THIBODAUX, LA - Josh Son totaled 323 yards of total offense and threw two touchdown passes as Nicholls State defeated Samford 20-16 in NCAA Divison I-AA football action Saturday.

Son rushed for 162 yards and passed for 161 yards and two scores as the Colonels held onto their four-point lead the entire fourth quarter. The Colonels finished with 426 yards of total offense, including 264 rushing and 162 passing.

Samford was led statistically by junior receiver Aryvia Holmes, who tallied 176 yards of total offense, including six receptions for 116 yards. Junior quarterback Josh Kellett also finished 11-of-21 passing for 160 yards and also rushed for 10 yards. As a team the Bulldogs recorded 344 total yards of offense, including 89 rushing and 255 passing.

True freshman Ramon Nelson recorded a career high with 140 yards of total offense for Samford.

NSU took the final lead on a 30-yard run by Phillip Brock with :16 in the third quarter to cap a 5-play, 55-yard drive.

Samford's second turnover stalled its best scoring threat of the second half, as wide-open tight end Daniel McClurkin caught a first-down pass inside the Colonel 30 but was hit and fumbled with 7:00 minutes remaining in the game.

NSU's Antonio Knox sacked Bulldog quarterback Ramon Nelson on fourth-and four with 12:05 remaining in the game, knocking the Bulldogs back 20 yards and beginning the next NSU possession at the Samford 49. The Bulldogs held again and the Colonels missed a 42-yard field goal attempt.

A fumble by Fred Gilliam at the NSU 44 gave the Colonels their first possession of the second half, but the Bulldogs turned NSU away with a four-play goal-line stand midway through the third quarter. The Bulldog offense responded with a 10-play, 98-yard drive highlighted by a 33-yard pass to Aryvia Holmes. Freshman tailback John Williams scored on a 5-yard run to cap the drive, but Samford did not convert the extra point and led 16-13 with 3:36 left in the third.

NSU led 13-10 at halftime on the strength of a Son-to-Phillip Brock 16-yard touchdown pass with :27 remaining in the half. The score capped an 11-play, 84-yard drive following Chip Walters' 41-yard field goal that gave Samford a brief lead, 10-7.

Nicholls State drew first blood, as Son found freshman receiver David Laphand for a 6-yard scoring pass at the 8:40 mark of the first quarter. The pass capped a 6-play, 55-yard drive highlighted by a 46-yard Son run to the Samford 1-yard line.

Samford responded on its next possession as freshman quarterback Ramon Nelson found Gary Reed for a 22-yard scoring pass with 4:00 remaining in the first quarter. The pass was Nelson's first career touchdown pass and capped a 9-play, 65-yard drive that used 4:35 and featured four Nelson rushes for 32 yards.

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