SE Louisiana holds off Nicholls 44-42 after frantic finish

THIBODAUX, La. (AP) — Julius Maracalin ran for a career-high three touchdowns and Southeastern Louisiana survived a frantic finish to beat Nicholls 44-42 on Thursday night.

Nicholls scored on a 5-yard pass from Chase Fourcade to Damion Jeanpiere with 1:18 left, added the two-point conversion, recovered an onside kick and scored again on Fourcade's 2-yard run. That two-point try failed but Nicholls again recovered an onside kick and a penalty on Southeastern Louisiana on the play left the Colonels with the ball on the Lions' 37 with two seconds remaining. Fourcade scrambled and threw it into the end zone where the Hail Mary pass was batted and fell incomplete.

The victory in the regular-season finale for both teams ensured a third-place finish for the Lions (7-4, 7-2) and enhanced their hopes for a berth in the FCS playoffs for the third time in four seasons.

The game seesawed with the Lions leading 14-0 after the first quarter, the Colonels up 21-14 at halftime and then the Lions scoring 13 points in the third to retake the lead before the teams combined for 38 points in the final quarter.