Despite leading for the majority of the game, the Southern Jaguars could not do enough to stave off the comeback attempt of McNeese State and ultimately fell to the Cowboys, 31-24.
Thirteen seconds into the game, the jags would find themselves down 7-0 as Mason Pierce took the opening kick off 100 yards to the house. Southern would respond less than five minutes later when Ladarius Skelton connected with Travis Tucker on a 42-yard scoring strike to tie the game at seven apiece. The jaguars went up 14-7 when Skelton threw his second , this one a 7-yard toss t Devon Benn, capping a 6 play, 28-yard drive.
McNeese responded with a 7 play, 51 yard drive of their own to cut the Jaguar lead to four at 14-10. Southern would push their lead back to eleven when Skelton threw his third TD pass of the half, a 42-yard connection with Ethan Howard.
A JaRiis Wallace interception of Skelton a subsequent penalty gave the ball to the Cowboys deep in Southern territory and it only took McNeese one play to capitalize when Stephon Huderson scampered in from 13 yards out to bring the score to 21-17. A 7 play, 63 yard drive from McNeese would end in a Jacob Abel 25-yard field goal to trim the Jaguar lead to just one at 21-20.
In the fourth quarter the Cowboys would finally reclaim the lead , 21-28, on a 3-yard TD from Coby Orgeron to Josh Matthews. They would push the lead to ten points at 31-21 on an Abel 28-yard field. Southern closed the gap to seven, 31-24 with a Martell Fontenot 25-yard field goal.
Southern returns to action September 26 when they head to Arlington to take on Texas Southern in the Arlington Football Showdown. Kickoff is set for 4:00 pm.
