FOUR DOWNS
• The Nicholls State University football team wraps up the 2021 with 18th game of the year, heading to No. 15/12 Southeastern Thursday night for the annual River Bell Classic. While the Colonels saw their championship hopes come to an end last Saturday, the program will be seeking a fifth consecutive winning season and a chance to spoil the Lions' title hopes. The 32nd meeting between the in-state rivals is set for a 6 p.m. kickoff and the game will air on ESPN+ and can be listened to on ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM.

• It's hard to find a better rivalry in the FCS than the River Bell Classic, especially since the arrival of head coach Tim Rebowe at Nicholls. The all-time series is at 16-15 Southeastern following the Lions' two victories this year, but the Colonels won the previous two which resulted in Southland Conference championships. The 44-0 win by Nicholls in 2018 gave the Red and Gray their first of two consecutive titles, then the 2019 matchup was for not only the Bell, but the winner received the Southland championship and the auto-bid to the playoffs. The Colonels won a thriller in Hammond, 28-27, and SLU joined them in the postseason with an at-large berth. The game was not played in 2020 and with the revamped Southland schedule, they tripled up this year. SLU reclaimed the River Bell in the spring, winning a shootout, 52-45, in Thibodaux. Then earlier this fall, the Lions won another high-scoring affair on the road with a 58-48 win, although it was not for the rivalry trophy. Two of the Colonels' three wins under Rebowe came in Strawberry Stadium.

• The matchup between the Colonels and Lions features two of the top offenses in the FCS. Southeastern is second in total yards (574.1) with the Colonels ranking fifth at (486.9). While both teams have had success on that side of the ball, they feature completely different styles. The Lions are fueled by the spring season's Walter Payton Award winner quarterback Cole Kelley, who has SLU airing out 416 yards per game passing -- second best in the FCS. Nicholls relies on it rushing attack which ranks 6th in the nation. Nicholls has had 13 100-yard performances this season, including freshman Collin Guggenheim who has rushed for over 100 in the last four games. 

• The Colonels are coming off a disappointing home loss to league front runner UIW, falling to the Cardinals 27-23 on Senior Day. Nicholls led at halftime for the second time in as many meetings this season with UIW, but managed only three points after halftime. Collin Guggenheim was the workhorse with 32 carries and 141 yards, however, two big runs by UIW's Kevin Brown in the third quarter ended up being the game winners. After throwing for 600 yards and seven touchdowns in the win over Southeastern, Nicholls limited Cameron Ward to 108 yards and two scores on 13 of 30 passing. Nicholls, which held the ball for over 42 minutes, had a pair of costly turnovers and three turnovers on downs in the second half.

BY THE NUMBERS

2 - For the second time this season, a Colonel had two interceptions in a game as Kevin Johnson picked off two passes against UIW last Saturday. While both turnovers were impressive plays, the second pick he dove and was fully extended to make the grab on a fourth-down pass. 

103 - Although he has been sidelined for pretty much the entire conference schedule, RB Julien Gums needs only 103 yards rushing to become the program's all-time leader. Gums set single-season records in 2019 in rushing yards (1,232) and touchdowns (16). After rushing for over 100 yards in the first quarter in the  league opener vs. HBU, Gums has not appeared in any games due to an injury.

105 - The 2021 roster features 105 players from Louisiana, with most coming 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. In comparison, Southeastern has 64 players from the state.

136.8 - Freshman Collin Guggenheim has averaged 136.8 yards rushing in his last four games, rushing for 100 yards in all four. Listed as the fourth string running back heading into fall camp, the Kenner native has averaged 5.6 yards per carry and has six rushing TDs during the stretch. He was the first player this season to rush for 100 against the top-ranked McNeese defense. 

1,000 - WR Dai'Jean Dixon became the first Colonel in school history to have 1,000 yards receiving for the second time in a career. Also approaching 1,000 yards rushing, quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr. enters the game needing 35 yards to become the fifth player in school history to rush for 1,000 in a single season.

A WIN OVER SOUTHEASTERN WOULD...

... tie up the all-time series at 16-16. Nicholls would be an even 4-4 against the Lions under head coach Tim Rebowe.

... give Nicholls a winning record in Strawberry Stadium at 8-7. 

... be the seventh win over a ranked opponent in the Rebowe era. Last was in the spring in the 75-45 victory against No. 13 UIW.

... secure a winning record for fifth time consecutive season under Rebowe. Would also be the fourth consecutive fall with a winning league mark.

KOHEN GETS THROWIN'

Redshirt junior quarterback Kohen Granier set career-highs in completions, pass attempts and yards last Saturday against UIW, which was his first career start. Granier had appeared in 15 games prior but mostly served as the backup to four-year starter Chase Fourcade and Lindsey Scott Jr., who took over the reins in the spring. Granier has three touchdown passes this season, with two being highlight catches in each of the last two games by KJ Franklin and Al'Dontre Davis.