carlos Williams managed 16 yards on three carries before he exited. Three other scholarship backs didn’t make the trip due to injuries, leaving it up to redshirt freshman walk-on Ivory Roberts, Wood and, of course, Orgeron.
“I can’t say enough about how these guys have stepped up,” Wilson said.
Orgeron did the most, especially in the second half when he went 9 of 11 for 197 yards.
“Cody played extremely well,” Wilson said. “He took what they gave him. That was his best game.”
However, this game was won by the defense. Senior Isaiah Chambers, a transfer from Houston, keyed a defense that held the Demons to 33 yards on the ground all day and 99 in the second half until the final drive.
Chambers had three sacks for 21 yards in losses, two quarterback hurries and two tackles behind the line.
“That’s why we signed him,” Wilson said. “We saw what he could do.”
What Chambers could do was completely disrupt an offense that had been running for 245 yards a game. McNeese also picked off a pair of passes.
“I’m speechless,” Wilson said about his defense. “That was as a tenacious, hungry defense you will find.”
Andre Sam and Dorion Pollard had the first two interceptions on the season for McNeese.
Northwestern State scored first on Kaleb Fletcher’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Kenderick Price with 4:42 left in the first quarter. McNeese responded 2:35 later the Orgeron hit tight end Jama Pettigrew on a 2-yard scoring toss to tie the score at 7-7.
The Cowboys will be off next weekend before returning home to play Nicholls State. They finish the spring the following week at Sam Houston State.
Chris Reich / Special to the American Press
