The football team snapped its three-game losing streak in front of its Homecoming crowd Saturday afternoon with a 28-12 upset victory over No. 11 Nicholls State.
Head coach Adam Dorrel said he was happy his team got a special win.
“I’m really excited for the seniors, they had never won a Homecoming since they got here,” Dorrel said. “This was the first time since ACU went Div. I that they’ve beat a team inside the top-20.”
ACU started with the ball and capped off a 68-yard drive with a one-yard sneak for a touchdown by redshirt sophomore quarterback Luke Anthony.
By the end of the first quarter, Nicholls converted on two field goals made by senior kicker Lorran Fonseca, making the score 7-6.
In the second quarter, Anthony found senior wide receiver Kalin Sadler for a 65-yard touchdown pass to extend their team’s lead to 14-6. They quickly came back with another unanswered touchdown on the next drive when junior transfer running back Billy McCrary ran for a 42-yard touchdown to go up 21-6.
Just before halftime, the Colonels reached the end zone on a 21-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Chase Fourcade to sophomore wide receiver Dai’Jean Dixon. The extra point after was blocked, however, and kept the score at a two-possession game for ACU being 21-12.
Only one touchdown came out of the second half for either team. In the middle of the fourth quarter, Anthony and junior wide receiver Josh Fink linked up for a 16-yard touchdown, which lead to the final score of 28-12.
ACU’s defense held strong at the end of the game as Nicholls tried to convert on fourth down on two straight drives but were stopped short, keeping them from making a last minute comeback.
Senior defensive tackle Dante Hibbert said the stops they made on defense were key in the game.
“I think it’s disrespectful when you go for it on fourth,” Hibbert said. “We just executed and everybody was hype, that’s just something you have to do on fourth down stops.”
The Wildcats’ win moves them to 3-4 overall and 2-3 in conference, while Nicholls falls to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in Southland play.
Anthony threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. His leading receiver in the game was Sadler who caught two passes 71 yards and a touchdown.
McCrary lead the rushing attack with 91 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Jeremiah Chambers had yet another impressive game with 14 tackles, three for a loss and one sack.
The Wildcats go on the road next Saturday for a game against Southeastern Louisiana at 7 p.m.
