Colonels football season comes to an end with 35-0 playoff loss to Southern Illinois

Despite being down 21-0 late in the first half, there was still some sign of hope for Nicholls in the first round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs Saturday afternoon against No. 14 Southern Illinois in Carbondale, Ill.

The Colonels faced fourth-and-goal from the SIU 2-yard line with 32 seconds remaining before halftime.

A touchdown to close the half and with Nicholls getting the ball to open the second half, the Colonels had a chance to put themselves back in the game.

Nicholls quarterback Pat McQuaide was dropped for a 3-yard loss on a keeper, allowing the Salukis to maintain their three-touchdown advantage going to the locker room.

The Colonels were forced to punt on their opening possession of the third quarter, giving the ball to the Salukis at their own 40-yard line. On SIU’s first offensive play of the second half, running back Bo Elliott broke loose right up the middle for a 60-yard touchdown run to extend the Salukis’ lead to 28-0 less than three minutes into the second half and dashing the Colonels’ hope of any attempted comeback while being eliminated from the playoffs 35-0.

A McQuaide interception on the Colonels’ ensuing possession eventually set up a 7-yard touchdown pass from SIU quarterback Nic Baker to Vinson Davis to make it 35-0, and from that point on, it was just a matter of the final margin.

The Colonels ended their season 6-5. Southern Illinois improved to 8-4 and advances to play at No. 4 Idaho.

Nicholls was limited to 252 yards of total offense. The normally-potent ground game was held to 75 yards. Nicholls was limited to 2.3 yards per rush in the game. The Colonels passed for 177 yards.

The Colonels committed seven penalties for 84 yards. SIU turned three Nicholls turnovers into 14 points.

McQuaide was 12 of 26 passing for 127 yards and two interceptions. Jaylon Spears had 10 carries for 44 yards, and Collin Guggenheim 11 attempts for 41 yards. David Robinson led the team with five receptions for 65 yards.

Southern Illinois amassed 358 yards of total offense, including 181 passing and 177 rushing.

Baker was 12 of 22 passing for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Elliott rushed for 111 yards on nine carries. D’Ante’ Cox had three catches for 63 yards.

The Nicholls recipe for defeat followed the Colonels to Carbondale.

Like in their four regular-season losses, the Colonels committed numerous mistakes in spotting the opponent a big, early lead.

By early in the second quarter, the Colonels had committed four pass interference penalties, dropped a punt snap, were unable to run the ball or protect the passer, leading to an early 21-0 deficit Nicholls never could recover from.

The road to defeat started less than eight minutes into the game as Southern Illinois built a 14-0 lead.

Facing third-and-10 on the opening possession of the game, Baker tossed Cox for 27 yards to the Nicholls 27.

Two plays after a 22-yard run by Elliott, the Salukis running back scored on a 3-yard run to give SIU a 7-0 lead at the 12:03 mark of the first quarter.

Three plays into the Colonels’ first possession, D.J. Johnson intercepted a McQuaide pass, giving the ball right back to the Salukis at the Nicholls 35.

Three plays after a pass interference call against Nicholls defensive back Kendarius Smith, Justin Strong scored on a 1-yard run and SIU had a 14-0 lead with 8:28 still remaining in the opening quarter.

Southern Illinois drove 80 yards on its next possession, taking advantage of two interference penalties against Smith. One play after the second pass interference call, Baker hooked up with Aidan Quinn on a 14-yard touchdown strike to extend the SIU lead to 21-0 with 59 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Woes continued for the mistake-prone Colonels early in the second quarter.

A dropped snap by punter Kylan Dupre gave the back to Southern Illinois at the Nicholls 41. A fourth pass interference on the Colonels, this one against Tyler Morton, moved the ball to the 26. The Nicholls defense stiffened, forcing a 28-yard Jake Baumgarte field goal attempt, which the kicker missed wide right.

The missed field goal seemed to give the Colonels a momentary spark. Nicholls got the ball back with less than seven minutes remaining in the first half after SIU failed to convert on fourth down at the Colonels’ 41.

Nicholls mounted its best drive of the half, using 11 plays to march down the field, facing fourth-and-goal at the 2-yard line with 32 seconds remaining before McQuaide was stopped for the 3-yard loss on a keeper.