Oct. 29, 2005

Final Stats

THIBODAUX, La. - Alex Romero drilled a 23-yard field goal at the end of regulation then knocked through a 27-yarder in the first overtime to lift Nicholls State to a 32-29 win over No. 5 Texas State Saturday in John L. Guidry Stadium.

The Bobcats had come back from a 26-7 deficit to score 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Texas State took a 29-26 lead with 2:18 to play on a 23-yard Daniel Jolly touchdown run and a Barrick Nealy two-point conversion pass to Markee White that followed.

After Texas State's go-ahead touchdown, the Colonels took over at their own 37 following a squib kick and nine-yard return. Nicholls quarterback Yale Vannoy would run for 10 yards on first down and after a pair of incompletions tossed a 13-yard, first-down pass to Kenley Horton. A defensive holding call on the Bobcats moved the ball to the Nicholls 30 and the `Cats were also flagged for offsides on the drive. Four straight running plays moved the ball inside the five before Vannoy grounded the ball to stop the clock with three seconds and bring Romero on for the game-tying field goal at the end of regulation.

"We put ourselves in position to win but we have to finish," said Texas State coach David Bailiff. "I have to do a better job getting us started fast on the road. I just didn't get it done."

In overtime, Texas State took possession first and got a pass interference call on third-and-10 to give the Bobcats the ball at the 10. On the next play, junior linebacker Cory Vavala forced a Jolly fumble that Nicholls' Toney Edison recovered. Vavala also had an interceptionto set up the Colonels' final score of regulation.

Nicholls State would go on offense in overtime.

A 14-yard run by Nicholls State fullback Broderick Cole moved the ball to the 11 on the Colonels' second play of the extra stanza and four plays later facing fourth down from the 10, Romero came on for the game-winning field goal.

Texas State (6-2 and 2-1) fell into a four-way tie for the Southland Conference lead with Nicholls State (3-3 and 2-1) along with Northwestern State and McNeese State. The `Cats play host to McNeese next week in Bobcat Stadium.

Saturday's game was the eighth in the series since being dubbed the Battle for the Paddle as the teams play for an oar which is a remembrance of the 1998 Central Texas floods which postponed the game from October until late November that season. Since 1998 the series is tied at 4-4 and Nicholls now owns a 13-11 overall edge.

The game also represented the second overtime game in the series. Nicholls State defeated the Bobcats in a five-overtime, 49-36 game played in San Marcos during the 1996 season.

The `Cats had come back from a 26-7 deficit to start the fourth quarter.

Nealy completed a 38-yard touchdown pass to Daemon Williams with 13:40 to play in regulation and Nick Session's five-yard touchdown run with 5:04 to play cut the lead down to 26-21.

Texas State would get the ball back with 3:08 to play after the Colonels elected to go for a first down when they faced fourth-and-one from their own 32. A play earlier Daniel Varvel stopped Joel Fontenot-Amedee a yard shot of the first down marker on third down. Gary Shepard would then stop Anthony Harris for no gain and the ball went over to the `Cats.

Jolly capped a three-play drive with his 23-yard touchdown run and the ensuing two-point conversion gave the Bobcats' a 29-26 lead with 2:18 to play.

The loss tempered a record-breaking night for Nealy who became the school's all-time total offense leader, breaking David Williams' mark of 6,839 yards. Williams quarterbacked the `Cats from 1994-97. Nealy completed 17-of-41 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 24 yards on 10 carries. He now has 7,035 total career yards.

White caught six passes for 93 yards while Jolly had 75 yards rushing on 16 plays.

Cole ran for 137 yards on 14 carries, including a 76-yard touchdown run on the Colonels' second offensive play from scrimmage in the game.

Nicholls State expanded on a 14-7 halftime lead in the third quarter, turning a pair of turnovers into touchdowns.

A muffed punt return by Morris Crosby led to a 42-yard scoring drive which was capped by a four-yard touchdown run by Anthony Harris. During the series, Zach Morgan ran for five yards on a fourth-and-two play from the Texas State 23 and Vannoy's 12-yard run set up the scoring play. A failed kick by Romero left Nicholls with a 20-0 lead with 9:11 to play in the third quarter.

Texas State's next series ended with Nealy being intercepted by Vavala who returned the ball 41 yards from inside the Colonel 10 to the Bobcat 40-yard line.

Joseph Tobias carried for 11 yards and Fontenot-Amedee carried for consecutive gains of nine yards on two plays. Facing first-and-10 from the Texas State 12, Cole carried for seven then two yards before Vannoy scored on a three-yard touchdown run.

Entering the game, Texas State had not been held scoreless in the first half of a game all season. With Nicholls State leading 14-0, that streak looked like it might end before the Bobcats put together a scoring drive capped by a 6-yard touchdown pass from Nealy to White with 13 seconds to play in the half. The touchdown pass capped a five-play, 65-yard drive that consumed just 1:02.

The scoring series began with a 20-yard Nealy pass to Tyrone Scott. After a false start penalty on the Bobcats, Nealy hooked up with White for a 37-yard pick up to the Nicholls 13.

A holding penalty on the Colonels gave the `Cats first down at the six. After a pair of incompletions, Nealy tossed the touchdown strike to White on third down to cut Nicholls' lead to 14-7 at intermission.

On just their second offensive play of the game, the Colonels jumped out to a 7-0 lead when fullback Broderick Cole raced 76 yards for a touchdown with 11:40 to play in the first quarter.

Texas State would move the ball 50 yards on their next series but the drive would stall inside the Colonel 20. A 34-yard field goal attempt by Stan Jones was blocked by Tommy Le Brown and Nicholls took over on its 18.

A 33-yard Vannoy pass to Morgan into the Red Zone would set up a Nicholls State second-quarter score. A seven-yard run DeMarko Hutcheson run on third-and-four gave the Colonels first down at the three. After a two-yard run by Joseph Tobias, Vannoy sneaked in from the one. Nicholls State led 14-0 with 1:23 to play in the first half.