Final Stats

THIBODAUX, La.  – In a windy day that caused problems for both offenses, the Nicholls State University football team put together a late fourth-quarter rally by scoring its only touchdown of the game but Central Arkansas recovered the ensuing onside kick to hang on for a 17-10 victory Saturday night at John L. Guidry Stadium.

The loss was the fifth consecutive setback for Nicholls, which falls to 4-7 overall and 1-5 in Southland play. Central Arkansas (6-5, 3-3) snaps a two-game skid and extends its winning streak to five games over the Colonels.

UCA led 17-3 at the break and neither team scored until Nicholls quarterback Beaux Hebert completed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Erik Buchanan with 48 seconds remaining in the game. The Colonels attempted their second onside kick of the game, with the first coming after a 40-yard field goal by Andrew Dolan early in the opening quarter that gave Nicholls a 3-0 lead, but the ball bounced out of bounds at midfield. UCA would down the ball twice to preserve the victory.

While the defense gave up a season-low 17 points and just 323 yards, the offense had its second-lowest output this season, accounting for 324 total yards. Hebert led Nicholls with 124 yards passing on 13 of 21 while Tuskani Figaro, who rushed for 31 yards to become the second Colonel in program history to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a single-season, completed 10 of 15 passes for 60 yards.

Nicholls rushed for 140 yards, led by sophomore Michael Henry who had 59 yards on nine carries, and freshman C.J. Okpalobi added 31 yards on five carries. Running back Reggie Wilson led Nicholls in receiving with six receptions for 34 yards and Carey Fortson had a team-high 36 yards on three catches.

For the seventh time this season, Nicholls cracked the scoring column first after Dolan's field goal sailed through the uprights with 9:39 on clock in the first. Nicholls had great field position after Edet Udoh picked up a sack which forced UCA to punt. With the wind howling, the punt was knocked down at midfield for a net of just 25 yards.

However, the failed onside kick returned the favor as the Bears needed to go only 46 yards to take a 7-3 lead. Ryan Howard, who had 150 yards passing and two touchdowns, gave UCA the advantage on a 7-yard score to Clay Murphy.

Nicholls threatened to score on the next possession, getting a 22-yard reception by Hayden Cardiff and a 21-yard run by Okpalobi to move deep into UCA territory. But the Bears came up with a big turnover as Bailey McIver delivered a hard hit on a Figaro rush to force a fumble.

The Colonels had another failed red zone opportunity early in the second as Dolan missed a 33-yarder into the wind. UCA answered with a scoring drive as Eddie Camara booted a 28-yard field goal at the 7:45 mark.

Camara would miss a 36-yard field goal later in the quarter, but the Bears went into the break with a 14-point lead after Howard found Desmond Smith, who had seven catches for 98 yards, for a 48-yard touchdown with less than a minute to go.

In the third, Nicholls found itself deep into UCA territory on its opening drive, but the Bear defense stopped the Colonels on a 4th-and-4 from the 28.

In the final quarter, B.J. Lewis provided a spark on special teams as the senior blocked a 41-yard field goal attempt by Camara. Hebert then led Nicholls down to the UCA 10, but Dolan missed his second field goal of the day, sending a line drive left of the uprights.

Still leading 17-3 and with the wind in their face, the Bears elected to go for a 4th-and-2 at the Colonel 11. Jose Moore looked to have a catch for the first down, but Lewis jarred the ball loose for a turnover-on-downs.

Running the hurry-up, Nicholls made it a one possession game with less than a minute to go on Buchanan's fifth touchdown grab of the season.  But after coming up empty on the onsides kick, UCA went on for its third victory in five games at Guidry Stadium.

Senior Chris Bermond led Nicholls with a career-high 11 tackles, while freshmen Chris Lorden and B.T. Sanders also had personal bests with eight tackles each. Lorden was one of three Colonels to record a sack, joining Udoh and freshman Josh Singleton.

Nicholls will close out the season on Thursday, Nov. 21 at Southeastern Louisiana. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3, with tape delays available on WHNO on Friday and Saturday. Kickoff at Strawberry Field is scheduled for 6 p.m.