Defense UIW
Zachary Carlton

Football

Colorado on Tap for Colonels in Non-Conference Finale

NICHOLLS STATE UNIVERSITY COLONELS
@
Colorado Buffaloes

Boulder, Colo. (Folsom Field)
Saturday, Sept. 26| 12:30 p.m. CT
Nicholls Game Notes | Colorado Game Notes | Southland Weekly Notes
Watch: Pac-12 Networks (Limited Availability Through TV Provider)
Audio: 100.3 FM KLRZ, 1600 AM KLEB
Live Stats
 
#FIRSTFIVE
• The Nicholls Colonels (0-2) will make their second trip to Colorado in as many years as they take on the FBS Colorado Buffaloes (2-1) on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks. Nicholls will have its hands full as the Buffaloes will be playing in front of its home crowd for the second time this season, hoping to duplicate their performance in their home opener in a 48-14 victory over UMass. 

• After playing three FBS teams in each of the last three seasons, Nicholls is scheduled to play only two this season – ULM and Colorado. Following back-to-back trips to the Pacific Northwest to take on Oregon State and Oregon in 2012 and 2013, the Colonels will be making their second consecutive trip to Colorado after opening the season against Air Force last year. Nicholls has three wins all-time against FBS programs, with its last coming in 2013 at Western Michigan.

• The meeting with Colorado will be the third matchup against a Pac-12 program for the Colonels in the last four seasons. In 2012, Nicholls was supposed to open at Oregon State, but Hurricane Isaac caused travel problems and the game was postponed until the end of the season, which OSU won 73-7. In 2013, Nicholls and Colorado had a common opponent as the Colonels opened the season at top-ranked Oregon, falling 66-3 to the Ducks. Just over a month later, Colorado hosted Oregon and was defeated 57-16.

• The Colonels played a total of 17 freshmen through their first two contents. Making starts as rookies have been WR Jarrell Rogers, OLs Chandler Arceneaux and Kevin Pierce, DEs Tank Johnson and Devin Simoneaux, DBs Tyler Green, Corey Abraham and Ahmani Martin and long-snapper Wesley Barnett. 

• The Colonels are coming off their third winless campaign in program history. The team went 0-11 in 1995, but put together one of the best turnarounds in FCS history, going 8-4 in the next season which included an appearance in the FCS Playoffs. Coincidentally, Coach Rebowe was part of the staff in '96 that led the Colonels to the remarkable improvement after going winless in the prior season.


BY THE NUMBERS

3 - The Colonels have three wins against FBS programs since 2000. Last victory came in 2013 at Western Michigan (27-23). Other wins were Arkansas State (28-22, '01)
and Rice (16-14, '07)

10 - Combined number of 100-yard games between Tuskani Figaro (5), Michael Henry (4) and Tobias Lofton (1)

14 - Dating back to their win at FBS Western Michigan in 2013, the Colonels have lost 14 consecutive games on the road

20 - Nicholls will be looking to put an end to its current losing streak, which sits at a program-worst 20 games

<300>- Nicholls held UIW to less than 300 yards total offense, marking the first time since limiting Northwestern State (10/12/13) to 269 yards, which was the program's last victory

463 - Michael Henry needs 463 yards to crack the Colonels' all-time rushing list. He sits outside the top 10 with 1,283 yards

4,000 - After returning home from the Colorado trip, the Colonels will have traveled nearly 4,000 miles over the first three weeks of the season


SCOUTING COLORADO

• Colorado, with its campus located in Boulder, is in its fifth season in the Pac-12 after a 15-year tenure in the Big XII. In it's first four years in the new conference, Colorado compiled a 10-39 record.

• The Buffaloes put an end to their own losing streak, stopping a nine-game skid with a win in their home opener against UMass. CU started the season with a loss at Hawaii, but won two straight to push its record to 2-1 after an overtime win against rival Colorado State in Denver last Saturday.

• Colorado comes into the matchup averaging  243.3 yards rushing, which ranks third in the Pac-12. Leading the rushing attack is Michael Adkins II with 218 yards on 5.05 yards per carry.  
• One player on defense to keep an eye out for is Kenneth Olugbode, who was recently named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week.  In the win vs. CSU, Olugbode had 13 tackles and returned an interception 60 yards for a TD to give Colorado the lead in the fourth quarter.

