LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) _ Jessie Burton ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns Saturday night as McNeese State ambushed Troy State, 24-7, ending a bid for an unbeaten season by the No. 1 team in Division I-AA.

Locked at 7-7 at halftime, McNeese (5-5 overall, 3-2 Southland Football League) erupted for 17 points in the third quarter against a Troy State defense that had allowed just seven points in its previous two games.

McNeese's defense, meanwhile, recovered four fumbles and had two interceptions against a Troy State offense that had been averaging nearly 32 points per game.

The loss left Troy State at 9-1 overall, 5-1 in the Southland and dashed the Trojans' hopes of immediately clinching the conference championship and the league's automatic bid to the Division I-AA post-season playoffs.

A 24-yard touchdown run by Burton in the first period and a 3-yard touchdown run by Troy's LeBarron Black produced a 7-7 halftime score ande set the stage for the McNeese surge.

A 2-yard touchdown pass from Slade Nagle broke the tie just 1:28 into the third period. A 32-yard field goal by Shonz LaFrenz made it 17-7 just five minutes later and a 2-yard touchdown run by Burton just three minutes after that.

Nagle finished with 17 completions in 27 pass attempts for 194 yards as McNeese finished with 303 total yards while holding Troy to 58 yards rushing and 206 total yards.