Box Score/Play-by-play
Coach Stubbs post-game quotes
Student-athlete post-game quotes

THIBODAUX – The Nicholls State University football team pulled out a 44-28 victory over Bacone College on Saturday night in John L. Guidry Stadium behind a 210-yard, four-touchdown rushing performance by sophomore running back Jesse Turner. The win was the Colonels first of the season.

Turner carried 15 times for 210 yards, giving him a 14.0 yards/carry average that set the school's mark for best all-time, while also tying the bench mark for most rushing touchdowns in a game. The feat was accomplished by two former Colonel greats: Nakia Lumar and Broderick Cole.

Turner had touchdown carries of 13, 87, 18 and 39 yards in the victory, leading the team to a 375 yards rushing mark. His 87-yarder was the second longest touchdown run in school history, as Nicholls finished with 448 yards of total offense, out-performing Bacone who was limited to 334 yards on the day.

Leading the defense was senior safety Tarbbaris Hicks for the third time this season with eight total tackles (six solo) that included 2.5 for a loss. Also, Nicholls got interceptions from three different players: junior defensive backs Bobby Felder and Chika Madu, and senior linebacker Ed James.

“You know you're always glad to win. You're especially glad for these kids, they work hard. A lot of them are going through some new experiences,” said head coach Charlie Stubbs. “There's nothing like winning, winning breads winning.”

Also standing out offensively was sophomore wide receiver Chucky Nichols who caught his first career touchdown reception – a 52-yard strike from sophomore quarterback LaQuintin Caston – to lead the Colonel receiving corp. Caston was only 4-of-17 passing for 73 yards and three interceptions in the win; however, he did rush for 108 yards on 13 carries with a score.

The Colonels (1-3) started the game off by forcing a Bacone (1-3) fumble, and junior linebacker Shawn Elrod recovered it on the visiting 28-yard line. Nicholls could not cross the goal line; however, true freshman kicker Andrew Dolan did the honor with a 29-yard field goal to give the Colonels the 3-0 lead with 12:18 left in the first quarter. It was Dolan's first successful field goal try of the season.

The Warriors responded by taking the lead with a Mike Cook touchdown pass to Jamario Thomas from 6-yards out, and after the PAT, held a 7-3 advantage lead with 4:03 left in the first quarter.

However, Nicholls fired back with back-to-back scoring drives – each ending in Turner touchdown runs to take a 17-7 lead into halftime.

The Colonels failed to make due on their first two offensive possessions of the second half with both ending on a turnover. The Warriors responded on both opportunities, scoring touchdowns on each via Cook-to-Joe Morris tosses to take a 20-17 lead with 7:06 left in the third quarter. Cook finished 23-of-54 with 215 yards, three interceptions and three touchdowns.

But then Nicholls got the big-play for the momentum swing that they needed with a Caston-to-Nichols 52-yard touchdown strike over the middle to give the Colonels a 24-20 advantage after Dolan's PAT.

On the ensuing offensive possession for Bacone College, Nicholls came up huge with an interception from James on the Warrior 47-yard line that he returned 34 yards to the 13. It was James' first career interception, and he finished with three total tackles and 0.5 stops for a loss.

After the James interception, all it took was three plays for Caston and the Colonels to capitalize with a touchdown to extend the lead, 31-20, late in the third.

“It showed some character,” said Stubbs about his team's third quarter rally. “The defense bent, but didn't break today and came up with some plays for us. Ed James' play was one that our offense was able to make something out of.”

Bacone scored late in the fourth quarter in an attempt to climb back in the game, but on the next series, Turner scored his fourth touchdown of the game to all but put the game on ice.

Nicholls will head into the open date and await Sam Houston State on Saturday, October 9. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.

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