LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Nicholls State University football team had a few opportunities in the first half to hang around with No. 5/4 McNeese State, but the Colonels were never able to capitalize as the Cowboys rolled to a 45-3 victory on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium.
 
With the loss, Nicholls drops to 0-6 on the year and 0-2 in Southland play. The Colonels have lost 12 consecutive games overall and six straight in the series to McNeese (3-1, 1-0 SLC).
 
The Cowboys led 31-0 in the third quarter before Francisco Condado prevented the shutout with a career-long 47-yard field goal with 6:17remaining. McNeese added two more touchdowns in the fourth to make the final.
 
Facing one of the FCS' top defenses, the Colonels were held to 257 yards, but had a pair of solid efforts by wide receiver Demon Bolt and running back Michael Henry. Bolt hauled in three receptions for a career-best 105 yards, while Henry rushed for 81 yards on just nine carries.
 
Senior quarterback Beaux Hebert made his first start of the season, finishing with 88 yards passing on 8-of-16 attempts. While the Colonels were able to move the ball inside the Cowboy 30 twice in the first half, the team came up empty on the scoreboard.
 
The Cowboys jumped out to a 17-0 lead before the Colonels threatened to put points on the board in the final two drives of the half. With less than seven minutes remaining in the quarter, Henry rumbled for 40 yards, moving the Colonels into McNeeese's side of the field. But McNeese showed off its top-rated defense, stuffing the Colonels on a fourth-and-1 run at the Cowboy 26.
 
After moving the ball inside the Cowboy 30 for a second-straight drive, this time fueled by a 38-yard catch by Bolt, an interception in the end zone thrown by Hebert thwarted the momentum once again.
 
McNeese then needed only six plays to travel 80 yards for the final score of the half, taking a 24-0 lead into the break.
 
In the second half, McNeese's Daniel Sams threw a touchdown pass to RJ Walters just five minutes in. After Nicholls cracked the scoring column on Condado's field goal, McNeese scored another touchdown in the third on a 2-yard run by Dylan Long.
 
Ryan Ross ran a touchdown in from 1 yard in the fourth, putting the final score at 45-3.
 
While Hebert started the game, Kalen Henderson played in the second half, completing 6-of-10 passes for 99 yards. The duo was sacked six times on the night, resulting in -54 yards. Despite Henry's 9.0 yard per carry average, Nicholls had just 70 net yards rushing after the sacks.
 
Nicholls was led on defense by Ronnie Walker with 13 tackles, Kameryon Brown had 11 and Davin Bovie and Byron Cobb added nine each.
 
For McNeese, Sams rushed for 135 yards on 11 carries as the Cowboys racked up 567 yards of total offense. Sams also threw for 76 yards and two scores, while Tyler Bolfing completed 10-of-15 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown.
 
Nicholls returns home for three of its next four games, starting with a matchup against Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, Oct. 11. Kickoff at John L. Guidry is scheduled for 6 p.m.