Nicholls Colonels vs. McNeese Cowboys
Thibodaux, Louisiana (Guidry Stadium)
Saturday, Oct. 26 -- 3 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN+ LINK
Audio: ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM | TuneIn
Live Stats: Link
• The Nicholls State University football team welcomes rival McNeese for Homecoming and the middle game of its three-game home stand. The Colonels are coming off a 20-0 shutout of Northwestern State while McNeese will be looking to bounce back from a 30-17 loss at nationally-ranked UIW. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+ and can be listened to on ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM.
• Nicholls tallied its second straight shutout at Guidry Stadium as the Colonels won their Southland home opener, 20-0, against rival Northwestern State. Nicholls limited Northwestern State to just 46 yards of offense which included 21 yards coming on a fake punt. The Demons had 15 net yards on the ground with linebacker Jake Dalmado contributing to a large chunk of negative yardage with three first-half sacks. Dalmado had a career day for the Colonels with 10 total tackles, three hurries and a fumble recovery. He was later recognized as SLC Defensive Player off the Week. On offense, Pat McQuaide threw for 186 yards and two touchdowns while Collin Guggenheim rushed for 129 yards to go over 3,000 for his career, joining former teammate Julien Gums as the only Colonels to reach the milestone.
• McNeese is wrapping up a four-game road swing with its last home game coming on Sept. 21. The Cowboys started it off with a win a then-ranked Weber State but fell in their league games at HCU and UIW. McNeese is searching for its first SLC road win since 2022 which would end a five-game skid.
• Nicholls and McNeese have a long history and will be squaring off for the 49th time. McNeese holds a healthy 32-16 advantage although the Colonels have won five of the last seven meetings, including three straight. After an 0-3 start to the season, Nicholls went on the road last year and secured a 31-10 victory at McNeese in its SLC opener. The defense came up with four turnovers with defensive back Tyler Morton being responsible for two, both coming in the second half which included a highlight interception and a game-sealing forced fumble. On offense, Collin Guggenheim rushed for his seventh career 100-yard game with 103 on the night, and threw his first touchdown pass as a Colonel.
A WIN OVER MCNEESE WOULD...
... match the Colonels' longest winning streak of four games in the all-time series. Nicholls won four in a row from 1985-88.
... improve Nicholls' all-time record to 17-32 against McNeese.
... be the first four-game winning streak at home in the series.
... give Nicholls its fourth 3-0 start at home under head coach Tim Rebowe. The Colonels started 3-0 at Guidry in 2017, '18, and in the spring '21 season.
BY THE NUMBERS
0 -- Nicholls has now allowed any points in its two home games this, winning 66-0 and 20-0. The last time the Colonels had two shutouts was in 2006 in their home wins over Southern Arkansas and Assumption College.
11 -- Running back Collin Guggenheim rushed for 129 yards last weekend, giving him his 11th career 100-yard game. Julien Gums holds the program all-time record with 15.
20 -- The Colonel defense added turnover No. 20 on the season in the victory over NSU when Eli Ennis forced a fumble in the second quarter. Nicholls has the second most turnovers gained in the FCS, trailing only Mercer's 22.
64.3 --The Nicholls defense has been one of the best in the FCS against the rush, averaging 64.3 yards rushing per game despite facing two FBS opponents. The Colonels rank 2nd in the FCS after holding Northwestern State to 15 yards rushing in their outing last weekend.
93 -- The Nicholls roster features 93 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.
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).
