Box Score

HAMMOND – Playing in his final collegiate game, Southeastern Louisiana senior quarterback Brian Babin threw for a career-high 382 yards, but Nicholls State countered with 322 rushing yards and the Colonels kept the River Bell in Thibodaux with a 45-30 win in the regular season finale for both teams Thursday night at Strawberry Stadium.

Despite the loss, the Lions (6-5, 4-3 SLC) posted a winning season for the first time since 2004 and recorded its best Southland Conference mark since joining the league prior to the 2005 season. Nicholls finished its season with its second straight victory, moving to 3-8 overall and 2-5 in league action.

Babin – one of 11 seniors on the Southeastern roster – completed 27 of 46 passes with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Two of his scoring throws found junior Andre Cryer, who finished with six catches for 90 yards. Senior Chris Wilson had a game-high 99 yards on five catches for the Lions.

Babin closed out his career second in school history in nearly every passing category. The St. Amant native completed 670 of his 1083 passes for 7,405 yards and 62 touchdowns. His season totals of 354 pass attempts (fifth), 220 pass completions (fifth), 2,602 passing yards (fifth) and 25 touchdowns (third) all rank among the school's best single-season performances.

Wilson and fellow senior wideout Merrick Lanaux, who caught four passes for 23 yards, both finished among the school's top receivers in terms of career numbers. Senior placekicker Jeff Turner scored five points to finish as the school's all-time leading scorer with 265 total points scored.

Nicholls did a nice job holding the Lion running game in check. Senior Jasper Ducksworth managed 30 yards on 11 carries and scored a touchdown.

The Colonels were led by the rushing trio of Marlin Meeks (21 carries, 115 yards, one touchdown), quarterback LaQuintin Caston (17 carries, 90 yards, two touchdowns) and A.J. Williams (eight carries, 58 yards). Nicholls held a slight edge in total yardage, outgaining Southeastern, 447-415 but dominated the time of possession – holding the ball for 39:19 to 20:41 for the Lions.

Four different Lions had double-digit tackles, led by junior linebacker Ryan Godare and freshman defensive tackle Grant Laurent with 14 stops apiece. Senior linebacker Quinten Pierre had 13 tackles in his final collegiate game, while junior linebacker Mark Newbill was credited with 10 stops, giving him 110 tackles on the year – the ninth-highest in school history.

Southeastern jumped to the lead with an impressive opening drive, as a six-yard Ducksworth scamper capped a 13-play, 68-yard scoring march. Turner pushed the extra point attempt left and Southeastern led 6-0.

Nicholls answered with a long march of their own. Caston hit Mike Barba from 11 yards out to give the Colonels a 7-6 lead.

Southeastern retook the lead later in the quarter. A 48-yard Babin strike to sophomore Simmie Yarborough set the Lions up in Nicholls territory and on the next play, Babin hit junior Luis Sobalvarro on a 27-yard scoring toss to put Southeastern up, 13-7.

After Southeastern forced Nicholls to punt, the Lions looked to stretch their lead. Babin moved the Lions to midfield, but overshot Lanaux on a third-down throw. Bobby Felder picked the pass off and returned the pass 63 yards to give the Colonels the lead for good near the end of the first quarter.

Nicholls rode the momentum of Felder's key play to take control of the game in the second quarter, outscoring the Lions, 17-3, to take a 31-16 lead into halftime.

Southeastern's luck would get no better in the third quarter, as Nicholls would widen its lead to 38-16 on a 26-yard run up the gut by Meeks with 38 seconds remaining in the quarter.

Babin would not let the Lions go quietly, finding Cryer on a 57-yard scoring strike to cut the lead to 38-23 on the first play of the final period.

Nicholls took four minutes off the clock on its next drive before Southeastern forcing the Colonels to punt. A 39-yard Babin to Wilson hookup moved Southeastern into Nicholls territory. The Lions eventually moved to the Colonel 24-yard line, but a third-down sack by A.J. Carter forced Southeastern into a fourth-and-18. Babin's pass into the end zone for Lanaux was knocked away by Dominique Daniels.

The Colonels salted away the game with a 68-yard scoring march that took 4:40 off the clock. Caston put Nicholls ahead with a one-yard sneak that made the score, 45-23.

A 20-yard Babin to Cryer pass cut the lead to 45-30 with 1:13 left, but Nicholls recovered Southeastern's onside kick and ran out the clock.