Final Stats Box Score

MOBILE, Ala. –The Nicholls State University football team put up a tremendous defensive effort by holding South Alabama to no touchdowns, but two crucial turnovers in the second half led to a pair of field goals as the Jaguars edged the Colonels, 9-3, on Saturday in front of 15,237 fans at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

Nicholls had an opportunity late as the defense forced a three-and-out, leading to a Jaguars punt to midfield with three minutes remaining. The Colonels drove inside USA's 20-yard line, but the Jaguars batted away the intended pass in the end zone to junior Erik Buchanan on fourth down to escape with the victory.

The Colonel defense was stout all game, limiting the Jaguars to 279 yards. Nicholls forced two turnovers for the game, and had two missed opportunities in the second half. Senior Jordan Piper led the team with 12 tackles, while junior Chris Bermond racked up 10 in his Colonel debut. The Colonels had three sacks on the day, with Rashar Knight and Darrel Brown recording one each.

Although Nicholls' defense held USA without a touchdown, the Jaguars were as impressive, limiting the Colonels to only 118 yards of total offense. The Colonels struggled on third downs, converting 2-of-12 attempts. Senior LaQuintin Caston led the team with 69 yards rushing on 10 carries, but the team only totaled 22 net rushing yards after six Jaguar sacks wiped out 39 yards.

Sophomore tight end Nick Scelfo fueled the passing game, hauling in three catches for 40 yards. Scelfo was key in the Colonels' lone scoring drive, catching a 19-yard pass and drew a pass interference to set up Andrew Dolan's 48-yard field goal in the second quarter. The 3-0 lead was short lived as USA answered with a 19-yarder to even the score at 3-all before the half.

In the third quarter, after a missed field goal by South Alabama, junior Landry Klann tossed his first of two interceptions in the second half, which led to field goal by the Jaguars. Klann finished the day with 96 yards passing on 12-of-27.

Before the end of the quarter, the Colonel defense came through again when sophomore Davin Bovie recovered a fumble at midfield. Early in the final period, the Colonels moved the ball inside the red zone, but a botched exchange between Caston and senior Jesse Turner stalled the drive.

With nine minutes left, USA capitalized on another interception by putting the final points on the board with a 34-yard field goal. The Jags remain undefeated in the series brief history, improving to 2-0.

For Nicholls, senior punter Cory Kemps had a solid outing, finishing with a 42.8 yard average on eight punts. In the first quarter, Kemps pinned the Jaguars at the 2 and 1-yard lines on consecutive punts.

The Colonels will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 15 when they head to Tulsa for their second straight game against an FBS program. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.