LAKE CHARLES – Derrick Fourroux's 5-yard touchdown pass to Richard Connor with 39.7 seconds remaining helped No. 11 McNeese State rally from an 11-point deficit and edge Southeastern Louisiana, 36-35, in a wild Southland Conference game Saturday night at Cowboy Stadium.

Fourroux, who went 21-for-36 for 268 yards and a pair of touchdowns, added a 20-yard scoring run as McNeese State (5-2, 2-1 Southland) built a 24-7 lead with 1:44 remaining in the first half.

“We had plenty of opportunities to score, but we made too many mistakes against a very good football in McNeese State,” Southeastern head coach Mike Lucas said. “Our guys played with a lot of heart and came back in a hostile environment, but you have to give McNeese credit for making the plays on that final drive.”

Southeastern (4-3, 2-1 Southland), which hosts Central Arkansas next Saturday in a 2 p.m. contest, cut the lead to 24-14 at halftime on a Chris Wilson 4-yard touchdown pass from Brian Babin before a 21-point outburst in the third quarter gave the Lions a 35-24 lead.

Babin, who went 23-for-37 for 250 yards, cut the lead to 24-21 on a 1-yard sneak with 12:58 remaining in the third quarter. Wesley Ladner then blocked a punt that Clint Coleman returned to the McNeese 1, and Zeke Jones scored on the following play to give Southeastern its first lead of the game at 28-24.

After Ladner recovered a muffed punt return by Champlain Babin at the McNeese 33, the Lions needed six plays to reach the end zone as Babin connected with Wilson on a 3-yard pass with 4:28 left in the third quarter.

The Lions had a chance to put the game away with a 35-30 lead in the fourth when Avery Crooks recovered another fumble by Champlain Babin at the SLU 39 and the Lions drove to the McNeese State 22. Jeff Turner missed a 38-yard field goal attempt with 3:18, and McNeese State had another opportunity to score.

Fourroux connected with Chad Davis for a 17-yard gain on third-and-10 to the McNeese 39 and hit Immanual Friddle for 20 yards on the next play to the SLU 41. After a personal foul on Southeastern moved the ball to the SLU 26, Fourroux gained 17 yards on a quarterback draw and the Cowboys scored three plays later when Fourroux hit Connors in the back of the end zone.

McNeese State built a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter as Josh Lewis booted a 43-yard field goal on the Cowboys' opening possession. After Geremy Pilate forced a Southeastern fumble after the Lions reached the McNeese 2, the Cowboys drove 67 yards in two plays for a 10-0 lead.

Champlain Babin, who rushed for 67 yards on 13 carries, gained 27 yards around right end before Fourroux hit a wide-open Corday Clark for a 40-yard TD strike with 4:54 remaining in the first quarter.

The Cowboys extended their lead to 17-0 on Fourroux's 9-yard scoring pass to Wes Mangan with 14:53 remaining in the second quarter before Southeastern answered with an 8-play, 69-yard drive.

Simmie Yarborough capped the drive for the Lions when he caught a pass from Babin, bounced off a pair of McNeese defenders and scored on a 29-yard touchdown to cut the McNeese lead to 17-7 with 10:51 remaining in the first half.

Mark Newbill led Southeastern with 13 tackles while Ryan Godare had six stops and Brian Reynolds five with a pair of sacks. Both teams forced four turnovers with the Cowboys picking off three Babin passes.

Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score
Southeastern La. 0 14 21 0 35 Record: (4-3, 2-1)
McNeese State 10 14 0 12 36 Record: (5-2, 2-1)

Scoring Summary:
1st Quarter
MCN – FG Lewis 43
MCN – Clark 40 pass from Fourroux (Lewis kick)

2nd Quarter
MCN – Mangan 9 pass from Fourroux (Lewis kick)
SLU – Yarborough 29 pass from Babin (Turner kick)
MCN – Fourroux 20 run (Lewis kick)
SLU – Wilson 4 pass from Babin (Turner kick)

3rd Quarter
SLU – Babin 1 run (Turner kick)
SLU – Jones 1 run (Turner kick)
SLU – Wilson 3 pass from Babin (Turner kick)

4th Quarter
MCN – Murray 2 run (pass failed)
MCN – Conner 5 pass from Fourroux (rush failed)

A – 13,008

SLU MCN
FIRST DOWNS 21 26
RUSHES-YARDS (NET) 35-128 38-168
PASSING YDS (NET) 255 268
Passes Att-Comp-Int 39-25-3 36-21-1
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS 74-383 74-436
Fumble Returns-Yards 0-0 0-0
Punt Returns-Yards 3-16 1-0
Kickoff Returns-Yards 6-106 6-126
Interception Returns-Yards 1-0 3-32
Punts (Number-Avg) 5-39.2 3-20.7
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 3-3
Penalties-Yards 6-40 2-20
Possession Time 28:02 31:58

RUSHING
Southeastern La. – Ducksworth 8-88; Jones 21-62; Beatty 1-4; Fairley 1-3; Babin 4-minus 29. McNeese State – C. Babin 13-67; Fourroux 13-67; Murray 8-49; Pendland 1-2; Davis 1-0; Conner 1-minus 2; TEAM 1-minus 15.

PASSING
Southeastern La. – Babin 23-37-3-250; Beatty 2-2-0-5. McNeese State – Fourroux 21-36-1-268.

RECEIVING
Southeastern La.- Wilson 6-55; Yarborough 5-67; Jones 5-40; Theodore 3-49; Cryer 3-13; Johnson 2-21; Lanaux 1-10. McNeese State – Davis 5-64; Mangan 5-50; Clark 3-76; Friddle 3-38; C. Babin 2-14; Leday 1-14; Pendland 1-7; Conner 1-5.