SLU travels to McNeese State in key Southland Conference battle

McNeese State sophomore fullback Dylan Long (34) carries the ball against Weber State earlier this season. Long is a St. Paul's graduate, and is the grandson of  legendary former  Covington High Hall of Fame coach Jack Salter. Photos courtesy of Matthew Bonnette/McNeese State Sports Information.

McNeese State junior defensive end Everett Ellefsen, a former Mandeville High Skipper

The SLU Lions, winners of four straight, are 6-2 overall heading to Lake Charles to battle the
McNeese State Cowboys tomorrow night at 7 o'clock. McNeese State, 7-1, is ranked No. 4,
while Southeastern is rated No. 25 and both teams are tied for the Southland Conference lead
at 3-0.
SLU's offense put together a strong performance last week as the Lions rolled past Lamar 56-34
with the Lions gaining rushing for 310 yards, while QB Bryan Bennett rushed for a team-high 95
yards. Bennett also passed for 237 yards with two TD passes and was named the Louisiana Sports
Writers Association Offensive Player of the Week, the second time he has earned that honor
this season.
SLU trailed 14-0 in the first quarter before exploding for 42 unanswered points in the Lamar
Homecoming victory.
McNeese State sophomore fullback Dylan Long, who prepped at St. Paul's, tallied two touchdowns in
the red zone last week in the Cowboys' 55-30 win over Nicholls State. Long, 6-0, 220-pounds,
specializes in short yardage situations and has seven touchdowns, which is second on the team.
Long has seen action in all eight games, rushing for 273 yards, averaging 4.4 yards per carry,
which is impressive since he usually gets the inside carries down around the goal line. Last
week, he rushed the ball four times for eight yards with two going for scores, on two and four
yard tallies.
Mandeville High Skippers' graduate Everett Ellefsen, a 6-3, 230-pound junior defensive end,
has played in all eight games. Ellefsen has registered 16 solo stops with eight assists.
Ellefsen has done a nice job getting after the quarterback with five sacks along with nine QB
hurries. Ellefsen has recorded six tackles for loss, totaling 27 yards. He was a 2013 Preseason All-Southland Conference Second Team Defensive Line selection and a CFPA Defensive Line/End Watch List selection.