ESPN3 On Demand

Photo Gallery

HOUSTON - HBU redshirt freshman running back B.J. Kelly regained the lead for the Huskies in the fourth quarter with a 29-yard touchdown run, then sophomore quarterback Jonathan Fleming and senior tight end Kenneth Bibbins hooked up on a 24-yard touchdown pass with 7:07 remaining to put the game away as HBU defeated Nicholls, 31-21, for its first-ever Southland Conference victory Saturday night on Homecoming at Husky Stadium.
 
Kelly carried 29 times for 153 yards, topping the 100-yard mark for the second-straight game for the Huskies (2-6, 1-4 SLC). Redshirt freshman Larry Day added 76 on 16 carries and also found the end zone once. Fleming went 10-for-20 for 127 yards with two touchdowns, and Bibbins had two catches for 57 yards. Fleming and Bibbins have connected for five touchdowns over the last four games in which they have each played.
 
Freshman safety Jonathan Buffin led HBU defensively with 16 tackles, 14 of which were solo, and a pair of pass breakups, and redshirt freshman linebacker Garrett Dolan added eight stops. Redshirt freshman safety Taylor Thompson recorded his second interception of the season, which set up a late first-half field goal for the Huskies.
 
Michael Henry led Nicholls (0-9, 0-5) with 20 carries for 90 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Tobias Lofton added 88 yards on 10 carries. Beaux Hebert completed 17-of-28 passes for 186 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Demon Bolt caught three passes for 73 yards and a touchdown. On defense, Davin Bovie made 11 tackles for the Colonels, B.T. Sanders had 10, and Seth Keller and Toren Joseph each had nine.
 
HBU piled up 266 yards on the ground, compared to 187 for Nicholls and outgained the Colonels overall, 393-373. The Huskies did not have a turnover, while the Colonels lost a fumble and threw and interception. Neither team recorded a sack.
 
Nicholls took the opening kickoff and went on an 11-play, 75-yard drive capped by Henry's five-yard touchdown run. Lofton set up the score with a 40-yard run down to the 8-yard line. On the Colonels' second possession, they drove into HBU territory, but junior defensive end Josh Jones forced a Henry fumble, which was recovered by senior linebacker Aaron Benson.
 
On the ensuing drive, which chewed up 5:02, Day and Kelly combined for 52 rushing yards, and Kelly's 10-yard run to the one set up the tying score by Day with 3:13 left in the opening quarter.
 
HBU stuffed Lofton on a third-and-two and forced a Nicholls punt, and the Huskies took over with 22 seconds left in the quarter. Redshirt freshman running back Craig Bell rushed five-straight times, including a 15-yarder into Nicholls territory. Fleming hit freshman wide receiver D'Angelo Wallace for a seven-yard completion on third-and-six to move the chains to the Colonels' 47. The Huskies faced a third-and-eight at the Nicholls 26 when Fleming completed an off-balanced toss to a wide open Kwadre Wilson to keep the drive alive. On third-and-goal from the five Fleming rifled a pass to Wallace for this third touchdown reception of the season. The drive lasted 7:46 and put HBU ahead, 14-7.
 
On the next two Nicholls possessions, the Colonels drove into HBU territory but were stopped on a fourth-and-six at the 24 and a fourth-and-three at the 35. HBU punted with 1:10 to go in the half and Nicholls took over at its own 30. Hebert was picked off by Thompson on the first play, and Thompson returned it 17 yards to the Colonels' 31 and a personal foul move the spot to the 16. The Huskies were able to get as close as the 3-yard line, but settled for a 20-yard field goal by junior Travis Shinn as time expired and sent HBU to the locker room with a 17-7 lead at the break.
 
The Huskies received the second-half kickoff and drove into Colonels' territory, but the drive stalled at the 40 and a punt gave Nicholls the ball back. After a 12-yard run by Lofton, Hebert hit Bolt for a 60-yard touchdown reception to get Nicholls within three with 8:49 left in the third.
 
A bad snap forced HBU into a three-and-out on its next possession, and Nicholls took over at its own 29. The Colonels then went on an 11-play, 71-yard drive which lasted 5:54 and was capped by a 15-yard run by Henry that gave Nicholls the lead, 21-17, with 38 seconds left in the third.
 
The Huskies answered back on their next drive as a pass interference penalty on the Colonels kept the drive alive and Fleming found sophomore Davis Iheanacho for a 13-yard completion for a first down at the Nicholls 45. Kelly took it in from 29 yards out as the Huskies went 85 yards on nine plays to regain the lead, 24-21, with 12:41 left in the game.
 
Nicholls went three-and-out on its next possession, then Day pounded the Colonels' for 30 yards on four carries to start the Huskies' next drive. Fleming then found Bibbins for the final score of the game with 7:07 remaining.
 
HBU quickly got the ball back with 6:19 left and ran the clock down to 38 seconds, before Nicholls took over on downs. Out of time outs, the Colonels' made a couple of completions and time expired.
 
The Huskies will face back-to-back road games for the third time this season when they travel to face Lamar Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. in Beaumont, followed by Southeastern Louisiana Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. in Hammond, La.