THIBODAUX, La. – Mississippi Valley State Football closed the night with 10 unanswered points, highlighted by
Tyrell Johnson's 95-yard interception return for a touchdown, but an early Nicholls surge proved too much as the Delta Devils fell 44-10 Thursday evening at Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium.
Nicholls scored twice during the opening quarter and added 23 points in the second to take a 37-0 advantage into halftime. The Colonels extended the lead with a third-quarter touchdown before the Delta Devils responded with their strongest stretch of the evening.
With Nicholls threatening to score again early in the fourth quarter, Johnson intercepted a pass at the MVSU 5-yard line and raced 95 yards for the Delta Devils' first touchdown of the season.
Luka Sari added the extra point to make the score 44-7 with 10:58 remaining.
The MVSU defense forced a punt on Nicholls' next possession, and quarterback
Jordon Davis connected with
Nicholas Buggs for a 35-yard completion that moved the Delta Devils deep into Colonels territory. Sari completed the drive with a 34-yard field goal, giving MVSU 10 unanswered points during the fourth quarter.
Mississippi Valley State found success on the ground, finishing with 149 rushing yards and averaging five yards per carry.
Josh Brown led the Delta Devils with 62 yards on eight attempts, averaging 7.8 yards per carry with a long run of 19 yards.
Dezmond Ray added 49 yards on 10 carries, while
Norman Taylor contributed 32 yards on seven attempts.
Jaylen King led the MVSU receiving corps with four receptions for 27 yards. Buggs' 35-yard reception was the Delta Devils' longest offensive play of the game.
Defensively,
Joel Queisser led MVSU with nine total tackles and added a quarterback hurry.
Douglas Franklin recorded six solo tackles and one tackle for loss.
Javieane Stevens provided consistent pressure in the Nicholls backfield, finishing with four tackles, two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. Johnson added three tackles and one tackle for loss to his 95-yard interception return.
Joey Davis also recorded an interception as the Delta Devils forced two turnovers through the air.
Dayvian Bluitt contributed 149 all-purpose yards, including 127 yards on five kickoff returns and 22 yards on a punt return. Punter
Nicholas Stephens averaged 43.8 yards across six punts, recorded a long of 54 yards and placed two punts inside the Nicholls 20-yard line.
Turnovers proved costly for the Delta Devils, as Nicholls scored 23 points following MVSU giveaways. The Colonels finished with 515 total yards, while Mississippi Valley State totaled 228 yards of offense.
Mississippi Valley State will continue its season-opening road swing Saturday, Sept. 5, when the Delta Devils travel to Sacramento, California, to face Sacramento State. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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