After traveling 3,887 miles the last three weeks and enduring a three-game losing streak in the process, the Colonels football team slayed the Texas Southern Tigers 64-5 in front of 8,200 fans packed in Guidry Stadium last Saturday.
In two home games this season, the Colonels (2-3, 0-0 SLC) have out-scored their opponents 134-5. In the past ten home games, the Colonels are 6-4 overall.
“We came off three long road trips and we had our backs against the wall. However, we were able to get back in front of our own fans on our home turf and put together a solid performance,” Daryl Daye, head football coach, said.
Although accepting three consecutive losses is usually difficult, some Colonels think it is positive for the team.
“It has been a tough three weeks on the road, but those losses actually helped us out by getting us ready for the future,” Torrian Thomas, senior linebacker, said.
The Colonels wasted no time to jump on Texas Southern (2-2). They scored touchdowns on five of their first six offensive possessions.
On the first play of their first possession at the Colonels 17-yard line, junior running back Colt Colletti sprinted 83 yards for a touchdown that jumpstarted the Colonels’ offense.
“When I saw that hole open, it was a perfect way to start. The first play from scrimmage just set the tone for us. It was an awesome run and it took that three-game losing streak right off of our minds,” Josh Son, senior quarterback, said.
After Colletti’s 83-yard score, the Colonels would score five more touchdowns and a safety to take a 43-5 lead at halftime. Daye said it was a big relief for the offense after trailing 24-7 at halftime last week to Texas A&M-Kingsville.
“We needed to establish ourselves early, and we didn’t do that our last game, and it hurt us. We came out and took it right to them,” Daye said.
Defensively for the second straight game, the Colonels continued to hold a visiting opponent out of the end zone at home. Texas Southern gained 223 yards of offense, but they were unable to score on the Colonels defense.
“They moved the ball early, but if you don’t cross that white line, it doesn’t mean anything,” Daye said.
Texas Southern coach Bill Thomas was not happy with the performance of his team and said they were out-played in every aspect of the game.
“It was not our day today, I’ll tell you that. We just got out-coached, out-played and got our ass whipped. That is the bottom line,” Thomas said.
Son, who played for the first time since injuring his kneecap against Portland State, completed two of three passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed eight times for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Colletti, who clinched the Southland Conference offensive player of the week award, rushed 10 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns. His average rush from scrimmage was 15.7 yards.
Junior running back Rogers Williams rushed nine times for 63 yards and a touchdown. Junior quarterback Yale Vannoy rushed six times for 53 yards and a touchdown, and senior running back Brian Thomas rushed eight times for 50 yards and a touchdown.
Daye said Texas Southern defense decided to stop the Colonels triple option attack by taking away the quarterback and pitching defensively, which led to big yards for the Colonel fullbacks.
“Coach (Jeff) Richards and the offensive staff did a great job calling the game plan. They came in with a couple of different wrinkles they hadn’t shown, and we made some adjustments and popped some big runs. We had some openings for us by the way they lined up, and we were able to expose it. All three fullbacks had a big night,” Daye said.
Junior receiver Vince Butler led the Colonels in receiving with a 48-yard touchdown catch from Son. Junior running back Rogers Williams caught one for 23 yards and a touchdown.
Senior cornerback Chris Thompson led the Colonels defensively with 10 tackles and one pass breakup. Thompson won the Southland Conference defensive player of the week award for his statistics against Texas Southern.
Torrian Thomas added seven tackles, sophomore defensive back Joseph Ogletree added six, and senior linebacker Penn Morris contributed five.
Sophomore linebacker Larry McNeal contributed one interception for the Colonels’ defense, while sophomore defensive lineman Sam Rideaux added two sacks.
The Colonels will now enjoy their bye week before heading to Boca Raton, Fla. to take on Florida Atlantic on Oct. 11. The Colonels said they would focus on resting and healing some injuries this week.
“The bye week could not have come at a better time. We have a couple of people banged up, and we are going to use this week to get our injuries healed up,” Torrian Thomas said.
Laginappe: The Colonels are now 51-62 all-time in the month of September. With the defeat of Texas Southern Saturday, the Colonels are 22-9 all-time against Southwestern Athletic Conference opponents, including Southern and Grambling….Senior quarterback Josh Son needs only 228 yards to become the Colonels all-time leading rusher.