THIBODAUX, La. (AP) - Chase Fourcade passed for 337 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 82 yards and two more scores to help Nicholls beat San Diego 49-30 in the first round of the NCAA FCS playoffs on Saturday.
The Colonels (9-3) advanced to a second-round matchup at No. 3 seed Eastern Washington next Saturday.
Dontrell Taylor ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries and Nicholls amassed 269 yards rushing and 606 yards of total offense.
Taylor had scoring runs of 27 and 49 yards in the first quarter and Fourcade made it 21-7 with a 19-yard keeper with 4:26 left in the first quarter. After a Toreros field goal, the Colonels scored three straight touchdowns to lead 42-10 early in the third quarter.
San Diego scored three straight touchdowns to cut the deficit to 42-30 early in the fourth quarter, but Fourcade scored on a 13-yard run and Nicholls held San Diego (9-3) scoreless from there.
Anthony Lawrence passed for 322 yards for the Toreros and completed four touchdown passes, all to Dalton Kincaid.
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