Box Score
In almost every college football season, there is a defining victory that marks a team's true character. For the Louisiana College Wildcats, that defining victory came Saturday in its 42-28 triumph over Mississippi College.
 
Despite being dominated in two major categories – time of possession (39:11 to 20:49) and total plays (91 to 53), the Wildcats made the most of their opportunities and fought for the win that gave them their first undefeated home schedule since the return of football in 2000 along with an overall record of 6-3 and a conference record of 4-1 with one game remaining.
 
"Just a great, great win for Louisiana College football," LC head coach Dennis Dunn said. "We faced a lot of adversity during the week. Coming off a tough loss to TLU, I really feel like this was a pivotal game, not just to get the home win for our seniors, but for the advancement of our football program."
 
In the week between the loss to Texas Lutheran and the game with MC (4-5/4-1), the Wildcats had taken a hard look at where their program was heading. It resulted in some players not suiting up for Saturday's game and some stirring speeches from the 15 LC seniors Friday night - just hours before that group would take the field for their final home game.
 
"We had to realize you're playing for the person beside you," senior center Hunter Feibel said. "If you play for the person beside you, you can't be beat."
 
Feibel and his offensive line teammates embodied that sentiment on LC's final drive of the game. Up 35-28 with 1:30 left, the Wildcats drove 45 yards in just six plays – all on the legs of senior running back Ryan Montague. The final two yards resulted in Montague's second touchdown run of the game to give LC its final margin of victory.
 
Montague finished with 109 yards on 24 carries. His two touchdowns rushing and one receiving set a new career mark at LC. Montague now has 37 career scores with one game left. The previous record of 34 had been held by Jordan Rideaux.
 
"It was find a way – find a way to spark your team and get your team back from that loss we had last week," Montague said. "I can't thank those guys enough for the way we came out and played today."
 
While Montague set a record in the win over LC, it was another senior, linebacker Dominic Graham, who set the tone for the win. With MC's offense running play after play, it was Graham leading the Wildcats defense in another "bend-but-don't-break" performance that yielded just one touchdown in all four quarters. Graham finished with 18 tackles – giving him 35 over the last two games.
 
"I always just get after the ball," Graham said. "It's that dog in me and the dog in my defense that we're going to step up and make plays. I just have to lead by example and my team will follow."
 
On offense, that leader for LC proved again to be freshman quarterback Easton Melancon. Coming off what might have been his worst outing of the season at TLU, Melancon rebounded with an amazing 18-for-24 effort against MC for 299 yards and four touchdowns.
 
The biggest of those four touchdowns came midway through the fourth quarter, ironically, after a Melancon interception had set up MC's game-tying score (28-28) with 4:20 to play. But, the freshman showed the determination of a senior on LC's next series – Melancon needing just three plays and 23 seconds to connect with another freshman, Farron Jones, for a 75-yard touchdown that gave LC the lead for good, 35-28 with 3:57 to play.
 
"I didn't even see the pass," Melancon said. "Right when I threw it, I got knocked down, and I just heard screams. When I looked up, I saw Farron running. I was excited.  I really just wanted to come out here and win it for the seniors. We've got one more left for them."
 
Prior to the game, LC honored all 15 seniors with a ceremony that included their parents. The team's traditional entrance – a run over the hill behind the south end zone was led by Graham and Montague's son, "Little Ryan."
 
Riding that high, LC started fast in the first quarter. Junior return man Ira Jewitt started things with a 56-yard kickoff return to the MC 44. Four plays later, the Wildcats ran the flea-flicker with Montague pitching back to Melancon who then hit sophomore Ladarius Gardner for a 36-yard touchdown pass play to put LC up 7-0.
 
The Choctaws responded immediately, however, as their quarterback, junior Jonathan Redd led a 13-play, 62-yard drive capped by Redd's two-yard run to make the score 7-7.
 
In the second quarter, Melancon's first of three interceptions set up MC for its second score. With LC at its own 36, Melancon was picked off by Brandon Glass who returned the ball to the LC 27. Five plays later, Redd found Keith Williams for a 5-yard touchdown pass to give MC its first lead, 14-7.
 
The Wildcats responded with their most impressive drive of the first half, 11 plays and 75 yards capped by Montague's 24-yard touchdown on third and one. It was that touchdown that set the new LC touchdown record – but a touchdown that was overshadowed somewhat by Montague drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
 
"I was trying to find a way to spark my team, and that's what I did. I wasn't proud of myself getting that penalty – Coach Dunn chewed me out, but I was just trying to spark my team," Montague said. "I told Coach one thing, I ain't gonna get out of my game. I'm gonna do whatever I got to do for us to win, and I think it showed today."
 
In the third quarter, the teams traded possessions before MC regained the lead on a five-play, 42-yard drive capped by a Redd to Alex Archer 20-yard strike to give MC the 21-14 advantage.
 
Whatever momentum that score provided quickly reversed, however, when Jewitt broke another big kickoff return – this for 51 yards to the MC 48. A penalty on MC gave LC at first down at the Choctaw's 33, and it would take LC just one play to score when Melancon found Montague flowing out of the backfield for touchdown to tie the game at 21.
 
As the fourth quarter got underway, it was again the LC defense that set up the go-ahead score. The Wildcat offense had put the defense in a bit of a hole to start the fourth when Reggie Sims fumbled at the LC 31. But, with the Choctaws poised to take the lead, junior linebacker Grayson Pylant drilled MC quarterback Jonathan Redd on a rush attempt to cause a fumble that was recovered by LC defensive lineman Joey Jarreau at the LC 17.
 
Melancon then marched the Wildcats 75 yards in just five plays – four of which were passes to sophomore receiver Ladarius Gardner – including a final 52-yarder to put the Wildcats up again, 28-21. Gardner would finish as LC's leading receiver after catching eight passes for 125 yards and two scores.
 
For MC, Redd finished 29-of-45 for 248 yards, three touchdowns and one interception (Eugene Jackson for LC). Zach Favre was the leading rusher for MC with 54 yards on 15 carries.
 
In addition to Grahams' impressive tackle total of 18, LC got strong efforts from Pylant, Beau Brewer and Jarreau who each had nine tackles for the game.
 
"I told them to play fast and encouraged them all to just stay humble to themselves and go out there and make plays," Graham said. "We stepped up, came together and finally played that 100-percent Wildcat LC football."
 
LC will have one final opportunity to play for their seniors as well as a chance to finish no worse than runner-up in the American Southwest Conference when they travel to Abilene, Texas and Hardin-Simmons University next Saturday, Nov. 16 for a season-ending matchup with the Cowboys at 1 p.m.