For the second straight Saturday the McNeese State football team battled heat and each other inside Cowboy Stadium.

The second and final scrimmage of camp was open to the public, but this was more for the coaches than fans.

“We got a lot of quality reps in,” said head coach Frank Wilson. “I think each unit may have gotten 40 to 50 snaps, which is about what we want. That’s more than half a game.”

The 100-minute workout saw some big plays from the usual suspects but also had a few surprises. Those who did attend and sat through the near triple-digit temperatures got to get an early view of these Cowboys.

Here are five takeaways from Saturday’s scrimmage.

1 — Don’t forget Mason Pierce.

With all the talk of the new weapons on offense and the upgrade of receivers, Pierce proved he will be a part of this attack once again.

Pierce, who made big plays last spring on special teams, and both running and catching the football, had 51 yards on three grabs. He showed flashes of his speed that will give McNeese a threat to go all the way every time he touches the ball.

With no kick returns, Pierce has yet to show those skills, but he did in the spring so it’s just a matter of time.

2 — Walker Wood is a football player.

For the second straight scrimmage the backup QB showed he can catch the football. His one grab Saturday was a nifty 29-yard snag in traffic during overtime work.

He also did a solid job blocking in the running game.

“Number nine (Wood) is somebody who can just make plays,” Wilson said. “He is somebody we have to get on the field when we can.”

Wood had four catches in the first scrimmage for 65 yards.

3 — Stephon Huderson is a difference maker.

The grad transfer from Tulane showed both power and speed while rushing for 83 yards on 12 carries. He had touchdown runs of 11 and five yards to lead the offense.

Huderson credited the offensive line say “there were big holes and a number of them.”

But he also showed the ability to bounce off hits and finish runs strong. He should give the Cowboys a more balanced attack, which was lacking in the spring.

4 — Defense is good.

Andre Sam had an interception, Mason

Kinsey a strip sack and C.J. Semien had two sacks to highlight the defense.

If the offense won the first scrimmage with big plays, the defense held an advantage in this one.

While All-American defensive end Isaiah Chambers was relatively quite with four tackles, the Cowboys showed depth on that side of the ball as well.

Edward Gilds led all Cowboys with seven tackles.

5 — Still work to do.

A botched late field goal try, inconsistent kickoffs and poor punting showed the Cowboys are far from a finished product.

“We will work on that,” said Wilson.

The misfires should give McNeese coaches something to get the players’ attentions with less than two weeks to go before they kickoff the new season for real.