John Shaugnessy kicked two fourth-quarter 42-yard field goals that made Jamaal White's blocked extra point in the first quarter the margin of victory Saturday night as Northwestern State rallied past visiting Nicholls State 27-26 in a Southland Conference football nailbiter with five lead changes.
The Demons (4-4 overall, 2-2 in the Southland) limited the Colonels (1-6, 0-4) to 49 yards after halftime and got the decisive Shaughnessy field goal with 8:57 remaining. Nicholls got to the Northwestern 41 with 1:44 left, but Cortez Paige sacked Colonels quarterback Landry Klann on the next play before two incompletions, the last broken up by true freshman Fred Thomas, handed the Demons the ball and allowed them to run out the game's final 1:21.
White smothered Nicholls' first extra point, his second kick block this year, and he added his 10th career interception. The Colonels took their only lead by scoring 17 unanswered points in a 10-minute span from midway through the second quarter into the first 2:21 after halftime, but could not preserve it.
Defensive end Cornist Broadway, who had two of the Demons' four sacks, recovered a fumble forced by Wa'Derrious Sellers two plays after Shaughnessy's first field goal drew Northwestern within 26-24 with 11:30 to go.
A reverse pass by receiver Louis Hollier to Clifton Brown on the first play after Broadway's fumble recovery got the Demons to the Colonels 25, setting up Shaughnessy's game-winner six minutes into the final quarter. Broadway's second sack blunted a Nicholls drive to the Demons' 36 and led to a punt with 4:48 left.
After the Demons got one first down, they punted with 1:53 left, and held off the Colonels to move their homefield record at Turpin Stadium this year to 4-0.
The teams piled up points and yards in the first half that ended with Northwestern clinging to a 21-19 edge.
Nicholls moved 96 yards on the game's opening drive, cashing in on a 2-yard Marcus Washington plunge. The Demons answered with a 72-yard drive capped by the first of two scoring runs (2, 8 yards) by quarterback Brad Henderson.
The Colonels marched 64 yards for a 28-yard Andrew Dolan field goal on their next series, then Northwestern jumped up 14-9 on a 55-yard dash by true freshman Daniel Taylor, his fifth score on his first 32 collegiate touches.
Henderson's second TD pushed the Demons ahead 21-9 13:13 before halftime. Dolan sliced the margin by three with a 22-yard field goal at the 7:19 mark. A half-minute afterward, Klann threw the first of his two scoring passes, a 29-yarder to Aldaro Russell on the first play following Dwayne Mitchell's fumble recovery for Nicholls one snap after the kickoff.
Nick LeBlanc pounced on a fumbled punt by the Demons at the hosts' 9 and Jesse Turner broke three tackles on second down to complete a 9-yard pass from Klann as Nicholls moved ahead 26-21 just 2:21 into the second half.
But the Colonels suddenly were unable to sustain drives as the Demons gradually gained control, posting 151 second-half yards to follow 211 in the first two quarters.
"Our coaches made some good halftime adjustments and the players did a great job of taking them to the field and making the plays to win," said fourth-year Demons' coach Bradley Dale Peveto. "We didn't make the plays to win in our last game, but we did tonight.
"Our defense shut them down in the second half. Our offense kept grinding and got us the yards we needed to put John in position. If you give him a shot, he's good as gold and he was when it mattered big time in the fourth quarter," said Peveto. "But we're in overtime right now if Jamaal doesn't block that first extra point."
Northwestern overcame four turnovers and 10 penalties while outgaining Nicholls 362-293 and retaining the NSU Challenge trophy, awarded for the 19th consecutive year in the series that was renewed for the 39th consecutive season.
Taylor led all rushers with 90 yards on eight carries. Henderson was 14 of 25 passing for 96 yards. Klann threw for 198 yards on 14 of 31 aim with White's interception.
The Demons head to Central Arkansas next Saturday while Nicholls will host McNeese State.
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