Kelley with 5 TD passes, SE Louisiana tops Nicholls 58-48

Updated Oct. 9, 2021 6:00 p.m. ET

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THIBODAUX, La. (AP) — Cole Kelley, the reigning Walter Payton Award winner, threw for 406 yards and five touchdowns as Southeastern Louisiana defeated Nicholls 58-48 in a Southland Conference free-for-all on Saturday.

Kelley, for the second straight week, was also the Lions leading rusher with 14 carries for 55 yards and two more touchdowns.

Southeastern Louisiana (4-1, 2-0 Southland Conference), ranked No. 14 in the FCS coaches poll, trailed 7-0 just 2-1/2-minutes into the game. But Kelley fired two straight touchdown passes — an 8-yarder to Nick Kovacs and 1-yard to Damien Dawson — before running into the end zone himself as the Lions grabbed a 21-7 lead and never trailed again.

Nursing a 52-42 lead midway through the fourth quarter,

Lindsey Scott kept Nicholls (2-3, 1-1) in the hunt with 298 yards passing with three touchdowns as well as rushing 16 times for 108 yards and another TD. It was Scott's fourth-straight 100-yard rushing game.

Dai’Jean Dixon had 11 catches for 171 yards for the Colonels, becoming just the 10th player in Southland history to reach 200 career receptions. He also set a program record with his twelfth 100-yard receiving game, passing Mark Carrier, who went on to an NFL career.

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