LAFAYETTE, La. – The Nicholls State University football team received record-setting offensive performances from Dai'Jean Dixon and Lindsey Scott Jr. and the defense put up a valiant effort against recently nationally-ranked Louisiana, but the Ragin' Cajuns held on for a 27-24 victory Saturday night in front of 25,417 fans at Cajun Field. 
 
Needing 93 yards to become only the sixth player in Southland Conference history to reach 3,000 for a career, Dixon tied the single-game program record of 198 yards receiving on a school record 14 receptions to go along with two touchdowns. He scored the first TD for Nicholls (0-2) and then the last with 33 seconds remaining to make the final.
 
Scott also set a school record with 480 combined yards as he notched his first 300-yard passing effort as a Colonel, throwing for 359 yards and three touchdowns on 26 of 37 attempts. He was also the leading rusher, totaling 121 yards on 18 carries. However, his lone miscue was an interception returned 67 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter with Nicholls trailing 17-10. 
 
In the fourth, Louisiana (1-1) then tacked on a field goal to make it a three-score deficit and it turned out to be the difference in the game. Nicholls pieced together a late rally as Scott hit K.J. Franklin for a 20-yard touchdown with 5:03 remaining before the Colonels forced a fumble to get the ball back. With 33 seconds on the clock, Dixon brought down a 6-yard pass for his second touchdown.
 
Nicholls attempted an onside kick but it was unsuccessful, allowing Louisiana to run out the clock for the win. 
 
The Colonels outgained UL in total offense, 511-394. Receiver Dontaze Costly also had a career night, finishing with new highs of five receptions and 80 yards. A large chunk came on the Colonels' opening drive as he got behind the Cajun defense on the first play for 53-yard catch. Two snaps later, Dixon tied the game at 7-7 with a 21-yard touchdown grab. 
 
UL regained the lead on a 46-yard field goal by Kenneth Almendares. Then in the second quarter, a Craig Walker punt pinned the Cajuns at the 1. But Louisiana needed only four plays to go 99 yards, taking a 17-7 lead on a Levi Lewis 46-yard TD pass to Michael Jefferson. Lewis threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns to lead the UL offense. 
 
Nicholls closed out the half with a career-long 42-yard field goal by Gavin Lasseigne. 
 
The third quarter saw the defenses trade fourth-down stops. Nicholls moved the ball to the UL 5 and had it 1st-and-goal looking to tie the score, but three straight rushes were short of the endzone before the Cajun defense stuffed Julien Gums on fourth down from the 1 for a 2-yard loss. Gums finished the night with 11 carries for 21 yards. 
 
UL then went for it on 4th-and-1 from its own 31, and Jequaries Martin stopped the play at the line of scrimmage. The Cajun defense responded two plays later with Kris Moncrief's interception return for a touchdown. 
 
Nicholls held UL to a field goal after the Cajuns reached the 1-yard line, but did not have enough time to complete the comeback. The loss dropped the Colonels' all-time record against UL to 0-5. 
 
Hayden Shaheen led Nicholls with seven tackles while Zack Bernard and Tyreke Boyd each had two tackles for loss. Bernard had the lone Colonel sack and was credited with a forced fumble. 
 
UP NEXT
Nicholls is scheduled for its home opener on Sept. 25 against North Alabama. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN+.