• The Nicholls State University football team wraps up nonconference play with a renewed instate rivalry matchup with Southern University. The teams had squared off annually in the later part of last millennium but will be playing for the first time since 2002. Kickoff in A.W. Mumford Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game can be listened to on ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM.

• Nicholls is coming off its first win of the season which came in dominating fashion in its 66-0 victory in the home opener against Mississippi Valley State. The win was the largest margin of victory against a Division I opponent, surpassing the 58-0 win over Northwestern State in 2007. The Colonels led 45-0 at halftime, helped by four interceptions by the defense in the second quarter which made way for tying the program's single game record of six. On offense, Nicholls rushed for 455 yards with Miequle Brock (132) and Corey Warren Jr. (124) notching their first career 100-yard games.

• Southern also enters the matchup following a bye week and is 2-2 on the season. One of the losses was to now nationally-ranked McNeese in the opener while their last outing was a 31-24 overtime victory over Prairie View A&M. For the all-time series, Nicholls holds a 13-6 advantage and won the last contest 21-13 in Baton Rouge in 2002. Starting in 1980, the teams battled one another every season until 1997. A five-game winning streak helped the Colonels jump ahead in the series but the last four meetings since then were split with each winning twice.

• The Colonels will look to improve to 4-0 vs. the SWAC in the Tim Rebowe era. Mississippi Valley State was only the third SWAC contest for the Colonels since Rebowe arrived with the other two coming against Prairie View A&M. Nicholls hosted the Panthers in 2017 and earned a 44-13 win. Then in '19, the Colonels fell behind on the road at PVAMU before scoring 29 straight points for a 42-35 comeback victory. Nicholls was slated to play Mississippi Valley in 2020 but the season was canceled.
 

A WIN OVER SOUTHERN WOULD...

... ... give Nicholls a 14-6 lead in the all-time series against the Jaguars.
... improve Coach Rebowe's record vs. the SWAC to 4-0. Nicholls won a home-and-home against Prairie View A&M in 2017 and '19 before beating Mississippi Valley State 66-0 in this season's home opener.
... be the first nonconference win against a Louisiana school for Coach Rebowe. Nicholls is 0-7 with all the losses being against FBS programs (0-2 vs ULM & Tulane; 0-1 vs Louisiana, LA Tech & LSU).
... give the Colonels consecutive nonconference wins for the first time since 2013 (Langston and Arkansas Tech).

BY THE NUMBERS

0 -- The Nicholls defense did not allow MVSU to convert a third down in 12 attempts. They did allow 1 of 2 on fourth down but kept the Delta Devils scoreless in two trips to the red zone.

5 -- Five Colonels registered their first career touchdowns in the win over MVSU. Quarterback Jakob Foss found Karaaz Johnson for their first TDs, while Miequle Brock, Corey Warren Jr, and Ean Rodrigue scored rushing TDs. Brock and Warren both found the end zone twice on the ground and Brock added an 80-yard TD reception.

6 -- Nicholls tied the school's single-game record with six interceptions in the victory against Mississippi Valley. The pick party began in the second quarter as the defense had four interceptions with Jake Dalmado, Ethan Lee, Keontae Williams and Hayden Shaheen logging picks. In the second half, MVSU transfers Destin Refuge and Jamison Lindsey added INTs to match the record. 

78.5 -- The Nicholls defense has been one of the best in the FCS against the rush, averaging 78.5 yards rushing per game despite facing two FBS opponents. The Colonels rank 4th in the FCS after holding MVSU to -7 yards rushing.

455 -- The Colonels rushed for 455 yards versus MVSU which was their first 400-plus game since their road win at HCU in 2021.


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