• The Nicholls State University football team wraps up a three-game road swing to begin the 2022 campaign, heading to Missouri to take on the SEMO Redhawks in a nonconference matchup. The Colonels are searching for their first win while SEMO is coming off a victory at nationally-ranked Southern Illinois. The game will air at 2 p.m. on ESPN+ and can be listened to on ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM.

• Saturday's contest is part of the Southland Conference/Ohio Valley Conference scheduling alliance which will take place this season and in 2023. Last October, the two NCAA Division I FCS leagues announced the framework for the collaboration which provides quality Division I nonconference matchups for teams in each league for two seasons. The trip to Missouri will be only the second road nonconference FCS game for the Colonels since 2009 (@ Prairie View A&M in '19).

• Nicholls and SEMO have played just once before and it was back in the Colonels' 1975 championship season. The Red and Gray came away with a win on the road, 18-17, thanks to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. The game was the lone nonconference matchup for Nicholls and they went on to finish 8-2 overall and 7-2 in the Gulf South Conference to claim a league title. 

• Nicholls has had success against programs from the Show-Me State, holding a 10-0-1 record all-time against schools located in Missouri. The Colonels won the only meeting against SEMO back in 1975 and went 5-0-1 against Missouri State in the '80s. Nicholls defeated NAIA Evangel in all three meetings, including in back-to-back years in 2011 and '12. The last meeting vs. a Missouri school came in the spring season of '21. Nicholls was scheduled to open with a bye week but found an opponent at the last minute and hosted DII Lincoln.

BY THE NUMBERS

0 -- Nicholls has had 70 pass attempts this season and despite playing two FBS programs, the Colonel offensive line has yet to allow a sack. Nicholls is just one of three teams in the FCS to have no sacks allowed. The unit is led by two-time All-Southland center Evan Roussel. Nicholls had to replace three-time All-American P.J. Burkhalter and three-time all-league selection Jair Joseph. 

9 -- True freshman Kaiden Jones made his first career start at linebacker and led Nicholls at ULM with nine tackles. He had three in the opener at South Alabama before racking up a new career best in Monroe. Jones also had his first TFL in the opening drive against the Warhawks. 

17th -- True freshman Kylan Dupre has been busy through the first two games with a total of 15 punts and ranks 17th in the FCS with a 43.1 average. Has a long of 55 yards which is one of three punts over 50, and also has three inside the 20.

35 & 35 -- Running back Julien Gums has his sights on a few records and inched closer to the all-time rushing touchdowns record of 35, which is held by former quarterback Chase Fourcade. Gums found the end zone early in the fourth at South Alabama for his 33rd career rushing TD. He is also just two total TDs from tying the career touchdown scored mark set by receiver Dai'Jean Dixon last season. 

Gums also needs only 35 yards rushing to become the program's all-time leader. He had nine carries for 33 yards in the opener  and 35 last week to up his total to 2,624, trailing Josh Son's record 2,658 yards. Gums already has his name in the record book after setting single-season records in 2019 in rushing yards (1,232) and touchdowns (16). After rushing for over 100 yards in consecutive games last season, Gums missed the final seven contests with an injury.

A WIN OVER SEMO WOULD...

... prevent an 0-3 start to the season with the last being Coach Rebowe's first campaign in '15.
... improve the Colonels' all-time record to 2-0 vs. SEMO (Previous meeting was in 1975)
... give Nicholls an 11-3 record against teams currently in the Ohio Valley Conference (SEMO, 1-0; Tennessee State, 0-2; Tennessee Tech, 2-0; UT Martin, 7-1).
... improve the Colonels' record against programs in Missouri to 11-0-1.
... be the 19th road win under Coach Rebowe. Nicholls is 17-15 in road FCS games in the Rebowe Era and has an FBS victory at Kansas. 
... be the fourth consecutive road win against an FCS program, which would be the longest streak under Rebowe. Nicholls won three straight on the road in 2017.
... give Nicholls a 6-3 record in non-Southland FCS games. The Colonels are 3-0 in the regular season (2-0 vs. Prairie View A&M, 1-0 vs. North Alabama) and 2-3 in the FCS Playoffs (Wins vs. North Dakota and San Diego; Losses to North Dakota State, Eastern Washington and South Dakota).

LAST MEETING
Oct. 4, 1975
Nicholls 18, SEMO 17

Colonels Rally for Win at SEMO

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Playing in its lone non-conference game of the season, the Nicholls State University football team scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter for a 18-17 victory at Southeast Missouri.

Steven Stropolo rushed for 103 yards and scored two TDs in the win while Ted Bergeron threw for 138 yards and a score. Gerard Butler accounted for touchdown reception, totaling 59 yards on two receptions. 

The Colonels went on to win their first Gulf South Championship with an 8-2 overall record and a 7-2 mark in conference.

FRESH MEN

- The Colonel defense saw three freshmen start last week against ULM.
- Willie Butler Jr. logged the start at cornerback and finished with five tackles.
- Kaiden Jones started at linebacker and led the defense with nine tackles including one for loss. Jones had a team-high 14 tackles this season.
- Kylin White also started at linebacker and posted a personal best of six tackles.

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