• The Nicholls State University football team will make its home debut this Saturday, hosting former league rival Jacksonville State for a nonconference matchup. The Colonels are searching for their first win of the campaign while the Gamecocks are looking to rebound from their first defeat. The game will air at 3 p.m. on ESPN+ and can be listened to on ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM.

• Nicholls is set for another late home opener which has become a tradition for the Colonels under head coach Tim Rebowe. Although it's already Week 4, the Sept. 24th date is only the fourth latest Guidry debut for the Colonels in Rebowe's seven fall campaigns. Under Rebowe, the Colonels dropped his home debut against ranked McNeese in 2015, but have since been perfect in their opening games in Thibodaux. Included in those wins are victories against nationally ranked Sam Houston and Central Arkansas, and a nonconference triumph versus North Alabama three weeks after Hurricane Ida last year. Nicholls is 29-21 all-time in home openers, helped by its current six-game winning streak. 

• The Colonels and Jacksonville State are set to play for the 16th time in the programs' history, with JSU holding a 9-6 advantage. The two schools have been members of the same conference in two different eras -- 1972-78 in the Gulf South Conference and 1996-2002 in the Southland. In their first game as a varsity program, Nicholls fell at Jacksonville State in 1972, but after two more losses, the Colonels topped the Gamecocks en route to a '75 GSC title. JSU has won three of the last four meetings, including a 60-10 nonconference victory in 2009 in Thibodaux. The Gamecocks have a 5-3 all-time record in John L. Guidry Stadium. Jacksonville State is currently transitioning to the FBS and will join Conference USA next season. 

• Senior running back Julien Gums has been within striking distance of the program's all-time rushing record since last October and is on pace to break the mark this weekend. Gums rushed for consecutive 100-yard outings in Game 3 and 4 last season, but suffered an injury in Game 4 and missed the rest of the Fall '21 campaign. Needing only 103 yards for the record heading into the season, Gums has been limited to 10 carries per game and now just needs two yards for the all-time mark. Josh Son holds the record with 2,658 yards rushing, setting the career mark in 2003. 

#1 -- Nicholls is currently tied for first in the FCS in red zone offense, scoring on all five trips inside the 20 this season. The Colonels have scored four touchdowns -- three passing and one rushing -- and have one field goal. Nicholls is one of 13 teams in the nation at 100% in the red zone. 

12 -- Through the first three games of the season, Nicholls has had 12 different players record a reception. WR Al'Dontre Davis heads the group with 14 receptions and is followed by KJ Franklin (12) and Neno Lemay (8). Davis has a team-high 127 yards while Lemay has 100.

13 -- Defensive back Chase Brown made the start at safety at SEMO and had a busy day, racking up a career- and team-high 13 tackles against the Redhawks. On the Colonel defense's first interception of the season, Brown blitzed and got a hit on the quarterback to force an errant throw. 

96 -- WR Al'Dontre Davis turned in a career-high 96 yards receiving on a new personal best of eight receptions last game at SEMO. Davis was instrumental in the final scoring drive, hauling in 38-yard catch to put Nicholls in the red zone and followed with a 19-yard touchdown catch.  

A WIN OVER JACKSONVILLE STATE WOULD...

... be the seventh consecutive home-opening victory for the Colonels, improving their all-time record to 30-21.
... improve the Colonels' all-time record to 7-9 vs. Jacksonville State
... give Nicholls an 15-22 record against teams currently in the ASUN (Austin Peay, 3-1; Central Arkansas, 3-9; Jacksonville State, 6-9; North Alabama, 2-3).
... prevent a fourth consecutive loss. Nicholls has not lost four in a row under Rebowe since going 0-5 to start his inaugural 2015 season.
... give Coach Rebowe a home record of 27-10. Three of the losses came in his first season ('15).
... be the second victory under Coach Rebowe against an Alabama school. Nicholls defeated North Alabama last season but fell to South Alabama in '16 and this season. Overall, Nicholls is 24-47 against Alabama (6-9 vs. Jacksonville State; 3-6 vs. Livingston (now West Alabama); 2-3 vs. North Alabama; 7-5 vs. Samford; 0-4 vs. South Alabama; 6-20 vs. Troy.
 

GUMS AMONG ACTIVE LEADERS
Julien Gums is not only aiming to put his name in the program record book, he is also among the active career leaders in the FCS in both categories.
- He enters Saturday's game with 2,657 yards rushing, putting him sixth on the current active list.
- His 33 rushing touchdowns is good for third.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
- The Colonels have had several newcomers see significant playing time in the first three games, either transfers or true/redshirt freshmen.
- The Nicholls defense saw two freshmen start the last two weeks -- LB Kylin White, who is third on the team with 18 tackles, and CB Willie Butler Jr.
- Kaiden Jones started at linebacker at ULM and led the defense with nine tackles including one for loss. Jones missed the last game at SEMO.
- Transfers Brandon Lairy and Markeyvrick Eddie have also started for the defense. Lairy started at safety the first two games and moved up to linebacker against SEMO. Eddie started all three games at cornerback.
- On offense, true freshmen receivers Neno Lemay and Tank McMath are No. 3 and 5 on the team in receptions.
- Rookie Kylan Dupre has served as the punter, averaging 42.8 yards on 21 punts so far this season.