THIBODAUX, La. - In a game that featured a pair of 20-point quarters for each team, the Nicholls State University Colonels scored the final touchdown of the day early in the fourth quarter before the defense stuffed McNeese late on a fourth-down try to preserve a 40-35 victory over the Cowboys Saturday evening on Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium.
Running back
Julien Gums gave Nicholls (2-6, 2-1 SLC) the lead for good after running untouched up the middle from four yards out, putting the Colonels up five with 11 minutes remaining. McNeese (1-6, 0-3 SLC) marched down the field for the potential go-ahead score, but freshman
Eli Ennis capped a strong outing with a stop on 4th-and-1 from the Colonel 25 with five minutes to go.
Gums and
Collin Guggenheim, who rushed for two touchdowns, teamed up for six carries and a pair of first downs that allowed Nicholls to eventually run out the clock for a third consecutive home victory against the rival Cowboys.
Nicholls totaled 507 yards of offense with quarterback
Kohen Granier throwing to nine different receivers for a career-high 337 yards. Granier tossed two touchdowns, including a 22-yard strike in the second quarter to tight end
Brandon Hubicz that put Nicholls ahead 14-0, but also had a pair of interceptions in the period that swung the momentum to McNeese.
The Colonels struck first with a 2-yard Guggenheim touchdown on the opening drive before the Cowboys quickly erased the 14-0 deficit in the second quarter. Deonta McMahon scored the first of his four touchdowns for the visitors on a 20-yard scamper and McNeese added a two-point try. McMahon then ran for another TD for the lead and on the first offensive play of the Colonel drive, Granier threw an interception.
McNeese capitalized with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Knox Kadem to McMahon for a 22-14 advantage. Then Granier led the Colonels down to the McNeese 5 right before the break, but his pass was tipped at the line and Amaud Willis-Dalton came away with an interception.
Things didn't change for the Colonels early in the third as
Marquese Albert muffed a punt after a three-and-out, and McNeese recovered deep in Nicholls territory. Two plays later, Kadem found Jalen Johnson open for a 25-yard touchdown.
Nicholls finally answered with Guggenheim's second touchdown to end a string of 29 straight points scored by McNeese. The drive was set up on a 42-yard catch by freshman
Neno Lemay.
The defense then came up with an enormous play as
James Tobin IV picked off a Kadem pass and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown. Then on the Colonels' next possession, Granier hit
Terry Matthews for a deep pass and he was able to evade a pair of defenders and break free for an 89-yard touchdown. Nicholls went for two but failed on the try, keeping the score at 34-29 Colonels.
Early in the fourth, McMahon continued to be a one-man wrecking crew with his fourth touchdown. Nicholls missed on a 31-yard field goal try and the Cowboys countered with a 12-play scoring drive. McMahon crossed the goal line from 9 yards out but once again, the two-point try came up empty as McNeese led 35-34.
On the Colonels go-ahead drive, the offense featured seven rushes with Gums getting five of the carries. He started with a 20-yard rush before capping it with his 4-yard touchdown rush. Gums had another milestone day as he surpassed 3,000 rushing yards for his career and tied two program all-time touchdown records -- rushing (35) and total touchdowns (36). The New Orleans native finished with 110 yards rushing to extend his school record to 13 games.
Ennis started the defense's day with a forced fumble and ended it on the fourth-down stop on a McMahon carry. Ennis racked up 11 tackles and had his first career sack.
Kylin White also tallied 11 tackles while
Perry Ganci finished with seven and had a sack on the final drive.
Tyler Morton's second pick followed Matthew's long touchdown catch in the third.
UP NEXT
Nicholls will head back on the road for a matchup with Lamar on Oct. 29. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.
