Nicholls heads for FCS playoffs

For the first time in four playoff appearances under head coach Tim Rebowe, the Nicholls State University football team will begin its quest for a national title on the road as the Colonels will head north to battle Southern Illinois on Saturday in the opening round of the FCS playoffs. 
Kickoff in Saluki Stadium is scheduled for 2 p.m. CDT. The game will air live on ESPN+ and ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM. 
Nicholls (6-4) claimed the Southland Conference’s auto bid to the postseason after going undefeated in league play, capped with a 21-16 win Thursday in the River Bell Classic at Southeastern.
It marked the first time that the Colonels went unbeaten in the SLC since joining the league in 1991.
Southern Illinois (7-4) secured an at-large berth following a season-finale victory over Indiana State.
The Salukis picked up an FBS win over Northern Illinois to begin the season and also defeated SEMO, 26-25, in a nonconference matchup.
The Redhawks were the lone common opponent as Nicholls fell at home to SEMO, 35-31. 
The matchup against SIU will be the third all-time for the Colonels. Nicholls made the trip to Southern Illinois in 1995 and fell 48-20, but won in the home contest, 33-0, in 1997. Coach Rebowe was on the staff as an assistant coach in both meetings. 
The winner will advance to play at No. 4 seed Idaho the following weekend (Dec. 1-2).
Nicholls wins
River Bell
The Nicholls State University football team used an outstanding defensive effort paired with a few big plays on offense to defeat rival Southeastern, 21-16, Thursday night in Strawberry Stadium in the annual River Bell Classic.
With the victory, Nicholls wraps up the regular season with a 6-4 overall mark and a perfect record in league play to claim the Southland title outright.
The win also evens the all-time series against SLU (3-8) after the Colonels won their third consecutive game in Hammond. 
The Colonels led 21-13 early in the third quarter after Jaylon Spears caught a short pass on third-and-long, and turned it into a highlight 73-yard touchdown catch.
The defense then came up with big stop after big stop, forcing three field goal tries by the Lions.
The first miss by Riley Callaghan was wide left in the third quarter before he made a 30-yarder following an interception. Then in the fourth, Nicholls faced a 1st-and-Goal from the 6 and kept the Lions out of the end zone again, and Callaghan’s field goal ricocheted off the upright. 
The Lions got the ball back one more time with two minutes remaining, but sacks on third and fourth downs ended the comeback attempt. Zack Bernard and Perry Ganci teamed up for the first one before Jacob Parker secured the victory with the team’s third and final sack.
The defense limited Southeastern to 218 yards of total offense and 2 of 16 on third downs. The only touchdown for the Lions was on a fake field goal that put them up 7-0 after their opening possession.
After rushing for over 300 yards in each of the last two games, the offense was led by quarterback Pat McQuaide who completed 20 of 25 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns, and his rushing score evened up the game early in the second quarter. On the next Colonel possession, McQuaide hooked up with wide open David Robinson Jr., who raced down the sideline, made one defender miss, and finished off a career-long 78-yard touchdown catch.
Southeastern reached the red zone twice before the break but had to settle for two Callaghan field goals, making the score 14-13 Colonels.
In the third, Spears made the play of the night with some help from his blockers. Facing a 3rd-and-21, McQuaide dumped it off to the redshirt sophomore on a swing pass and he evaded half of the Lion defense with a cutback, sprinted down the sideline and made another cut inside and outraced the rest of the defenders for a 73-yard touchdown.