DUDLEY, Mass. (9/19/2026) - The Nichols College football team battled back from a 22-point deficit in the second half, but were unable to overtake Coast Guard in a 49-42 loss on Homecoming Weekend at Michael J. Vendetti Field on Saturday.
The Bison (0-3) and Bears (2-1) combined for 91 points and more than 1,100 yards of total offense in an offensive shootout.
It took Nichols just 18 seconds to strike first in the game when quarterback
Will Migliaccio connected with
Noah Gincastro for a 72-yard downfield touchdown. Coast Guard answered with a pair of touchdown drives before Nichols closed the opening quarter with a 65-yard scoring drive, capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass from Migliaccio to sophomore tight end
Brett Lato.
After one, the Bears would add another pair of touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 28-13 lead into halftime.
Coast Guard extended its advantage to 35-13 early in the third quarter on a 35-yard touchdown run by Griffin Cheslock, but the Bison responded with three consecutive scoring drives. After an eight-play, 65-yard drive, Migliaccio scored on a one-yard touchdown run, followed by a successful conversion pass from Gincastro. Nichols then forced a turnover on downs and needed just five plays to go 67 yards, with Migliaccio finding
Kyle Pickering for a 43-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 35-28.
Coast Guard answered with a 90-yard touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter, but Nichols immediately responded when Migliaccio hit
Kahlil Talley for an astonishing 99-yard touchdown, becoming just the second player in program history to score from that distance on what was his first collegiate touchdown. Nichols' comeback attempt continued moments later when
Skyler Burgess hauled in a 55-yard touchdown pass, followed by another successful two-point conversion pass from Gincastro to make it 49-42 with 4:23 remaining.
Coast Guard then used more than three minutes of the clock before punting with 52 seconds remaining. Nichols moved the ball to its own 27-yard line, but Migliaccio's final pass was intercepted with 27 seconds left to seal the Bears' victory.
Migliaccio finished the afternoon 18-of-29 passing for 460 yards and five touchdowns, highlighting a Nichols offense that totaled 544 yards on just 57 plays. Gincastro led the Bison with four receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown, while Talley had one catch for 99 yards and a touchdown.
Ricardo Navedo led Nichols on the ground with 80 yards on 19 carries, while defensively the Bison were led by
Jonathan Ferrara's 15 tackles,
Charles DeMartino's 10 tackles and a sack, and
Noah Roberts' nine tackles and an interception.
Football will be back on the road next week for their conference opener at New England College (1-2) on Saturday, September 26
th. Game start against the Pilgrims is set for 2:00 PM at the NEC Football Field.
