Photo Gallery

THIBODAUX, La.  – The Nicholls State University football team finished its 2013 spring season at the end of April. Head coach Charlie Stubbs, entering his fourth year at the helm, answered some questions about the Colonels' final scrimmage, what's next for the team as it winds down the academic year and shared his thoughts on the progress of each position.


What are your overall thoughts about the final scrimmage on Saturday, April 27?

I thought our scrimmage on Saturday was very successful. First of all, we had great weather. We probably had the most attendance for a spring scrimmage since I've been here at Nicholls, so that was good to see. We also had our Junior Day, which was really well attended and we had a great presentation for the prospects and their parents about the football program and University. On the field, we had a very productive scrimmage. We had players who performed well, which was great to see them elevate their game in front of a crowd. We had a lot of our signees in attendance. They showed a lot of enthusiasm, liked what they saw and envisioned themselves being a part of the team soon. Afterwards, we had family members and friends of the program host a tailgate where they cooked for the team. Everyone from players, coaches, staff members and athletic trainers went over and ate and made friends, so it was a great day for Nicholls Football.


How do you think the offense performed?

We made a lot of big plays. We didn't get those in the last scrimmage, but Saturday we made some nice throws and catches, and had some great runs after the catch. I thought we executed at a high level.


The defense had a great outing in the first scrimmage. What are your thoughts on how they played in the final scrimmage?

The defense started out a little slow but then gained momentum. We did really well on third-down situations which was an area we struggled at last season. Also, when we had an opportunity to create a turnover, we took advantage, whether it was an interception or a fumble recovery. So I did see some good things there.


What's next for the Colonels?

We'll sit down as coaches with each individual and give him an evaluation, not just about football but about academics as well. I told them that it was gameday on Saturday, but now its gameday academically. I really want to see them finish strong in the classroom. I know we're making great progress on the field and in the classroom, but it's not how you start, it's how you finish.


With last year's starter Landy Klann being held out of spring practice with an injury, talk a little about the quarterback position.

I was really pleased to see Beaux Hebert have a very productive final scrimmage. I know that he is making significant progress and he finished the spring as our No. 1 quarterback. Landry Klann, who started for us the majority of the 2012 season, is going to have shoulder surgery in May and he'll use his redshirt this upcoming season. Tuskani Figaro did a very good job, but he was limited in his throwing, especially the deep ball, after coming off of a shoulder injury. But overall I thought he had a strong spring. And I thought Hayden Cardiff and Dash Duncan showed some promise, but they just need to work on being more consistent.


With two-year starter Marcus Washington set to lead the backfield, talk about the running backs' performance in the spring.

Marcus Washington is by far our most productive offensive player. We played him sparingly in the spring, but he did excel when he received the ball. In the last scrimmage, he wasn't in on many plays but he still scored a touchdown and made some big plays. I felt our other backs are making progress and will find ways to contribute in the fall.


Last season, the offense spread the ball around in the passing game. What are your thoughts on the tight ends/wide receivers.

Nick Scelfo stood out as we expected. I feel like he is getting better as an overall tight end. He's always had great ball skills and savvy, but he's become more of a physical player. At the receiver position, we have great potential but we need to be more consistent. We saw some great things in our final scrimmage, but I want to see that all the time. We have a very good group and even had a few receivers miss the spring because of injuries, so if we can blend everyone together and get them healthy I know we could have a solid receiver unit.


The offensive line had a lot of depth this spring. Talk about how they performed this spring.

I thought Abasi Salimu and Rafe Plaisance played the most solid of the offensive lineman. Moving Brandon Holmes to center turned out to be a great move, I think he's grasping it very well. Caleb Cline worked hard this spring as did Eric Alt at right tackle. Some of the others that I thought preformed well were Chris Bordelon, Ryan Zeller and Jared Breaux. Being just a freshman, Breaux was in a tough position blocking our experienced defensive line but he did a adequate job and will only improve.


Can you touch on the special teams?

We emphasized special teams individual technique that will be incorporated into each phase in fall camp. The only unit that we used as a complete group during practices and scrimmages was PAT/FG. Our top kicker is Andrew Dolan, who we expect a lot from this season and he knows that. I think he performed very well and the other specialists we have are working hard to improve.


On defense, it all starts up front. What are your thoughts on the defensive line?

Our defensive front will be a lot better provided that we take care of business in the classroom. Cole Frazier had a very good spring and I expect him to have a productive year and Edet Udoh came back strong after missing last season with a shoulder injury. Keithen English, who transferred in from Houston, showed his potential and could be a really great player. And Lorenza Young has tremendous talent and is a hard worker. We have others in the mix as well, but we're so much bigger and opposing than we have been in the past which should help us in conference.


You lost three starting linebackers from 2012. Talk about how the group performed this spring.

Returning starter Chris Bermond leads our inside linebacker group and Ryan Bruno had a very strong spring so we expect big things in the future from him. Nick LeBlanc made a lot of progress but suffered an injury that set him back a little. Also playing inside was Tyler Harrington who got some really great reps. On the outside, Davin Bovie really shined and had a tremendous spring. Redshirt freshman Chris Lorden looked very good as well. I strongly believe he will progress even more as he gains more experience.


Pretty much everyone in the defensive backfield comes back from last season. What are your thoughts on that group?

I feel like we have three outstanding safeties - Jordan Hanberry, TJ Lumar and Siegan Vergenal - who all could be starters. I thought they all did a great job.  Ryan Menard also had a good spring. At corner, we are working a lot of players but I would say our main guys right now are BJ Lewis, Josh Dewey and Toren Joseph. Nigel Robertson also did some good things. We have others competing for playing time, but those guys are the ones who stood out.


Any other thoughts or comments?

We had our most productive spring since I've been here. We had around 85 guys who participated which is the most we've had. The next thing that excites me is our new signees. A lot of them came to our scrimmages and practices and they are just chomping at the bit to come in and contribute. We've also signed a few players who will be added to this signing class, which we will announce in the near future. I feel like we are making tremendous progress, I know the fans that came out to watch could see that. We need to have a great summer and strength and conditioning program to make sure we bring our A-game in order to be ready for our season opener at Oregon on Aug. 31.