Wildcats Win Shootout Against Choctaws, 45-42

CLINTON, MS - Ben McLaughlin connected on a 19-yard touchdown pass with DeMario Parker with just :19 seconds remaining to lift Louisiana College to a 45-42 victory over Mississippi College on Saturday night at Robinson-Hale Stadium.

In a back-and-forth affair, junior running back Brian Whitehurst came off the bench for an injured MC running back corps and rushed for 160 yards on 22 carries and four touchdowns.  Most of the damage by Whitehurst came in the second half as he was called on after Austin Divinity went down with an injury and the Choctaws were without the services of Steven Knight for the second straight game.

In a game that saw a combined total yardage of 979 yards, the Wildcats prevailed with McLaughlin throwing for 346 yards and four touchdowns, while also tossing three interceptions.  Darnell Williams caught four passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns, while taking a kickoff back 89 yards for a score in the fourth quarter.

Whitehurst was not the only star on offense as Randal Pharr caught seven passes for 94 yards, including a 31-yard reception in the fourth quarter to set up Whitehurst for a go-ahead touchdown with just 1:14 remaining in the game.

Nate Jantzen led the Wildcats defensively with 22 tackles, including nine solo stops and 2.0 tackles for loss.  Taylor Cottano and Richard Logan each finished with double-digit tackles with 14 and 10, respectively.  Jeremy Bertrand led the Choctaws with 10 tackles on the night.

The Choctaws will move on to their off week before traveling to Belton, TX to face Mary Hardin-Baylor at 1:00 p.m. on October 9th.