The Cajuns got the bounce back win they needed on Saturday night and Anthony Jennings looked as electric as the night sky was in Cajun Field as they came away with a 30-22 victory over McNeese State.
The Cowboys got things started with a lengthy opening drive that took a little more than six minutes off the clock and ended with a 33-yarder from Trent Manuel.
The Cajuns seemed to have everything going against them after they failed to convert on fourth and one, but a backwards pass from McNeese backup Grant Ashcraft turned the game on its head as it was fumbled and recovered by Jarvis Jeffries at the McNeese 17-yard line. On the very next play, Jennings connected with freshman Ja’Marcus Bradley to make it 7-3.
McNeese State had another lengthy drive that ended with another field goal from Manuel to make it a one point game. But the Cajuns strike back quickly with a march up the field that was capped off by a rushing touchdown from Jennings.
But McNeese responded with a march down the field that had the Cowboys make a two point lead for the Cajuns in the final minute of the first half with Dylan Long running in for one yard, but the attempt to tie it up with a two-point conversion attempt failed.
McNeese would take the lead again with yet another field goal in the third quarter from Manuel. The Cajuns would get the lead right back on the next drive with a healthy dose of running from Eli McGuire and Darius Hoggins, but it was Cecilia product Raymond Calais who pounded it in with a run that ended with him trucking a defender on his way into the endzone.
The Cajuns would extend their lead after a lightning delay halted play for around 40 minutes with Jennings doing his best Superman impression flipping over a defender into the endzone to make it 27-15. They would proceed to put the game out of reach with a lengthy drive down the field that took up five and a half minutes and ended with Stevie Artigue nailing a field goal from 17 yards out. McNeese did score with 12 seconds remaining with a run from Long, but a failed onside kick sealed the first victory for the Ragin Cajuns over the Cowboys since 1985.
The Cajuns (1-1) open up the conference slate and close out their three-game homestand against South Alabama (1-1) on September 17 with kickoff scheduled for 6 pm.
-Clint Domingue