• Surprisingly, Colorado has not had a winning season since 2005 when the Buffaloes finished with a 7-6 record after their bowl game victory over Clemson. 


LAGNIAPPES

SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THERE'S A CHANCE?
Although the Colonels have three FBS wins since 2000, none have come against a Power 5 Conference.  However, Colorado was upset by an FCS team in 2012, falling to Sacramento State, 30-28. The last time the Buffaloes took on a team from the Southland Conference was in the 2013 season against Central Arkansas, and CU had its hands full with the Bears as the game was tied in the fourth quarter at 24-all before the Buffaloes pulled out a 38-24 victory. The matchup was similar to this season, sandwiched between an emotional win over rival Colorado State and CU's conference opener.


FBS TRANSFERS
While head coach Tim Rebowe believed that there was plenty of talent coming back from 2014, he was able to add in several FBS tranfers into the mix. On offense, joining Nicholls are WRs C.J. Bates (UL-Lafayette), Charles Henderson (Utah), Jarrell Rogers (UL-Lafayette) and Daijuan Stewart (SMU); running back Atlee Tenpenny (Alabama); and left tackle Jonah Austin (LSU). Only one transfer came on defense, DB Jeff Hall (Colorado), and K Chris Sciambra (LSU) joins the specialists after playing  baseball for the nationally-ranked Tigers. 


BERNARDI BOWL
If the first ever matchup between Nicholls and Colorado needed a name, one option could be the Bernardi Bowl. Nicholls Athletics Director Rob Bernardi's brother, Gary, coaches the offensive line for the Buffaloes. Bernardi is in his 15th year as head of Colonel Athletics, which matches the University's longest tenure as AD. Gary is in his third year with CU after coaching at San Jose State.


HENRY NAMED SEMIFINALIST FOR CAMPBELL TROPHY (STORY)
Senior running back Michael Henry was recently named as a semifinalist for the 2015 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame (NFF).  The Campbell Trophy is awarded to the nation's absolute best football scholar-athlete. Henry is one of 135 semifinalists, which includes all levels of college football, as well as just one of 23 recipients from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).


SOUTHLAND WEEKLY COACHES' CALL



HOME TICKET INFORMATION
Season and single-game tickets for the Colonels' four home games in 2015 are available by calling the Nicholls State University Athletics ticket office at 985-448-4790 or by visiting geauxcolonels.com. 



 

Players Mentioned

Corey Abraham

#31 Corey Abraham

DB
6' 0"
Redshirt Freshman
Chandler Arceneaux

#71 Chandler Arceneaux

OL
6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
Tuskani Figaro

#8 Tuskani Figaro

QB
6' 3"
Junior
Tyler Green

#4 Tyler Green

DB
6' 0"
Redshirt Freshman
Michael Henry

#40 Michael Henry

RB
6' 2"
Senior
Tobias Lofton

#5 Tobias Lofton

RB
5' 11"
Senior
Devin Simoneaux

#95 Devin Simoneaux

DL
6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
Wesley Barnett

#59 Wesley Barnett

LS
5' 11"
Freshman
Jeff Hall

#10 Jeff Hall

DB
5' 11"
Junior
Charles Henderson

#6 Charles Henderson

WR
5' 8"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Corey Abraham

#31 Corey Abraham

6' 0"
Redshirt Freshman
DB
Chandler Arceneaux

#71 Chandler Arceneaux

6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
OL
Tuskani Figaro

#8 Tuskani Figaro

6' 3"
Junior
QB
Tyler Green

#4 Tyler Green

6' 0"
Redshirt Freshman
DB
Michael Henry

#40 Michael Henry

6' 2"
Senior
RB
Tobias Lofton

#5 Tobias Lofton

5' 11"
Senior
RB
Devin Simoneaux

#95 Devin Simoneaux

6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
DL
Wesley Barnett

#59 Wesley Barnett

5' 11"
Freshman
LS
Jeff Hall

#10 Jeff Hall

5' 11"
Junior
DB
Charles Henderson

#6 Charles Henderson

5' 8"
Senior
WR