SEMO Redhawks (3-4, 3-0 OVC) vs. Nicholls Colonels (3-3, 3-0 SLC)
Thibodaux, Louisiana (Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium)
Saturday, October 28 at 2 p.m. CT 
Nicholls Game Notes | SEMO Game Notes
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• Riding a three-game winning streak, the Nicholls State University football team steps out of league play to close out a home-and-home series with the SEMO Redhawks. The Colonels will be looking for a split after the two squads met last season with SEMO coming away with a 42-16 victory in Missouri. The annual Breast Cancer Awareness Game, presented by Thibodaux Regional Cancer Center, is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+ and can be listened to on ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM.

• Saturday's matchup will put a bow on the Southland Conference/Ohio Valley Conference scheduling alliance. Two years ago, 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 Southland is seeking its first win vs. the OVC this year after Eastern Illinois defeated Northwestern State and McNeese, and UT Martin picked up a win over HCU. 

• Nicholls and SEMO will only be meeting for the third time and it will be the first matchup in Thibodaux. Before last season's 42-16 triumph by SEMO in Cape Girardeau, the teams squared off 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. Last season, the loss was the third of an 0-5 start for the Colonels while SEMO went on to make the FCS playoffs.

• Nicholls has had success against programs from the Show-Me State, holding a 10-1-1 record all-time against schools located in Missouri; however, the lone loss came last season to SEMO. The Colonels won the first 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. Before last year's 42-16 loss to the Redhawks, the previous 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.


A WIN OVER SEMO WOULD...

... would give the Colonels a four-game winning streak -- the fourth longest under Coach Tim Rebowe. Nicholls won six consecutive games in its playoff season in 2017, then five in a row in each of the championship '18 and '19 campaigns. 
... be the fourth out-of-conference win during the regular season against an FCS program since 2017. Nicholls has defeated Prairie View A&M twice and North Alabama. The Colonels also have playoff victories against San Diego and North Dakota. 
... give Nicholls a 19-14 record in October under Rebowe. 
... put Nicholls ahead in the all-time series, 2-1. The Colonels won the first meeting back in 1975 while SEMO won last season, 42-16. Both games were played in Cape Girardeau.
... put Nicholls at 30-14 at home in the Rebowe Era.


BY THE NUMBERS

3 -- The Colonels recorded three interceptions in the second half in the win at Texas A&M-Commerce, with all three coming in the red zone. Devonte' Mathews started the stretch with his first pick as a Colonel, then Ethan Lee followed with a third-quarter interception near the goal line for the first of his career. Quinton Sharkey added his second pick of the season with the help of a pressure by Joe Mason.

3 -- The Colonel defense has been outstanding in the second half the last three games, allowing a total of three points after the break. McNeese kicked a field goal in the league opener in the third quarter but since then, the defense pitched shutouts in the last three quarters in the wins over HCU and Texas A&M-Commerce. 

12 -- In the road game at Commerce, redshirt sophomore Jaylon Spears carried the ball a career-high 12 times and came away with 69 yards and one touchdown. Spears needed just eight carries for his first 100-yard game in the last home contest against HCU.  

12 -- After five games, the Colonel defense has racked up 12 interceptions which is currently second in the FCS. Tyler Morton leads with three picks while Jordan Jackson, Markeyvrick Eddie and Quinton Sharkey have two each. Nicholls had just five picks a year ago, six in the fall '21 campaign and five in the spring. The last time the defense had double figures was a 10-interception season in 2019.

2,000 -- Running back Collin Guggenheim became the 10th Colonel in program history to reach 2,000 yards for their career after totaling 76 yards in the win at Commerce. The Kenner native also has six rushing TDs in the last two games and is now tied with Dontrell Taylor for 7th most all-time. 

LAST MEETING
Sept. 17, 2022
@SEMO -- 42
Nicholls -- 16

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Nicholls State University football team squared off against its first FCS opponent of the season but was unable to crack the win column as SEMO defeated the Colonels, 42-16, Saturday afternoon in Houck Stadium.  (FULL RECAP)

 
 

IN THE POLLS

Riding a three-game winning streak, Nicholls received a vote in this week's edition of the AFCA Coaches Top 25 Poll. 
- Nicholls, which is 3-1 versus the FCS this season with its lone loss to Top 10 Sacramento State, has won all three of its Southland Conference games. With an overall record of 3-3, the other two losses were against FBS programs, including nationally-ranked Tulane.
- The Colonels received a vote for the first time since the fall 2021 season. Nicholls made its return to the national rankings in 2017 after being unranked for nearly a decade. Head Coach Tim Rebowe's squad then had an impressive stretch of being ranked or receiving votes until the '21 campaign. . 
- The Southland currently has one team in the Top 25 -- one of last year's co-champions -- UIW. Lamar is receiving votes in the media poll. 

OVC ALLIANCE
As part of the second year of the Southland-OVC Alliance, the Colonels will host SEMO for a nonconference game to close out October. Nicholls is 1-1 all-time versus SEMO after last year's 42-16 loss in Missouri. It was the first meeting since 1975. 

GETTING DEFENSIVE

The Colonel defense has elevated to a new level, allowing just 8.0 points per game in its three Southland contests.
- Along with leading the conference in scoring defense, the Colonels rank first in total yards allowed with fewer than 300 and first in rushing (79.0).
- Allowing just a touchdown in the last two league games, the unit surrendered single digit points in consecutive SLC games for the first time since Nicholls joined the Southland in 1991. 
- Nicholls has allowed just 24 points in the last three games, which is the fewest amount of points allowed in a three-game stretch since the 1986 playoff team gave up a total of 20 in three contests.

STAY SOCIAL
For more information on Colonel Football, follow the team on Twitter (@Nicholls_FB), Instagram (@Nicholls_FB) and like their Facebook page (Nicholls Football).


TAILGATE UPDATE -- BURN BAN LIFTED
The burn ban for tailgating has been lifted for Saturday's game. 
- There will be NO bon fires allowed in the tailgate area.