No. 23/23 Nicholls Colonels (7-4, 6-2 SLC) at No. 22/21 Southeaster Louisiana (7-3, 6-2 SLC)
Hammond, Louisiana (Strawberry Stadium)
Thursday, Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. CT
Nicholls Game Notes | Southeastern Game Notes
Audio: KLEB Tunein
TV: Cox Sports TV / ESPN+ (Outside of CST Territory)
Live Stats
Tickets
FIRST FIVE
• The No. 23 Nicholls State University football team heads to Hammond for the annual River Bell Classic against No. 22/21 Southeastern Louisiana, set for Thursday, Nov. 21 at Strawberry Stadium. Like last year, the rivalry game holds extreme significance as the Colonels once again would lock up the Southland Conference title and the league's automatic bid into the FCS playoffs with a victory. But unlike last year, the Lions are not playing the role of spoiler as the same fate awaits them with a win - the SLC title and the bid to the playoffs. The game will air on CST and an ESPN+ stream will be available outside of CST's viewing area.
• Since its overtime loss against ACU, Nicholls has strung together its longest winning streak of the season following a 34-20 victory over rival McNeese on Senior Day last Saturday. The Colonels' used their patented fast start at home to build a 20-point halftime lead, but this time is was via an air strike with quarterback
Chase Fourcade throwing for three touchdowns and nearly 300 yards in the first half. Nicholls had a pair of 100-yard receivers for the first time since 2017 as
Dai'Jean Dixon (185 yds) and
Dion Ray (119) led the way on offense. Defensively, the Colonels held McNeese to 34 yards in the first half and allowed just two offensive touchdowns in the win.
• If the Colonels are considered on a hot streak, then Southeastern Louisiana is scorching hot as the Lions have won their last four games. Following an impressive shutout on the road against the top-ranked team in the Southland, Central Arkansas, SLU went on another lengthy trip last weekend and took down Abilene Christian, 35-14. The defense was the story of the game as it recorded six interceptions and 10 sacks. SLU went on a scoring barrage before halftime with three touchdowns in the final three minutes for a 35-7 advantage at the break.
• With the Colonels winning last year's River Bell Classic, the all-time series against Southeastern Louisiana is dead even at 14-14. The 44-0 victory in Guidry Stadium in 2018 was the third shutout for the Colonels in the series and first since 1983. Fourty-four points was also the largest margin of victory of any Nicholls win against the Lions. For SLU, the Lions have won six of the last eight meetings highlighted by its most convincing victory, a 62-3 drubbing in Thibodaux in the Colonels' winless 2014 campaign. The following day, Nicholls introduced
Tim Rebowe as the new head coach and he went on to end the Lions' four-game winning streak in the series with a thrilling 27-24 win to close out 2015.
• Not only is the series tied at 14-14, but
Tim Rebowe is 2-2 against the Lions in his tenure. In his first season, he put an end to the Colonels' 23-game losing streak with a pair of victories and sent the 2015 Senior Class out on a high note as Francisco Condado kicked a game-winninig field goal as time expired for the road win. Nicholls then lost a shootout in Thibodaux, 44-42, in '16 and were then upset in the '17 edition with a 21-17 setback in Hammond.
BY THE NUMBERS
15 - Just a sophomore,
Julien Gums broke the single-season rushing touchdowns record (13) and has found the end zone in four straight games. Gums currently ranks second in the Southland with 77.3 yards per contest and leads the league with 15 rushing TDs.
35.5 - Senior defensive lineman
Sully Laiche continues to climb the Southland all-time sacks list and currently sits at fourth with 35.5 sacks. Laiche missed the first two games and has since started in nine, recording at least a sack in all but one. With his two last week against McNeese, Laiche is now the FCS active leader. He also ranks first in the nation in TFLs per game and is third in sacks per game.
110 - The 2019 roster consists of 116 players, and 110 are Louisiana natives. When
Tim Rebowe was hired after the 2014 season, he wanted to put an emphasis on recruiting locally. Not only are the student-athletes from the Pelican State, but the majority are from a 50-mile radius which includes New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the River Parishes. The Colonels have had the most Louisianans in Division I football by a wide margin over the past few seasons.
