Air to ground: Cowboys’ run game taking center stage
Published 12:00 pm Tuesday, September 27, 2022
- McNeese State senior running back Deonta McMahon look for a crease in the Rice defense Saturday in Houston. McMahon leads the Cowboys with 83 yards rushing per game. As a team, Cowboys’ are respectable at 165 yards per game, but the passing game is an area of concern at 118 yards per game. (Leighton Chamblee / Special to the American Press)
Gary Goff isn’t ready to change the name of his offense, but the Air Raid attack has hit the ground running in Lake Charles.
The first-year McNeese State head coach isn’t about to abandon the passing game, but he knows a good thing when he sees one.
And this team’s running game has been a very good thing.
“We did a good job the other night taking what the defense gave us and if they are going to play three safeties deep then you have to run,” said Goff.
The Cowboys ran for 350 yards, the most since gaining 406 against Lamar in 2015.
When McNeese State (0-3) travels to San Antonio Saturday for its Southland Conference opener against No. 11 Incarnate Word, it will be as the top rushing team in the league.
The Pokes lead the SLC in running at 188.5 yards a game and a solid 6.3 yards an attempt.
That could go a long way is trying to slow down an Incarnate Word offense that is putting 45 points a game on the board behind journeyman quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr.
Goff said the Cowboys will stay balanced but let the defense dictate what they do.
“We want to be aggressive no matter what,” said Goff. “If we can run the ball and win that’s fine.”
McNeese has a two-headed run game led by Deonta McMahon and D’Angelo Durham. The duo have rushed for 746 yards and five touchdowns for the Cowboys.
McMahon is working on three straight 100- yard performances and is averaging 101.5 yards a game, second in the Southland. Durham, a transfer from Savannah State, is at 85 yards an outing, third in the league.
Durham (35-340) averages 9.7 yards a carry, second in the SLC. McMahon (35-406) is even better at 11.6 yards a rush, top in the league. The duo would be first and third in the nation for yards per carry if they had enough attempts to qualify.
“We have to give credit to the offensive line,” said Durham. “They have to do their job.”
The McNeese offensive line has done a nice job opening up holes but has struggled in pass protection, allowing 22 sacks the first three games but had none against Mississippi College last week.
One bad note, Durham did miss practice on Monday but finished the game last Saturday.
NOTE: McNeese kicker Garrison Smith was selected as the Special Teams Player of the Week by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
The freshman transfer from Ohio State hit a career-long 42-yard field goal and a pair of extra points last Saturday night.
