MOBILE, Ala. – After two touchdowns by South Alabama – one in the final minute of regulation to force overtime, and the other to take the lead in the extra period - the Nicholls State University football team went for the win after scoring on their possession in OT, but the Colonels were stopped twice on two-point conversion attempts as South Alabama escaped with a 41-40 victory Saturday night at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
 
Nicholls dropped to 1-2 on the season, with both losses coming against FBS programs, South Alabama (2-2) and Georgia, by combined margin of defeat of three points. USA remains undefeated against the Colonels with a 3-0 record all-time.
 
After a wild second quarter which saw the teams combine for a total of 40 points, both squad made only a field goal in the third to give USA a 27-26 advantage. The Colonels, which were outgained 510-230 on offense, needed to go only 32 yards after a big interception by senior B.T. Sanders in the fourth. Sanders had a monster game, finishing with a game-high 13 tackles.
 
Chase Fourcade connected with Damion Jeanpiere for a 16-yard touchdown with 8:45 remaining in the game, and Josh Singleton threw a pass to C.J. Bates on a reverse for a two-point conversion, giving the Colonels a 34-27 lead.
 
The Colonels defense picked up another interception, their fourth of the game, this time by Corey Abraham to halt a drive at midfield. Nicholls pushed for two first downs before punting the ball to USA 17 with 2:47 to go in the game.
 
The Jaguars stayed alive with a fourth-down conversion and with 16 seconds on the clock, Dallas Davis found Tyrone Williams for a 9-yard touchdown. The extra point was good to tie the game at 34.
 
USA got the ball first in the extra period and converted another fourth-down attempt before Xavier Johnson ran in from 4 yards. The extra point made it 41-34.
 
Dontrell Taylor took care of business for the Colonels, rushing 17 yards, 4 yards and another 4 yards for a touchdown to bring Nicholls within one. Following a timeout, the Red and Gray trotted out the offense for the win and Fourcade's pass was intercepted, but USA was flagged for offside. The Colonels went for it again, but Taylor, who had 125 yards rushing on 25 carries, was stuffed up the middle as USA hung on for the victory.
 
Fourcade finished with 69 yards passing on 10-of-19. Nicholls ran the ball 43 times, with C.J. Okpalobi adding nine carries for 49 yards.  For USA, Dallas Davis had 302 yards in the air and Johnson rushed for 103 yards on 21 carries.
 
Johnson started off the game with a bang as he took the opening kickoff back 95 yards for a touchdown. Both teams were silent on offense before a wild second quarter.
 
Dami Ayoola rushed in from 3 yards for a 14-0 lead to start the frenzy, and following a sack-fumble on Fourcade which gave USA the ball back, Chris Major picked off a pass at the 33 and returned it for a touchdown to cut the deficit in half.
 
The Colonel special teams then came through as Jeff Hall blocked a 49-yard field goal and Christian Boutte picked it up off the bounce, running  51 yards for the score to tie the game at 14. Two plays later, Ahmani Martin made a great read and intercepted a pass at the USA 26.
 
On the Colonels' second play, Okpalobi rushed 24 yards and fumbled at the goal line. After review, the officials were unable to determine who recovered the ball and it stayed with the Colonels, spotted at the 1. Mason Boudreaux then punched it in for his first career touchdown and the extra point was wide to give Nicholls a 20-14 lead.
 
On the ensuing kickoff, McKey kicked it short and it bounced untouched before being recovered by the Colonels' Patrick Riley at the USA 26. McKey followed up with a 37-yard field goal to extend Nicholls' lead to 23-14.
 
Before the break, USA's Johnson scored on a 16-yard touchdown run and the Jaguars took advantage of an Okpalobi fumble for a 22-yard field goal for a 24-23 lead at the half.
 
In the third, Stefano Guarisco returned the opening kickoff 52 yards and added 15 yards on late hit. McKey then drilled a 21-yard field goal before USA answered with its own to head into the fourth with a 27-26 advantage.
 
Hezekiah White joined Sanders in double figures in tackles with 11, including 2.5 for loss. Sully Laice added eight and Allen Pittman had seven.
 
The overtime game for the Colonels was the first since their 47-45 victory in four OTs at Texas State.
 
Nicholls will return to Southland Conference action on Saturday, Oct. 1 at McNeese. Kickoff in Lake Charles is scheduled for 6 p.m.