Stephen F. Austin rallied late to beat Nicholls 31-27 in Nacogdoches, Texas Saturday night. The Colonels racked up 434 total yards without turning the ball over on offense, while the defense forced four turnovers.

The Lumberjacks scored 10 points in the second half to take a 31-27 lead with 2:45 left in the fourth quarter as Lumberjack quarterback Jeremy Moses connected with Duane Brooks from six yards out.

“We played extremely well tonight, and I have to give my team a lot of credit,” head coach Jay Thomas said. “We came into the game with only seven offensive lineman due to injuries, and everyone stepped up around them. We just couldn’t hold on for the win.”

The Colonels’ defense forced three turnovers in the second half.

Senior fullback Marlin Meeks led the Colonels in rushing 144 yards on 16 carries and a score.

Senior running back A.J. Williams contributed to the running game with 84 yards on six carries and one touchdown, while senior wide receiver Antonio Robinson had 31 yards rushing, 14 yards receiving and a receiving touchdown.

Leading all tacklers was Lumberjack Jabar Williams with 15, while senior safety Jordan Nevis led the Colonels’ defense with 11 tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception.

“Our defense really stepped it up over the final three quarters. I can’t express enough how proud I am of these guys,” Thomas said.

The Lumberjacks improved to 7-2 on the year after Moses went 36-of-47 with 366 yards and four touchdowns in the game. The Colonels fell to 1-8 on the year.

The teams exchanged leads early as the Colonels put on an onslaught of offense in the first quarter, accumulating 21 points. Meeks put up 117 of his 144 yards in the first quarter on seven carries, and Williams had 66 of his 84 yards rushing in the first quarter with only three carries.

After the first quarter, the Colonels led 21-14, and despite an early second quarter score, the Colonels’ defense pitched a shutout for the rest of the half. The Colonels’ offense mounted a 12-play 72-yard drive that used 4:33 late, as the Colonels scored on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Caston to Robinson.

Senior kicker Kyle Tizzard missed the extra point, and the Colonels led 27-14 with 19 seconds left in the half.

The Lumberjacks attempted to march down the field and put points on the board in the final seconds of the half, but junior linebacker Yashua Willis had other ideas and intercepted Moses on the Lumberjacks’ first play from scrimmage to ensure the Colonels’ halftime lead.

The Colonels will return home next week for their last game of the season when they host the Demons of Northwestern State University at 1 p.m. in John L. Guidry Stadium.