ABILENE – Justin Pratt ran for 109 yards, Gunnar Raborn kicked two field goals and No. 22-ranked McNeese held off Abilene Christian University 13-7 in a defensive slugfest Saturday night at Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium.
Both teams entered the Southland Conference game with 2-1 league records but McNeese, which leads the league in seven defensive categories, limited ACU (2-4, 2-2) to 138 yards of offense in running its overall record to 5-1.
McNeese dominated the first half, outgaining ACU 216-39 but only leading 13-7. The Cowboys held the ball for more than 20 of the 30 minutes in the opening two quarters, but the Wildcats limited their visitors' scoring to a pair of field goals and a TD.
The Cowboys used field goals of 32 and 27 yards by Raborn and a 22-yard scoring pass from James Tabary to Darious Crawley to build its early lead and the eventual winning score. ACU actually outgained McNeese 63-59 in the third quarter, and looked to have one last opportunity after knocking down a Tabary pass with 1:11 left in the game. An unsportsmanlike penalty gave the Cowboys a first down, however, and the visitors ran out the clock.
ACU had minus-1 yards of offense early in the second quarter when
DeShun Qualls returned a kickoff 50 yards and the Wildcats scored seven plays later on
Dallas Sealey's 16-yard TD run.
Sealey completed 18 of 35 passes for 163 yards. McNeese – which ranks third in FCS football in rushing defense – limited to just 24 yards on the ground. Tabary completed 16 of 26 passes for 175 yards and one TD. Kent Shelby caught a pass in his 30
th straight game for McNeese, totaling six for 99 yards on the night.
PLAYS THAT MATTERED
• 1Q – Cornerback
Adonis Davis' successfully defended a James Tabary pass intended for Kent Shelby on third-and-9 from the ACU 15-yard line. McNeese settled for a 32-yard field goal from Gunnar Raborn that put the Cowboys up 3-0 with 3:23 left.
• 2Q – ACU jumped offsides and committed pass interference on a 22-yard TD pass from Tabary to Darious Crawley on the opening play of the second quarter. Raborn's successful PAT put McNeese up 10-0.
• 2Q –
DeShun Qualls returned the ensuring kickoff 50 yards to the McNeese 45-yard line.
• 2Q – Quall's kickoff return ignited the ACU offense, which capitalized on plays of 16, 15 and 16 yards in a seven-play, 45-yard drive to find the end zone.
Dallas Sealey ran 16 yards for a TD and
Nik Grau's PAT cut McNeese's lead to 10-7 with 11:43 left in the first half.
• 2Q – Raborn's second field goal of the game was a 27-yarder with 4:58 remaining in the quarter, building its lead to 13-7.
• 3Q – Tabary was sacked by ACU defensive end
Corey Smith for a loss of seven to the McNeese 17-yard line, forcing the Cowboys to punt for the third straight time after scoring on its three previous drives.
• 4Q –
Dylan Douglass stopped McNeese's Justin Pratt on a dive play from the ACU 10-yard line when the Cowboys faced fourth-and-1 with 11:53 left in the quarter.
• 4Q – Douglass hurried Tabary into a throw on third-and-9 with 1:11 left, and
Jamar Mack batted down the pass intended for Cyron Sutton. A personal foul on Mack, however, gave McNeese a first down and the Cowboys ran out the clock for the win.
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
• The Cowboys limited ACU to -1 yards of offense in the first quarter while accumulating 128 of their own, 79 on the ground. ACU was outgained 216-39 on offense in the first half, when McNeese limited the Wildcats to five first downs.
• ACU rallied from a miserable first quarter to pull within three points following a McNeese TD on the first play of the second quarter, and only trailed by six at the half.
STAT CORNER
• McNeese entered the game leading the Southland in seven defensive categories: scoring, total, rushing, intercepations, sacks, opponent's third-down conversion, and red-zone defense. ACU ranked No. 3 in the league in scoring defense (23.8 points per game), passing defense (208.8) and total defense (373.2). The Cowboys also excelled on offense, averaging 34.6 points, 193.4 yards rushing and 235.6 total yards per game.
• Dallas Sealey's 16-yard scoring run in the second quarter was just the third rushing TD surrendered by McNeese this season.
• ACU outgained McNeese in total yards in the third quarter, 63-59.
QUOTABLE
ACU head coach Adam Dorrel …
… on the play of his defense
"Those guys played with great passion tonight, and that was fun to watch. Their passion for the game and attention to detail during the week and in this game gives me hope for the future of this program. We want to be a defense first program, and if we continue to play the rest of the season the way we did tonight we're off to a good start in making that happen."
… on the struggles of ACU's offense
"Obviously McNeese has an exceptional defensive unit, so you have to give them all the credit. The thing I was most disappointed in (Saturday) with our offense is that we had so many issues from the sideline with getting personnel onto the field. We're not complicated and we've made it simple, but we just had a lack of focus and attention to detail and that's what drives you nuts."
NOTABLE
• The Wildcats entered the game 0-4 overall against McNeese, which was making only its second trip to play in Abilene.
• The Cowboys were playing their fourth road game in six contests this season. Their schedule does not include any FBS opponents, while ACU played two (New Mexico State and Colorado State universities).
NEXT WEEK
The Wildcats hit the road next Saturday for a 3 p.m. game in Thibodaux, La., against Nicholls.
