Nicholls State University

LAKE CHARLES, La. - Facing torrential downpours throughout the day, points were at a premium but McNeese found the end zone once on offense and once on special teams as the Nicholls State University football team fell 16-3 on Saturday afternoon at Cowboy Stadium.

McNeese (4-5, 3-3 SLC) scored the game's only offensive touchdown on a shovel pass before halftime, but Nicholls (3-6, 2-4 SLC) answered as time expired with a field goal by Kingston Phan. In the second half, the Colonels were looking to make it a one-point game with another field goal, but the snap was fumbled and McNeese scooped up the ball and returned it for a touchdown. 

The loss ended the Colonels' five-game winning streak in the series against McNeese, dating back to the 2021 season. 

With rain playing a heavy part in the offensive scheme, Nicholls went to the ground for a season-high 261 yards rushing. Quarterback Chase Richardson recorded his second straight 100-yard game, rushing for 104 yards on 21 carries and freshman Patrick Gales notched his first 100-yard effort, totaling 111 yards on 20 carries. 

Shane Lee rushed for 53 yards on 10 totes and gave Nicholls its best scoring opportunity, carrying the ball for 23 yards to the Cowboy 1 early in the second quarter. But two plays later, McNeese forced a Jayden Milton fumble at the goal line and recovered the ball in the end zone, keeping the score 0-0. 

Later in the quarter, McNeese's Brady Barrier dumped a short pass to Hutch Swilley in the middle of the field and he raced 32 yards for a touchdown.

Nicholls got the ball back with a minute remaining, and thanks to a 20-yard scamper by Richardson, the Colonels gave Phan a shot at a last-second field goal. Phan stayed perfect on the year, drilling a 42-yarder as time expired. 

Much like the opening quarter, both offenses battled the rain in the third and it wasn't until the fifth possession of the half that a team had success as Nicholls used a 29-yard rush by Gales to get to McNeese territory. Nicholls then lined up for a 40-yard field goal try, but the hold was fumbled and Amyrion Mingo scooped up the ball and ran 70 yards for a touchdown. McNeese botched it's extra point try to keep the score at 13-3.

In the fourth, McNeese tacked on the game's final points with a field goal with 1:52 remaining. 

The teams combined for 7 of 32 on third downs and just 73 yards passing as Richardson was 3 of 17 for 33 yards. All of the yards came on a one-handed catch by Chantz Babineaux in the first quarter. But Nicholls gave up the ball on the next play on a Tamaj Hoffman fumble, which was one of three fumbles lost for the Colonels. 

Kevin Martin Jr. and Kasai Jones led the defense with nine tackles each. Jones also had a hit on the quarterback which resulted in a tipped pass and an interception by Charlie Diedrich. 

For McNeese, Omiri Wiggins rushed for 107 yards on 22 carries. 

Up Next
Nicholls will host East Texas A&M for Homecoming on Saturday, Nov. 7. Kickoff is slated for 3:00 p.m.