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Jackson, Miss. The story seemed remarkably similar as the week before for the Louisiana College Wildcats on Saturday in Jackson, Mississippi, as a 38-28 final score, a four touchdown performance from junior quarterback Easton Melancon, and a dominant ground game led by junior running back Aurren Cooksey was the difference for the Wildcats in a critical American Southwest Conference win over the Belhaven Blazers.

Cooksey was the star of the afternoon, as he had the finest afternoon of his career against the Blazers on Saturday, carrying the ball 32 times for 181 rushing yards and a touchdown to lead the Wildcats to the 38-28 win.

LC would get off to a fast start, taking a 17-0 lead early in the 1^st half after a 4 yard touchdown reception by Jake Dunbar in the 1^st quarter followed by a 30 yard field goal from Charles Firmin and a 3 yard touchdown  reception from junior receiver Cole Crook in the 2^nd quarter.

But Belhaven was able to steal some momentum from the Wildcats just before halftime, as Nathan Thomas scored on a 22 yard touchdown reception with just four second remaining until the half to cut the lead to 17-7 going into the locker room.

After Kofi Bieniemy's  4 yard touchdown with 8:07 left in the 3^rd quarter put LC up 24-7, the Blazers would mount a tremendous comeback, scoring 21 unanswered points over the next 11 minutes to take a 28-24 lead with 7:29 remaining in regulation on a 1 yard touchdown run from Marquis Hedge.

But Melancon, as he always seems to in crunch time, had an answer.

The junior gunslinger went 4-for-4 on the ensuing possession for the Wildcats, leading a 6 play, 61 yard go-ahead touchdown drive that gave the Cats a 31-28 lead with 4:51 remaining on the clock.

It was a lead the Wildcats would not surrender again, as a sack by Orel Ledet, Jr. on the ensuing possession by the Blazers ended their drive and gave LC's offense one more opportunity to put the game out of reach.

And put it out of reach is exactly what they did, taking just two plays for go 33 yards for another score, this one on a 21 yard touchdown run by Cooksey to put LC ahead by the eventual final score of 38-28.

Melancon finished the day 20-for-44 passing with 4 touchdowns while Cooksey's 181 rushing yards were the most ever by a Wildcat in their series history against Belhaven, which they now lead 5-2.

Ledet, Jr. was the leader of an LC defense that racked up five sacks on the day, as the freshman linebacker collected seven total tackles and one sack.

The Wildcats, now 2-3 overall and 2-1 in ASC play, will be back at home on Saturday against perennial ASC powerhouse Mary Hardin-Baylor in a game that will have NCAA postseason implications for both teams.

That matchup is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. at Wildcat Stadium on LC's campus.