No. 17/25 Nicholls Colonels (8-2, 7-1 SLC) at Southeastern Louisiana Lions (5-5, 5-3 SLC)
Hammond, Louisiana (Strawberry Stadium)
Thursday, Nov. 16 | 6 p.m. CT
Nicholls Game Notes | SLU Game Notes
Audio: 100.3 FM KLRZ
TV: Cox Sports Television (Channel List)
Stream: ESPN3 (Outside of Cox viewing area)
Live Stats
FIRST FIVE
• The Nicholls State University football team heads to Hammond Thursday for the annual River Bell Classic against rival Southeastern Louisiana. In addition to the River Bell Trophy being on the line, the matchup features several storylines as the Colonels are still fighting for a share of the Southland Conference regular season title, as well as a berth into the FCS Playoffs. Kickoff at Strawberry Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be aired on Cox Sports TV, streamed on ESPN3 and can be listened to on ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM.
• Nicholls extended its winning streak to six games after an impressive performance on the road against Stephen F. Austin last weekend. Behind a season-high 418 yards rushing, Nicholls cruised past the 'Jack with a 34-13 victory.
Kyran Irvin rushed for 160 yards and a score on just 11 carries,
Tahj Smith totaled 177 yards on the ground and
Kenny Dotson's 3.5 sacks fueled a dominating outing by the defense.
• Thursday night's game will be the 27th meeting between Nicholls and SLU, and the series is all square at 13-13. The Lions have had the upper hand as of late, winning five of the last six. In last season's matchup in Thibodaux, the Colonels stormed back from trailing by 16 in the fourth quarter and had a chance to tie it up in the final seconds, but SLU stopped a two-point try and held on for a 44-42 win.
• For the first time this season, the Colonels earned rankings in both FCS Top 25 Polls as they maintained their No. 17 mark in the Coaches Poll while making their debut in the STATS Poll at No. 25. Nicholls has been ranked in the coaches poll for most of the season, but the ranking in the media poll is the first for the program since 2007. The Southland Conference now has four teams ranked in both polls – No. 3/3 Central Arkansas, No. 4/5 Sam Houston State, No. 17/25 Nicholls and No. 19/19 McNeese.
• Nicholls received several awards following their win over SFA, highlighted by Southland Player s of the Week for running back
Tahj Smith and defensive end
Kenny Dotson. Smith came off the bench to rush for 177 yards and a touchdown and went on to be named STATS FCS National Freshman of the Week. Dotson had 3.5 sacks in the victory and earned the same honor from the LSWA as the state's top defensive player. Kicker
Lorran Fonseca was 2-for-2 on field goals and surpassed the program's single-season with 17 made on the season. That performance gave him his third LSWA weekly honor of the season.
BY THE NUMBERS
3.5 - DE
Kenny Dotson racked up 3.5 sacks in the win at SFA, which is the most for any player in the Southland this season. The Colonels finished with 4.0 for the game and rank 13th in the FCS with 31 sacks.
7 - Nicholls has had seven 100-yard rushing performances this season by four different players.
Kyran Irvin leads the team with three century-mark outings, followed by two from
Dontrell Taylor, and one each by
Jeremy Rounds and redshirt freshman
Tahj Smith.
8 - The Colonels have eight interceptions on the season - all by different players.
Evan Veron and
Austin Dickerson added to the total in the win over HBU.
Ahmani Martin looked to have made in nine by nine, but his pick against the Huskies was negated due to a roughing the passer.
17 - K
Lorran Fonseca continued his outstanding campaign with two more field goals vs. SFA and currently ranks 1st in the FCS with 17 made field goals. The 17 field goals not only leads the FCS, but it also broke Jose Bran's single-season record of 16, set in 1990. Fonseca is 17-of-21 on the year (.810), which ranks 18th in percentage in the FCS.
418 - Nicholls steam-rolled to a season-high 418 yards rushing in the win at SFA, averaging an impressive 6.7 yards per carry.
Kyran Irvin rushed 11 times for 160 yards - all in the first half - before
Tahj Smith finished with 177 on 23 carries.
