Nicholls Colonels at McNeese Cowboys
Lake Charles, Louisiana (Cowboy Stadium)
Saturday, Nov. 6 at 12 p.m. CT
Nicholls Game Notes (PDF)
TV: YurView/ESPN+ LINK
Audio: ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM | TuneIn
Live Stats: Link
FIRST FIVE
• The Nicholls State University football team will begin its rigorous final month of the regular season with a road matchup against rival McNeese at noon on Saturday, Nov. 6 in Cowboy Stadium. The Colonels bring a two-game winning streak to Lake Charles and look to continue their recent November success, winners of their last nine in the month. The game will kickoff at 12 p.m., airing on YurView and ESPN+, and can be listened to on ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM.
• Nicholls took care of rival Northwestern State for the sixth consecutive meeting, taking down the Demons, 42-21, at Guidry Stadium to climb back to .500 on the season. The game was tied at 14-14 heading toward the intermission before the Colonels scored two touchdowns to double their lead. The momentum carried over into the second half as two third-quarter touchdown runs by Collin Guggenheim put the game well out of reach at 42-14. Nicholls rushed for 300 yards in the win, led by Guggenheim's second straight 100-yard game with 158, and Lindsey Scott Jr. joined him with 117 while throwing for three touchdowns.
• The meeting between Nicholls and McNeese is the 46th between the two in-state rivals and it will mark the 25th game in Lake Charles. Although McNeese has a significant advantage in the all-time series, 32-13, Nicholls has two wins since Tim Rebowe's arrival in 2015. However, one did not come in the spring as the Cowboys upset the nationally-ranked Colonels in The Hole, 43-31, behind a career day from quarterback Cody Orgeron. The loss extended a drought in Lake Charles that dates back to 2008, which was the lone win for Nicholls in Cowboy Stadium since 2000.
• McNeese knocked off ranked UIW two weeks ago and had several opportunities for another ranked victory against Southeastern last Saturday, but would leave Hammond with a 23-20 setback against the Lions. The Cowboy defense held SLU's top-rated offense in check most of the night, but the offense squandered three scoring opportunities inside the Lion 5. SLU eventually scored a pair of touchdowns in the second half and held on for the three-point victory.
• While quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr. and receiver Dai'Jean Dixon have received the most recognition this season, Nicholls had two new players earn weekly honors this past week. In his first career start, freshman running back Collin Guggenheim rumbled for a career-high 158 yards and two touchdowns to earn LSWA Offensive Player of the Week and Stats Perform FCS National Freshman of the Week honorable mention. Guggenheim rushed for a then-career best 123 yards two weeks ago at HBU, carrying the ball 22 times in both outings. On defense, linebacker Hayden Shaheen joined him for the state honor after recording five tackles, 2.0 TFLs with one sack, and his first career interception.
BY THE NUMBERS
6 - Quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr. recorded his sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season, setting a new program single-season record. He enters the matchup against McNeese with 906 yards rushing, ranking 5th in the FCS with 113.2 yards/game.
8 - Wide receiver Dai'Jean Dixon hauled in his eighth touchdown catch of the year in the win vs. NSU. The TD catch not only tied his career-best for a season, but also moved him into sole possession of No. 1 on the Colonels' scoring list with 216 points scored.
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.
133 - WR Dai'Jean Dixon has been one of the top receivers all season and is eyeing his second career 1,000-yard campaign, needing just 133 yards to do so (867 yards receiving). Dixon ranks in the top 6 of the FCS in receptions (7.6/3rd), yards (108.4/5th) and receiving touchdowns (8/6th). In 9.5 games in 2019, Dixon racked up 1,044 yards, ranking second in the FCS at 116.0 yards.
158 - Freshman Collin Guggenheim rushed for a career-high 158 yards in the win over Northwestern State, carrying the ball 22 times for the second straight week. While last Saturday was his first career start, Guggenheim subbed in at HBU after Marquese Albert left the game in the first series with an injury. He totaled 123 rushing in his first game as the feature running back.
501.4 - Nicholls upped its total offensive yards per game to 501.4, currently ranking fourth in the nation. The mark is nearly 20 yards less than they averaged in the seven-game spring season (521.6) but is 27 more than the previous full-season record set in 2018 (474.0).
A WIN OVER McNEESE WOULD...
... be the first win in Lake Charles since 2008, ending a six-game losing streak.
... trim McNeese's advantage to 32-14 in the all-time series.
... be the 36th Southland Conference win under Coach Rebowe (35-21).
... secure a .500 or better record in the Southland for the sixth straight season.
... be the 10th consecutive victory in November, improving the team's record under Coach Rebowe in the month to 15-5.
GETTIN' IT DONE IN NOVEMBER
Over the last two fall seasons which resulted in championships for the Colonels, they have ended the regular season playing some of their best football.
- Tim Rebowe holds a 14-5 record in the November, helped by its current nine-game winning streak in the month.
- Nicholls won all four games in 2018, capping the month with a playoff win over San Diego.
- In 2019, the Colonels went 4-0 in Southland play to earn a second straight title, then defeated North Dakota on the final day.
- Even in Coach Rebowe's three-win inaugural 2015 campaign, Nicholls won two of its three November games.
