Tyler Halls caught a 28 yard touchdown pass from Nic Visser late in the third quarter Saturday afternoon that proved to be the game winner, as Husson University held on for a 14-12 Commonwealth Coast Conference football win over Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts.
Nichols College had the only points of the first quarter when Daniel Sweeney connected on a 21 yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. Husson took the lead for good when Visser called his own number and scored on a QB keeper from three yards out with 4:36 left in the first half. The game winner by Halls came with 1:57 left in the third that made it 14-3. Sweeney hit his second field goal of the day early in the fourth for the Bison that cut it to eight, and then Visser was intercepted by Earl Jones at the Nichols 42 yard line. The hosts would take that turnover and score on a Archie Killian six yard TD reception from Alpha Barry with 6:24 left in the game. Instead of going for the two-point conversion and possible tie, the Bison went for an extra point that was missed by Barry. Husson was able to run the clock out with three first downs that included the dagger when Visser hit Aidan Hogan for a 17 yard passing play on a 4th down and 3 at the Nichols 29 yard line.
Visser went 11-23 for 174 yards with one touchdown and one interception and added the short three yard TD run in the second quarter. Garrett Poussard had 25 rushes for 91 yards. Hogan led the receiving core with four catches for 62 yards. Jon Bell and Halls had three receptions each for 60 and 48 yards respectively, with Halls catching the game winning TD. Tucker Buzzell had 10 total tackles to lead the defense, as Husson improves to 6-2 and 3-1 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. Barry was the offensive leader for Nichols College going 10-21 passing for 189 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and also had 12 carries for 56 yards. Jones had 11 total tackles and an interception for the Bison defense, as they fall to 2-6 and 0-4 in the CCC. Husson returns to Bangor next Saturday to host the top team in the conference in Salve Regina at 12 p.m. in their final regular season home game.
