Nicholls wins on Hail Mary

The final moment of Nicholls’ 2017 home schedule is one that Colonels fans will remember for a long, long time.

With the score tied at 17 in Saturday’s game between the Colonels and Houston Baptist, Nicholls played a third and two at Houston Baptist’s 44-yard-line with less than 10 seconds to play.

On what would end up being the final snap of the game, quarterback Chase Fourcade rolled out and shot the football deep down the field to Dai’Jean Dixon, who caught the pass short of the end zone, but broke free until he scored – a successful Hail Mary play that clinched a 23-17 victory for the Colonels.

With the win, Nicholls improved to 7-2 overall and 6-1 in Southland play.

The victory also keeps the Colonels’ Football Championship Subdivision Playoff hopes alive, while also ensuring that the team will finish the regular season undefeated at home.

“I am so proud of this team,” Nicholls coach Tim Rebowe said. “I told them in the locker room that good teams find a way to win and that’s exactly what we did. The defense played lights out in the second half and held them to just a field goal right there at the end of the game.”

The thrilling finish masked what was one of the poorest performances of the season for the Colonels.

Nicholls was heavily favored against Houston Baptist, but struggled mightily throughout a lot of the game, thanks to penalties, missed opportunities and otherwise stellar play from Houston Baptist.

Nicholls scored first in the game on a 50-yard field goal from Lorran Fonseca to go up 3-0 midway through the first quarter.

But almost the rest of the half was all Houston Baptist.

The Huskies went 51 yards in seven plays late in the first quarter – a drive capped on a one-yard run from B.J. Kelly to go up 7-3.

With nine minutes left in the first half, they added seven more to that lead on a pass from Bailey Zappe to Ethan Fry to go up 14-3 – an 85-yard drive.

Nicholls had chances the rest of the first half, but couldn’t find points until the final seconds.

The Colonels got the football back with 47 seconds left before halftime. They navigated down the field enough to set up Fonseca for another kick – a 40-yarder, which cut Houston Baptist’s lead to 14-6.

In the second half, it looked like Nicholls was going to take over the game.

Fonseca got his third field goal early in the third quarter to cut the Huskies’ lead to 14-9.

From there, Nicholls added a touchdown and a safety in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter to finally take the lead – a 17-14 advantage.

The touchdown was a three-yard run from Dontrel Taylor. The Colonels failed a 2-point try on the score.

But with the lead, Houston Baptist didn’t fold.

The Colonels had a chance to run out the clock late in the game, but had to punt, which set up the Huskies at their own 29-yard-line with 1:19 to play.

Nicholls appeared to win the game on the second play of the drive when Ahmani Martin intercepted a pass at Houston Baptist’s 42-yard-line. But Nicholls gave the Huskies second life on a roughing the passer penalty on Hezekiah White, which also led to his ejection for targeting.

With second life and 15 yards of field position, the Huskies pressed on, getting as far as Nicholls’ 33-yard-line before getting a 50-yard field goal from kicker Alec Chadwick with 23 seconds left to tie the game at 17.

Then, the dramatics.

Houston Baptist tried a short kickoff to negate a return, but were unsuccessful, as Mason Roberts pushed the football to the Nicholls’ 48-yard-line with 16 seconds to play.

On the first play of the drive, Fourcade hit Kyran Irvan on a check-down for eight yards to get into Huskies’ territory.

On the second play came an incomplete pass, which stopped the clock with five seconds to play.

On the Hail Mary, Fourcade hit Dixon in stride. He nearly dropped the football, but collected himself at the 20-yard-line before working into the end zone without being touched.

Rebowe said it was great to win, while not playing elite football.

Nicholls had seven penalties in the loss, while also converting only six-of-18 third down attempts.

“We overcame so many things in the game,” Rebowe said. “From penalties to touchdowns to called back turnovers (we overcame it). I mean stuff we have to fix and clean up, but I thought our guys fought and stayed in there. The way they came back and won it at the end, I am just very, very proud of them.”

The Colonels will continue their season Saturday at Stephen F. Austin – a 3 p.m. kickoff.

From there, Nicholls will end their season at Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 16.

To make the playoffs, Nicholls likely has to win at least two of the games.

Chase Fourcade

Follow Casey on Twitter for more. 

https://twitter.com/casey_gisclair