#FIRSTFIVE
• The Nicholls Colonels (3-4, 3-2 SLC) look to continue their strong start in Southland Conference play as they head to Natchitoches for a matchup against Northwestern State on Saturday, Oct. 29 in Turpin Stadium. The game will be televised locally on WHNO-TV and will stream online on ESPN3. Radio broadcast for the contest will be on KLEB 1600 AM and online via ESPN Radio New Orleans.
• The Colonels saw their perfect home record come to an end with a 38-21 loss to top-ranked Sam Houston State last weekend. The Bearkats, featuring the nation's No. 1 scoring offense, raced out to a 24-0 lead at the half before the Colonels got things going after the break. RB
C.J. Okpalobi rushed for a touchdown, and QB
Chase Fourcade scored on a trick play before finding WR
C.J. Bates for a late touchdown catch.
• The Colonels are 3-4 in road conference games under head coach
Tim Rebowe, with all three wins coming in the last four contests. Nicholls started 2015 with two tough losses on the road (20-10 at UIW; 28-24 at SFA), but finished strong with a pair of late wins (30-28 at Lamar; 27-24 at SLU). Following a setback at McNeese this season, Nicholls picked up a double-overtime victory at HBU.
• Saturday marks the 44th meeting between the in-state programs with the Demons holding a 28-15 advantage after last year's win. In 21 games in Natchitoches, the Demons have captured victories 17 times versus just four losses. The last meeting at Turpin Stadium was in 2014 as NSU cruised to a 48-21 victory.
• The Colonels will be facing two of their former head coaches - Jay Thomas, who directed the program from 2004-09, and Daryl Daye, who was the head coach from 1999-2003. Thomas compiled a 24-27 mark at Nicholls and a 17-20 record in Southland play during his six-year tenure. Thomas' most notable accomplishment was the program's only Southland Conference championship which he led the Colonels to the title in 2005. Thomas, who is 2-1 against his former team, is in his fourth season as head coach at Northwestern State. Daye posted his best season in 2002, leading Nicholls to a 7-4 mark as the squad led the NCAA in rushing offense. Daye is in his second season under Thomas at NSU, serving as associate head coach and defensive coordinator.
BY THE NUMBERS
3 - The Colonels have held the opposition to less than 100 yards rushing three times this season. Sam Houston had 77 yards rushing on 22 carries last week after heading into the matchup with an SLC-best 245.2 ypg
4 - A win over Northwestern State would give the Colonels win No. 4 in league play. Since joining the Southland in 1991, Nicholls has won four or more SLC games in just two seasons (1996, 4-2; 2005, 5-1)
5 - Nicholls has played a total of five overtimes this season - one in single OT and two going double . Before this season, the last game that did not end in regulation was a four-overtime victory at Texas State in 2010. The Colonels' loss at South Alabama would have probably gone into double OT as well, but Nicholls went for 2 instead of kicking the extra point
6th - The Colonels have scored three non-offensive touchdowns this season, which ranks 6th in the FCS. Nicholls scored two at South Alabama - a 33-yd INT return by
Chris Major and a 51-yd return by
Christian Boutte on a blocked FG. At HBU,
Ronald Ollie returned a blocked FG 84 yards for a touchdown
36.4 - Nicholls is averaging just 36.4 penalty yards per game, ranking 3rd out of 122 teams in the FCS. Against Sam Houston, the Colonels were flagged only 4 times for 19 yards
ON THIS DATE IN COLONEL HISTORY ...
• Nicholls has never lost a game on Oct. 29 with a perfect 5-0 record. The last win came on a last-second field goal in '05 against Texas State in the Colonels' championship season.
1977 -- McNeese -- W -- 24-7 -- A
1983 -- Southwest Missouri -- W -- 33-7 -- H
1988 -- Texas State -- W -- 13-10 -- A
1994 -- Southern -- W -- 20-14 -- H
2005 -- Texas State -- W -- 32-29 -- H
SCOUTING THE DEMONS
• Northwestern State heads into the matchup searching for its first win in league play. The Demons have had tough luck in two of their losses, losing by a combined four points (21-18 vs. UIW, 32-31 vs. Lamar).
• NSU's lone win this season came against Division II Kentucky Wesleyan. The Demons led 21-7 at the break before scoring four touchdowns in the second half for a 49-7 victory.
• The Demon offense is led by QB Brooks Haack. After starting at Louisiana-Lafayette last season, Haack transfered to NSU to play his final season. At ULL, he threw for over 1,400 yards and had five TD passes.
• NSU ranks third in the Southland in rushing offense, averaging 203.7 yards per contest. Thirteen of the Demons' 20 offensive touchdowns have come on the ground.
ALL-TIME SERIES vs NSU
Series Record: Northwestern State leads 28-15
in Natchitoches: NSU leads 17-4
First Meeting: 10/6/73 @ NICH; NICH 3-0
Last Meeting: 10/31/15 @ NICH; NSU, 37-21 (
RECAP)
Most Points Scored (combined): 70, 2003
Most Points Scored by NICH: 58, 2007
Most Points Scored by NSU: 48, 201
LAST OUTING
Oct. 22, 2016
No. 1 Sam Houston 38, Nicholls 21
THIBODAUX, La. – Freshman
Chase Fourcade threw for 254 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another but the Nicholls State University football team was unable to keep pace with No.1 Sam Houston State as the Colonels were handed a 38-21 loss on Saturday at John L. Guidry Stadium. (
RECAP)
NICHOLLS-NSU CONNECTION
The main storyline in the series for the last few years has been Jay Thomas facing his former team. Thomas was the head coach at Nicholls from 2004-09 and led the Colonels to their first and only Southland Conference title in 2005. This will mark the fourth time he has faced Nicholls since taking over at NSU (2 wins, 1 loss).
DON'T BELIEVE ME, JUST WATCH
DT
Sully Laiche was recently named to the STATS FCS Freshman of the Year Watch List. Laiche has been a playmaker since he stepped onto the field, ranking third on the team in tackles (44), and first in tackles for loss (7.5) and sacks (4.0). He also forced a fumbled in double OT to seal the win against SFA, and his blocked field goal at HBU led to a first-quarter return for at TD.
UP NEXT
The Colonels will play their first of two Thursday night games to close out their home schedule. Nicholls will take on Lamar on Nov. 3 at 6 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on Cox Sports TV.
