Nicholls Colonels at Tulane Green Wave
New Orleans, Louisiana (Yulman Stadium)
Saturday, September 23 at 6 p.m. CT 
Nicholls Game Notes (PDF) | Tulane Game Notes
TV: ESPN+ LINK 
Audio: ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM   |   TuneIn  
Live Stats: Link
Tickets: Link

• The Nicholls State University football team continues its rugged nonconference slate with a short trip to New Orleans to take on the Tulane Green Wave. It marks the second meeting between the programs, with the first coming in 2018, and is the second straight FBS opponent for the Colonels after playing TCU two weeks ago. The matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+ and can be listened to on ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM.

• Nicholls heads to New Orleans looking for its first victory of the season after losses to nationally-ranked Sacramento State and FBS TCU. The Colonels began a month-long road swing with a trip to Fort Worth, Texas and came away with a 41-6 loss to the Horned Frogs. Nicholls spotted TCU an early touchdown on a blocked punt return and fell behind 21-0 in the first half before Gavin Lasseigne kicked one of his two field goals on the night. The Colonels trailed 24-6 in the fourth quarter but TCU scored 17 unanswered points, capped with a touchdown pass in the final minute. Despite the loss, wide receiver Neno Lemay recorded his first career 100-yard game (100y, 8 rec.) and the defense picked up two turnovers. 

• Like TCU, Tulane is coming off a historic season in 2022 where they ended the campaign with a victory over USC in the Cotton Bowl. The Green Wave posted a 12-2 overall record and won an AAC championship for the first time in program history. This season, Tulane is 2-1 after wins over South Alabama and Southern Miss, and their lone setback coming at home against Ole Miss. The Wave have featured one of the nation's best defenses so far this season, ranking 9th in the NCAA in rushing defense and 23rd in total yards allowed. 

• Despite being separated by just 55 miles, Nicholls and Tulane will be playing for just the second time. The first meeting came in 2018 with the Green Wave winning, 42-17, at Yulman Stadium. Nicholls opened up the season with an overtime win at Kansas and came up short in notching consecutive FBS victories. The Colonels scored early in the fourth to trim the deficit to 28-17 but Tulane rushed for two unanswered touchdowns to make the final. Nicholls had trouble slowing down the Green Wave rushing attack which racked up 268 yards on the ground. For the Colonels, New Orleans native and eventual all-time leading receiver Dai'Jean Dixon totaled 112 yards receiving on four first-half receptions. Although the loss was one of four for the Colonels (9-4) that season, they went on to win the first of two straight Southland championships and won a first-round playoff game. Tulane (7-6) ended their '18 campaign with a victory over Louisiana in the AutoNation Cure Bowl in Orlando.

A WIN OVER TULANE WOULD...

... be the fifth win for Nicholls over an FBS team since 2000. The Colonels have defeated Arkansas State ('01), Rice ('07), Western Michigan ('13) and Kansas ('18). 
... be the first win against an FBS Louisiana program under Coach Rebowe. Nicholls is 0-4 with two losses to ULM, and 0-1 against Tulane and Louisiana.
... give the Colonels a 1-2 record vs. the AAC under Coach Rebowe. Nicholls fell at Tulane in 2018 and at Memphis in '21 by the same score, 42-17.
... secure a nonconference victory for the Colonels for the sixth time in nine years under Rebowe. After the first two campaigns, Nicholls won a nonconference game in five straight seasons before going 0-4 last season.

BY THE NUMBERS

2 -- Linebacker Kershawn Fisher has made an immediate impact for the Colonel defense as he has two turnovers in two games. Fisher picked off a pass in the opener and returned it 38 yards to the Sac State 12, resulting in a touchdown for the offense. Last week at TCU, he jumped on a fumble in the red zone for the first Colonel fumble recovery since the '21 finale. Fisher joined the Colonels this season after transferring from LA Tech.

4 -- The Colonels have four wins over FBS programs since 2000. Nicholls picked up victories at Arkansas State ('01), Rice ('07), Western Michigan ('13) and Kansas ('18). Since the overtime win at Kansas, Nicholls has dropped the last seven FBS matchups.

29 -- The matchup with Tulane will serve as a Homecoming game for a quarter of the Nicholls roster with a total of 29 players calling New Orleans home.  Including the Crescent City Colonels, Nicholls' roster features 101 Louisiana natives which is the most of any Division I roster this season. The Colonels have held the distinction for most of Tim Rebowe's career, usually having at least 90 players from the Pelican State. 

100 -- WR Neno Lemay tallied his first career 100-yard outing, hitting the century mark on the dot via eight receptions at TCU. Lemay made a key third-down catch on both scoring drives and ended his night with a 34-yard grab. His previous best was 53 yards last season in his freshman campaign. It also marked the first 100-yard game for a Colonel receiver since the '21 finale. 


LAST MEETING
Sept. 8, 2018
@TULANE -- 42
Nicholls -- 17

NEW ORLEANS - A few early empty possessions and a potent Tulane rushing attack led to the Nicholls State University football team's first loss in a 42-17 decision Saturday night in front of 21,092 fans at Yulman Stadium. (FULL RECAP)
 

THE MONROES

When Nicholls heads to New Orleans to face Tulane, safeties coach Darion Monroe will not only be facing his alma mater, but his younger brother Jarius plays defensive back for the Green Wave. 
- Darion played from 2012-15 in the defensive backfield for Tulane and was All-Conference USA honorable mention selection. 
- Jarius began his career as a Colonel in 2019 and earned All-Southland First Team at cornerback in the '21 season. He then transferred to Tulane where he garnered AAC First Team, helping the Wave to an AAC Title and a victory in the Cotton Bowl. 

HISTORY vs. AMERICAN

Nicholls has played a total of seven teams that currently reside in the American Athletic Conference. But only two matchups were against teams while they were in the American - 2018 at Tulane (42-17 loss) and 2021 at Memphis (42-17 loss). The total combined record for the Colonels against the seven schools is 2-12. The wins were in 2002 against FAU (AA-Independent) and in 2007 at Rice (CUSA).  

North Texas 0-6
FAU 1-1
Memphis 0-2
Rice 1-0
Tulane 0-1
USF 0-1
Tulsa 0-1

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