ON THIS DATE IN COLONEL HISTORY ...
• Nicholls has a 2-3 record on Nov. 16 -- all at home - highlighted by a 10-0 shutout over SLU in 1974. The other win was by 10 points as well in '96 against Harding.
| YEAR |
OPPONENT |
W/L |
SCORE |
H/A |
| 1974 |
Southeastern La.* |
W |
10-0 |
H |
| 1985 |
Southeast Missouri |
L |
31-28 |
H |
| 1991 |
Northwestern St.* |
L |
16-10 |
H |
| 1996 |
Harding |
W |
29-19 |
H |
| 2013 |
Central Arkansas* |
L |
17-10 |
H |
SCOUTING THE LIONS
• Southeastern Louisiana welcomes the Colonels to Hammond following a bye week. The Lions last played on Nov. 4 in a 13-3 setback against McNeese. SLU is looking to avoid a three-game skid to close out the season, with all three matchups being against ranked opponents.
• The Lions sport one of the SLC's most potent offenses, particularly in the running game. SLU pumps out 284.7 yards per game on the ground to rank 3rd in the FCS, and they rank 14th in the nation with 36.2 points per game.
• The Lion defense features the SLC's third-leading tackler in Max Lyons (87) and Sione Teuhema is second in tackles for loss (17.0), fueled by nine sacks. Teuhema was named to the STATS Buck Buchanan Award Watch List, which is given to the top FCS defensive player.
• SLU is headed by coach Ron Roberts, who is in his sixth year with the Lions. Roberts led SLU to back-to-back titles in 2013-14 as they posted an impressive 14-1 record in the Southland. The championship teams featured Oregon transfer quarterback Bryan Bennett, who was a two-time player of the year.
LAST MEETING
Nov. 17, 2016
Southeastern Louisiana 44, Nicholls 42
Trailing by 16 late in the fourth quarter, the Nicholls State University football team scored two touchdowns in the final two minutes and recovered a pair of onside kicks, but a last-second Hail Mary into the end zone was batted down as the Colonels were defeated by Southeastern Louisiana, 44-42, in the River Bell Classic on Thursday night at John L. Guidry Stadium. (
RECAP)
LAST OUTING
Nov. 11, 2017
Nicholls 34, Stephen F. Austin 13
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Behind career-high rushing efforts from
Kyran Irvin and
Tahj Smith, the Nicholls State University football team racked up a season-high 418 yards on the ground while the defense turned in another outstanding effort in a 34-13 victory against Stephen F. Austin Saturday at Homer Bryce Stadium. (
RECAP)
A WIN OVER SOUTHEASTERN WOULD...
... give the Colonels 9 wins, second-most for a single-season in team history (10 - 1986)
... push Nicholls' winning streak to seven games, its longest since '86 (8)
... be the most wins for Nicholls since the 1996 campaign (8-4)
... extend their new record for Southland wins in a season to eight (won 5 in '05 and '16)
... put Nicholls a 3-0 vs. Louisiana schools on the year
... bring the River Bell back to Thibodaux, giving Nicholls a 14-13 edge in the series
... give
Tim Rebowe his 17th career victory
... be the 16th SLC win in the Rebowe era (2015-). Colonels had nine victories in league play in the previous 7 seasons
... secure at least a second-place finish in the Southland standings, joining the '96 squad as the only other team to place second since joining the league in 1991
KY'RUN' IRVIN
Nicholls sophomore running back
Kyran Irvin has established himself as one of the Southland's elite ball carriers as he heads into the final week leading the league with 75.1 yards per carry. Irvin has three 100-yard games on the season - two in SLC play, highlighted by his 11-carry, 160-yard effort in the first half last week at SFA. He left midway through the second quarter with an injury.
SACK IT TO ME
The Colonel defense ranks second in the Southland with 31 sacks on the season. Nicholls has four players ranked in the top 15 of the league, led by
Sully Laiche and
Kenny Dotson at 6th with 6.5.
Marcel Andry also ranks in the top 10 at No. 8 with 5.5.
Terrell Encalade is at No. 13 with 4.0.
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