111.0 - Junior wideout
Dai'Jean Dixon is averaging 111.0 yards receiving per game following 185 yards and a touchdown in his return last week against McNeese. Dixon, who ranks fifth all-time in receiving with 1,908 yards, missed 5.5 games with an injury but left off right where he ended. Before leaving the win against UCA , Dixon had 140 yards receiving before halftime and now has three 100-yard games this year.
2,000 - Dontrell Taylor nearly eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards last season and now has his sights on 2,000 for his career. With 1,969 yards rushing, Taylor needs 31 to become only the eighth Colonel to reach the mark.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
• Like the Colonels, Southeastern Louisiana bounced back from a two-game skid and carries a four-game winning streak in the matchup. SLU more than got the job done in the last two weeks on the road, shutting out Central Arkansas, 34-0, before winning at ACU last weekend, 35-14.
• The Lions are the most well-rounded squad in the Southland as they rank first in the SLC in total offense, and second in scoring offense and defense, and total defense. Nationally, the defense is ninth in rushing yards allowed, second in sacks, and third in tackles for loss.
• SLU features a two-quarterback system with Chason Virgil and Cole Kelley. Virgil has been one of the most accurate passers in the FCS, ranking eighth in completion percentage (66.5) while averaging 256 yards passing a game. Kelley earned National Player of the Week after accounting for five touchdowns (4 rushing) in the win over UCA.
• The Lions are led by second-year head coach Frank Scelfo. Before guiding SLU to four wins in the Southland last year, Scelfo was a longtime assistant and last served as the offensive coordinator under former Colonel Frank Wilson at UTSA.
A WIN OVER SOUTHEASTERN WOULD...
... secure the Colonels' third Southland Conference championship and first back-to-back titles. ... put Nicholls in the playoffs for a third consecutive year. Had 3 prior to Rebowe ('86, '96, 2005)
... keep the River Bell in Thibodaux for consecutive years -- a first since 2008-10.
... give Nicholls a 15-14 edge in the all-time series and even the series in Hammond at 7-7.
... be the '19 Senior Class' 30th victory. They became the winningest in team history last weekend surpassing the 28 wins by 1988 Class.
... secure the program's third consecutive eight-win season - a first in school history.
... give the Colonels their 29th league win under Rebowe and up his record to 26-10 in last four years in the Southland.
... place Nicholls at 7-2 in conference for the third consecutive season.
... improve Rebowe's record vs. Southland Louisiana schools to 9-6 (4-1 vs. NSU,
2-3 vs. McNeese, 3-2 vs. SLU).
LAST MEETING VS. SLU
Nov. 15, 2019
No. 15/18 Nicholls 44, Southeastern 0
THIBODAUX, La. - For the second time in program history, the Nicholls State University football team is Southland Conference champions. The No. 15/18 Colonels continued their dominant play in every facet of the game and shut out rival Southeastern Louisiana, 44-0, Thursday night at Manning Field in John L. Guidry Stadium in the annual River Bell Classic. (
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ON THIS DATE IN COLONEL HISTORY ...
• Nicholls has played just four times on Nov. 21 and holds a 1-2-1 record. The Colonels are 1-1 in Southland games, beating McNeese in '98 before falling in their last contest at Southeastern in 2013.
| YEAR |
OPPONENT |
W/L |
SCORE |
H/A |
| 1981 |
Missouri State |
T |
20-20 |
H |
| 1992 |
Troy |
L |
21-0 |
H |
| 1998 |
McNeese* |
W |
31-30 |
A |
| 2013 |
Southeastern La.* |
L |
52-27 |
A |
LAST GAME
Nov. 16, 2019
No. 24 Nicholls 34, McNeese 20
THIBODAUX, La. - The No. 24/24 Nicholls State University football team used an impressive first half to take control against rival McNeese and went on to double up the Cowboys in offensive yards, 519-236, cruising to a 34-20 victory on Senior Day Saturday evening on Manning Field in John L. Guidry Stadium. (
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STAYING SOCIAL
Follow the Colonels all season long on Twitter (
@Nicholls_FB) and Instagram (
@Nicholls_FB).
