NATCHITOCHES, La. – HBU raced out to a 28-10 lead in the third quarter, but Northwestern State followed with three unanswered scores to pull out a 31-28 victory over the Huskies in Southland Conference football Saturday night at Turpin Stadium.
Sophomore quarterback
Bailey Zappe completed 25-of-38 passed for 251 yards and three touchdowns and an interception, while rushing 13 times for 132 yards and a score for the Huskies (1-7, 0-6 SLC). Sophomore running back
Dreshawn Minnieweather and
LaDarius Dickens each had a touchdown reception and senior wide receiver
David Racine hauled in two catches for 46 yards and a score. Freshman
Jerreth Sterns led HBU with eight catches for 75 yards.
Freshman cornerback
Alfred King and freshman safety
Colton Manning each recorded a career-high 14 tackles for HBU, with sophomore linebacker
Caleb Johnson and sophomore safety
Patrick Wolfe each making eight. Johnson and freshman linebacker
Brennan Young each had a sack.
Kaleb Fletcher went 30-of-44 for 253 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 67 yards for the Demons (3-5, 2-4). Jaylen Watson caught six passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns, while Jazz Ferguson caught eight for 90 yards and two scores. Jared West added 76 yards on the ground.
Quinda Whitley and Hayd Bourgeois each made eight tackles and Bla Stephenson had seven and a sack. Bourgeois and Jom Valsin Jr. each recovered a fumble. Malik Sonnier came up with the only interception of the game during a key stretch of the fourth quarter.
HBU outgained NSU, 498-484, including 247-165 on the ground, but the Demons held the edge in passing, 319-251. The Huskies committed three turnovers to the Demons' none. Each team committed five penalties and NSU held a 34:19-25:41 advantage on time of possession.
The Demons received the opening kickoff, then quickly got on the scoreboard on Kenny Sears' 51-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Watson just 1:50 into the game.
The Huskies answered midway through the first quarter when Zappe broke free up the middle for a 68-yard touchdown run. After Austy Fendrick missed a 36-yard field goal for the Demons, HBU took the lead just before the quarter expired when Zappe hit Racine deep down the left sideline for a 34-yard touchdown to put the Huskies up, 14-7, with 29 ticks remaining.
Fendrick was good from 38-yards out to cut HBU's lead to 14-10 with 11:37 to go in the second. Zappe then hit Minnieweather for a 19-yard touchdown with 3:34 to go that gave the Huskies a 21-10 lead heading into halftime.
HBU extended its lead to 28-10 on Zappe's 15-yard touchdown pass to Dickens with 7:31 to go in the third. NSU answered with Fletcher's 11-yard touchdown pass to Watson, making the score 28-17 with 3:33 remaining in the quarter.
Fletcher threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Ferguson, but the Huskies intercepted the two-point conversion attempt and led 28-23 with 9:34 left in the game.
On the ensuing possession, Zappe was intercepted by Sonnier, who returned it 21 yards to the Demons' 45. Fletcher completed a 19-yard pass to Ferguson down to the HBU 4, then NSU took its first lead of the second half on Fletcher's two-yard touchdown toss to Ferguson, then the two hooked up again on the two-point conversion, making the score, 31-28, with 4:12 on the clock.
NSU forced HBU to punt with just over three minutes left, then ran out the clock.
The Huskies return home to face Nicholls on Military & First Responders Appreciation Day presented by Houston Federal Credit Union Saturday, Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. Please visit houstonfcu.org or HBUHuskies.com for more information on the complimentary ticket offer for active military, veterans and first responders.
