Although nine was the number of points Northwestern St. put on the scoreboard, it was the eight turnovers that did the Colonels in as Nicholls fell to the Demons at home 9-0. The Colonels are 2-5 overall and 1-2 in Southland Conference play, while Northwestern improved to 3-4 and 1-2 in conference. Northwestern will return home to face Texas State, and Nicholls will remain at home as the team will host Assumption College.
Northwestern Head Coach Scott Stoker said he knew the game against Nicholls would be a fight to the end and was relieved to get the win.
“Nicholls is probably one of the most physical teams in the conference, and we knew coming in that we would have to do everything we could to win the game,” Stoker said. “Both teams played hard, and anytime you can get a win on the road is great.”
Nicholls received the ball first and looked like the offense would start off on a good note, but a fumble on the second drive along with a failed fourth and one attempt gave Northwestern the ball at its 40.
Northwestern went on a 16-play drive that consumed most of the first quarter, but the Colonel defense was able to keep the Demons out of the end zone, and Northwestern settled for a field goal, putting them up 3-0.
With that field goal, Northwestern kicker Robert Weeks tied the Northwestern single season record for field goals with 14.
Nicholls put together a good drive early in the second quarter, but when the drive stalled at the Nicholls 22-yard-line, Nicholls kicker Alex Romero came on for the 39-yard attempt but missed, keeping the score 3-0.
Nicholls’ first turnover of the game came from quarterback Chris Bunch as he fumbled on the Nicholls 19. The Nicholls defense along with a few Demon penalties kept Northwestern off the scoreboard and forced Northwestern to punt.
With the ball again, Bunch once again fumbled and Northwestern fell on it giving Bunch his second fumble of the day. Neither Northwestern nor Nicholls scored in the remaining minutes of the quarter and Nicholls went into the locker room down by three.
Northwestern got the ball first in the third quarter but was held at bay by the Colonel defense. On the second drive of Nicholls’ first possession in the half, Bunch lost the ball, giving him his fourth fumble of the game, three of which he lost.
The Demons only needed 7 plays to score but could only muster another field goal, putting Northwestern up 6-0, which also gave the kicker Weeks the all-time single season record.
Thomas pulled Bunch from the game and put in the freshman Thibodaux native, Zack Chauvin, for his first playing action of the season. Chauvin showed poised, leading the Colonels on a 39-yard drive, but a Cal Jones fumble at the Northwestern 30-yard-line put a stop to the Nicholls drive.
With the ball deep in its own territory, Nicholls tried a halfback option that failed, and then Jones was hit by the turnover bug again and fumbled into the hands of a Northwestern defender at its own 9-yard-line.
The big play the Colonels needed as a team came in the ensuing possession for the Demons as on third and seven, Demon quarterback Ro Charpentier threw a pass right into the hands of Colonel linebacker Cory Vavala that could have been an eventual touchdown, but it was dropped.
Northwestern kicked the go-ahead field goal, putting the Demons up 9-0, eventually giving Northwestern the win.
The Nicholls defense held an offense that had over 450 yards of total offense in its previous two games to only 173 yards in the game, but the Purple Swarm defense of Northwestern caused the Nicholls turnovers that led to nine Northwestern points.
Head Coach Jay Thomas said the turnovers during the game hurt the team, and in order to win the team must improve in protecting the ball.
“You can’t expect to lose the ball as much as we do and win football games,” Thomas said. “In this conference, you have to limit the turnovers and score points.”
Vavala said that the would-be interception that could have put the Colonels up in the game is a play he should have made, but was still pleased with the play of the defense.
“Coach always talks about making the big play, and I know that I’m supposed to make that play,” he said. “The defense played well and we have to continue to do better as a team.”
Defensive end Dominic Cooper also applauded the defense’s effort but noted that both sides of the ball determine whether the team wins or not. “There were definitely times where the offense bailed the defense out and vice versa, but we win and lose as a team,”
Although the Colonels have two losses early in conference play, Thomas said he told his players they still have a chance to repeat as champions.
“I told the guys that Sam Houston won the conference with two losses many years ago, and there’s no reason that we can’t do the same thing,” he said. “Now it’s up to our players to have enough heart to get us back in it.
