LAKE CHARLES, La. (Interstat) — McNeese State held off Texas A&M-Commerce for a 27-24 victory on Saturday at Navarre Stadium in an NCAA Football Championship Division game. The Cowboys improved to 2-3 with the home win, while the Lions dropped to 1-4. McNeese State led for much of the afternoon but had to withstand a late push from Texas A&M-Commerce. The home team made the final decisive plays on defense and special teams to preserve the win.

McNeese State struck first with Deaglan Camron’s 36-yard field goal with 12:24 left in the first quarter. Camron added a 27-yard field goal with 6:19 remaining in the opening quarter. Texas A&M-Commerce answered when Jack Jacobs completed a short pass to Sean Sallis, who turned it into a 7-yard touchdown with 3:06 left in the first quarter. McNeese State regained the lead in the second quarter when J. Strong connected with Jamaal Levi on a 2-yard touchdown pass with 14:14 remaining. Ozlo Rigby kicked a 26-yard field goal for the Lions with five seconds left before halftime.

In the third quarter, McNeese State’s O. Wiggins broke free for a 74-yard touchdown run with 14:09 remaining. H. Swilley added a 6-yard touchdown run with 4:35 left in the quarter. Texas A&M-Commerce responded when Eric Rodriguez found Kaden Taylor for a 49-yard touchdown with 2:06 remaining. In the fourth quarter, Rodriguez connected with Rayshawn Glover on a 46-yard touchdown with 4:33 left. The Lions could not score again, and McNeese State held on for the win.

The scoring sequence included field goals, touchdown passes and long runs. Camron’s two first-quarter field goals gave McNeese State an early advantage before Sallis’ touchdown put Texas A&M-Commerce on the board. Strong’s scoring pass to Levi restored the Cowboys’ lead, and Rigby’s field goal kept the Lions close at halftime. Wiggins’ 74-yard run opened the third-quarter scoring, but Taylor’s 49-yard touchdown and Glover’s 46-yard touchdown kept Texas A&M-Commerce within reach until the final minutes.

Rodriguez finished 13-of-22 passing for 232 yards and two touchdowns, and he rushed five times for 2 yards. Jacobs completed 8 of 13 passes for 54 yards and a touchdown and carried four times for 16 yards. Sallis caught two passes for 4 yards and a touchdown. Taylor had one reception for 49 yards and a touchdown and returned a kickoff for 11 yards. Glover had one catch for 46 yards and a touchdown. Major McBride rushed six times for 63 yards and caught two passes for 45 yards. Tanner Harrison caught four passes for 49 yards. Andrez Lewis had three receptions for 44 yards. Micah Simpson caught six passes for 36 yards and returned a punt for 2 yards. Jordon Hamilton rushed five times for 24 yards and caught one pass for 11 yards. Allijah Harrison returned a kickoff for 32 yards. Ben Mehan punted seven times for 247 yards.

Texas A&M-Commerce spread the ball among several receivers. Taylor, Glover, McBride, Harrison, Lewis, Simpson and Hamilton all recorded at least one reception. The Lions also used two quarterbacks, with Rodriguez handling most of the passing workload and Jacobs adding a scoring throw. The running game was led by McBride, while Hamilton and Rodriguez also contributed carries. Mehan’s punting helped the Lions manage field position, and Allijah Harrison provided a spark on kickoff returns.

Dylan Scott led Texas A&M-Commerce with nine tackles. Luke Williams had seven tackles. Orion Kupu and Tramar Gilbert each recorded six tackles. Roman Kupu added five tackles. Kai Baugh made four tackles. Duncan Parham had three tackles and two quarterback hurries. X’Avion Brice, Dakari Harris, Salehe Koonooka-Williams and Kemani Wilson each finished with three tackles. Caleb Nuhi-Yandall, Anthony Gray, Wesley York Jr. and Erron Brown each had two tackles. Chibu Ojirika, Jamari Mosley, Colin Douglas, Isaiah Hare, Matthew Goldman, Sonny Vitale, Rohan Clarkson and Drewvon Oxendine each made one tackle. Ozlo Rigby handled kicking duties for the Lions, while Elias O’Keefe and Team also appeared in the participation report.

For McNeese State, Landon Barrett led the defense with 11 tackles and an interception. Cohen Charles had six tackles. Jermaine Hargraves, RJ Staten, Emauri Sibley and Mark Fielder each made five tackles. Sean Dubose and Mason Edwards each recorded three tackles. Kenyatta Fleet returned one punt for no yards and made one tackle. Kameran Senegal caught three passes for 3 yards and returned two kickoffs for 57 yards. Kevin Rideau caught one pass for 2 yards. Camron made both field goals and kicked extra points, while the Cowboys’ defense limited Texas A&M-Commerce after several long scoring plays.

Texas A&M-Commerce’s offense produced several explosive plays, including Taylor’s 49-yard touchdown and Glover’s 46-yard score. The Lions also got a 32-yard kickoff return from Allijah Harrison and a 63-yard rushing effort from McBride. McNeese State countered with a steady ground game and timely passing, including Wiggins’ long touchdown run and Swilley’s short scoring run. The Cowboys also benefited from Barrett’s interception and a defense that came up with stops in key moments.

The game was part of the NCAA Football Championship Division schedule. Texas A&M-Commerce is scheduled to host UT Rio Grande Valley next, while McNeese State is set to visit LSU next. The Cowboys will carry a 2-3 record into that matchup, and the Lions will take a 1-4 mark into their next game. Both teams will look to build on the performances from Saturday as the season continues.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of McNeese State 42, Texas A&M-Commerce 23. Interstat’s ELO system gave McNeese State a 76.6 percent probability to win. Texas A&M-Commerce had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +6.5. The total score of 51 went over the over/under line of 51.5.