• The Nicholls State University football team makes the trek to San Antonio to face nationally ranked UIW in a battle of the unbeatens. With only three weeks remaining in the regular season, the Colonels and Cardinals are the loan two teams in the conference without a Southland loss. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and can be listened to on ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM.

• Nicholls is coming off a heartbreaking loss to SEMO in a nonconference matchup at home. The Colonels enjoyed a halftime lead but a huge third quarter by the Redhawks where the visitors scored three touchdowns put them on top. In the fourth, the Colonels had a costly miscue on a fourth down try but after the defense kept SEMO off the scoreboard, Nicholls had one last possession with less than three minutes remaining. Down 35-31, the Red and Gray reached the red zone before a third-down trick play was intercepted. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak as the Colonels fell to 0-2 in their nonconference home FCS games this season.

• UIW has won the last seven games including last weekend's 17-7 win at Lamar, who entered the matchup with a 3-0 record in the Southland. A touchdown in the second quarter was more than enough to hold off the other Cardinals to keep UIW atop the Southland standings. While the victory came on the road, UIW carries an impressive 15-game home winning streak into this weekend's matchup. Their last loss at Benson Stadium came in the finale of the 2021 Spring season. 

• The Southland Conference announced its updated standings procedures based on Northwestern State's decision to cancel the remainder of its 2023 season. Northwestern State's conference games played against Lamar and Southeastern Louisiana will stand as wins, while the previously canceled games against Nicholls and McNeese and the remaining games against HCU, UIW and Texas A&M-Commerce will be declared as a no contest per NCAA rules. The contests against Nicholls, McNeese, HCU, UIW and Texas A&M-Commerce will count as wins for conference standing purposes only. With the updated standings, Nicholls and UIW stand at 4-0 in the conference as the league's only undefeated teams.

... would give the Colonels a four-game winning streak in league play -- matching the second longest under Coach Tim Rebowe. Nicholls won six straight Southland games in 2017 and then had four-game streaks in each of the championship '18 and '19 campaigns. Nicholls made the playoffs in all three seasons.
... be the second win over a Top 10 team under Rebowe. Colonels are 1-6 with their lone victory coming in the 2019 season against Central Arkansas. (0-3 vs. Sam Houston, 0-1 vs. UIW, Eastern Washington and North Dakota State.)
... give Nicholls a 6-5 edge in the all-time series against UIW. Colonels dropped the first two, won five straight, and have lost the last three.
... improve the Colonels' record to 18-7 in November under Coach Rebowe.
... keep the Colonels perfect in league play. Nicholls has never went undefeated in conference since joining the league in 1991. 
... improve Rebowe's record vs. Texas schools to 30-16.

7.3 -- The Nicholls defense has been one of the best in the FCS in tackles for loss, ranking 11th in the nation with 7.3 per game. The unit has five players with at least 5.0, led by Jacob Parker's 6.0. Joe Mason leads the Colonels with 4.5 sacks. 
 

10 -- Cornerback Kendarius Smith leads the Southland with 10 pass breakups this season after tallying three more vs. SEMO. Smith has been locked in the last three games, totaling eight with four coming in the win against HCU. His total is good for 9th in the FCS. Smith is in his first season after transferring from East Mississippi.

88 -- RB Jaylon Spears caught an 88-yard touchdown pass against SEMO for the team's longest play of the season. Leading 14-10 right before halftime, Spears caught a swing pass out of the backfield, beat a defender around the corner and raced down the sideline for a touchdown. Spears notched his first 100-yard receiving game, finishing with 116 yards on five receptions. 

LAST MEETING
Oct. 15, 2022
No. 8/8 UIW -- 49
@Nicholls -- 14

THIBODAUX, La. - A fast start by nationally-ranked UIW put the Nicholls State University football team in an early three-touchdown deficit and the No. 8 Cardinals went on to defeat the Colonels, 49-14, on Homecoming Saturday on Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium.. (FULL RECAP)

UP FOR GRABS

Saturday's game pits the Southland's last two undefeated teams in conference play with just three weeks remaining in the regular season.
- Nicholls would have to win the next two games to clinch at least a share of the regular season title. 
- A win for UIW against Nicholls would lock up at least a share of the regular season title as the Cardinals will pick up a forfeit win next week with Northwestern State on the schedule. 
- Both teams are aiming to become the first squad to have an unblemished league record in a full season since Central Arkansas went 9-0 in 2017.

THE SERIES

Nicholls and UIW will be squaring off for the 11th time and the series is dead even at 5-5.
- UIW took the first two meetings before the Colonels reeled off five consecutive wins. But since the start of the fall 2021 season, the Cardinals have posted a 3-0 mark against Nicholls.
- UIW won the last meeting at Benson Stadium, 38-21, in the fall '21 season. Nicholls led 21-14 at the break but was shutout in the second half.
- The Colonels' last win in San Antonio was in 2019 where a 27-23 victory sparked a four-game winning streak to close out the season en route to the second of back-to-back titles. Julien Gums carried the Colonels with 178 yards rushing and two TDs. 
- With the series even at five wins each, the teams are also square in San Antonio at 2-2.

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