THE OFFICIAL HOME OF McNEESE ATHLETICS

LAKE CHARLES - It was as eerie a Halloween Homecoming football game could be on Saturday in Navarre Stadium, but the treats outweighed the tricks for McNeese in a 16-3 Southland Conference win over Nicholls in a constant rain storm from opening kick until the final buzzer.
 
The win snapped McNeese's five-game losing streak to the Colonels to improve to 4-5 on the season while evening its league record to 3-3. Nicholls fell to 3-6 and 2-4 in the conference.
 
The game featured 31 total drives, 18 punts, and eight fumbles, three of those were recovered by the Cowboys, one recovered in the endzone with Nicholls going in for a touchdown and another that was on a botched hold on a field goal which was recovered by McNeese's Amyrion Mingo and returned 70 yards for a score.
 
The weather played a big factor in the game, resulting in both teams to stay to a ground game. Nicholls outgained McNeese 261-162 in rushing and had two players run for over 100-yards in Patrick Gales with 111 and quarterback Chase Richardson with 104.
 
McNeese running back Omiri Wiggins recorded 107 yards on 22 carries, his third 100-yard game of the season.
 
The passing game was non-existent for both teams. McNeese's Jake Strong, who started the game, completed 2 of 7 passes for 16 yards before Brady Barrier came in and completed 3 of 9 for 24 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Richardson completed 3 of 17 passes for 33 yards for the Colonels.
 
Nicholls appeared to be on its way to an early second quarter touchdown when driving the ball to the McNeese 1. On second down, running back Jayden Milton was tagged by McNeese linebacker Landon Barrett just outside the goal line which popped the ball loose and was recovered by Royce Maloles in the endzone for a touchback.
 
McNeese turned the ball back over on the following possession when Barrier was intercepted at the McNeese 46.
 
The teams traded possessions until McNeese got the ball back at the Nicholls 32 with 1:15 to play in the second quarter. The short field was helped set up by a 77-yard George Dixon punt that rolled dead at the Nicholls 1. The Colonels would end up punting from the back of their endzone and a 15-yard punt return by Solo Lewis set the ball up at the Nicholls 32.
 
On the first play from scrimmage, Barrier shuttled a pass to Hutch Swilley who broke four tackles and weaved his way through defenders on his way to a 32-yard touchdown.
 
Nicholls moved the ball quickly in the final 1:06 of the quarter to get a 42-yard field goal from Kingston Phan to make it a 7-3 game at the half.
 
More back-and-forth by both teams through most of the third quarter until Phan's 40-yard field goal attempt was fumbled by holder Pharrell Harewood and Mingo scooped it up at the 30, returning it 70 yards for the touchdown. It was the first fumble return for a TD for McNeese since the 2022 season. A fumbled snap on the PAT hold kept the score 13-3.
 
The Cowboys added a 25-yard Deaglan Camron field goal with 1:52 to play in the game to make it 16-3.
 
The three points by Nicholls are the fewest scored against McNeese since falling 45-3 in 2014.
 
McNeese will be back on the road next Saturday when it visits HCU for a 4 p.m. kick.