McNeese Cowboys are 2015 Southland Conference Champions

The Cowboys shook off another slow start to beat Sam Houston State 27-10 to claim their 14th Southland Conference championship. The win gives McNeese the automatic bid to the FCS playoffs and a pretty good shot at a bye in the first round. It will also mean the Cowboys should be home for their first game in early December. The Cowboys are now 9-0 overall and 8-0 in the conference.

Sam Houston took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on a 90-yard interception return by Darion Flowers and a 20-yard field goal by Tre Honshtein. The Cowboys got the offense rolling late in the second quarter with a Daniel Sams 64-yard touchdown run with 1:40 before the half. The Cowboys scored 96 seconds later on a Sams-to-Kent Shelby touchdown pass to make it 14-10 at the half.

In the third quarter, the Cowboys scored on the first of two Jean Breaux fields goals to make it 17-10. In the fourth, the Pokes added a 27-yarder from Breaux. Then, after the Bearkats botched the kickoff, Ryan Ross scored from 20 yards out to finish the scoring. The Cowboy defense held Sam Houston to three points, 43 points below their season average per game.

McNeese has the week off before finishing off the regular season in Beaumont against Lamar. The Cowboys will be trying to go undefeated in the SLC. They are the first team to win eight conference games.