• The Nicholls State University football team wraps up its four-game road swing with its third trip to Texas this season, taking on No. 25 Stephen F. Austin. Nicholls is looking for its first win since starting the year with a victory over over preseason SLC favorite UIW, while SFA is one of the hottest teams in the league after winning four straight. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN+.

• Nicholls suffered a heartbreaking 24-17 loss at No. 20 Lamar in its last outing two weeks ago, which dropped the Colonels to 1-1 in the Southland. The Colonels' offense was rolling early with touchdowns on their first two drives, a QB sneak by Deuce Hogan and a 75-yard rush by Shane Lee, but a rash of injuries derailed the rushing attack and they could only muster a field goal the rest of the game. The teams played to a 17-all tie with four minutes remaining before Lamar returned a punt 88 yards for the game-winning score. 

• SFA is also coming off a bye and carries a four-game winning streak into Saturday's matchup. Following losses to Houston and nationally-ranked Abilene Christian, the 'Jacks starting their winning streak with a non-Division I victory at a home and a win over Cal Poly. SFA then took care of McNeese in its SLC opener, 34-17, before going on the road for a 31-17 win at UIW. Unlike the Colonels, SFA will be playing at home for the fourth time in the last five games and have not left the state of Texas this season.

• Nicholls and SFA are squaring off for the 38th time with the Lumberjacks holding a 26-11 advantage in the all-time series. Wins were few and far between for the Colonels until recently as Nicholls put together a four-game winning streak from 2016-19. SFA left the Southland but returned in 2024 and notched a 28-12 win last year in Thibodaux to end the drought. The Colonels' winning streak started with a 35-28 double-overtime thriller at Guidry Stadium in 2016, then the Colonels picked up a rare road win in the series with a 34-13 victory in '17. Nicholls won the next meeting 47-14 at home before going on the road for a 48-30 victory in '19.

A WIN OVER SFA WOULD...

... give head coach Tommy Rybacki his first road victory of his career.
... be the third consecutive win at SFA. Nicholls has never won three straight road games in the series.
... put the Colonels at 2-3 against FCS competition this season.
... be the second win over a ranked team this season (victory over No. 5/4 UIW).
... snap a five-game losing streak. The Colonels have not lost six in a row since their winless 2014 campaign.
... give Nicholls its fifth win in the last six matchups with the Lumberjacks.

BY THE NUMBERS

10 -- In the last outing a Lamar, a total of 10 Colonels had a reception. Tight end Everett Hunter led the team with four for 35 yards, while freshman Amari Clayton had a high of 39 yards on three catches.

11 -- Senior safety Ty Marsh racked up a career-high 11 tackles at Lamar and had two pass breakups. Marsh has 34 tackles for the year and scored a touchdown on his interception in the win over UIW.

21 -- Quarterback Deuce Hogan completed a personal-best 21 passes for the third time this season in the last outing at Lamar. In his first year, Hogan ranks 26th in the FCS with 18.2 per game.

45 -- Senior kicker Gabriel Showalter matched his career long of 45 yards with his field goal at Lamar. For the season, Showalter is 7 of 9 in field goals.

109 -- Redshirt freshman Shane Lee had just three carries last game at Lamar but became the first Colonel to rush for 100 yards (109). He had a 30-yard rush on his first carry and after a 4-yarder on the second drive, scored his first career touchdown on a 75-yard rush. Lee has set new highs for rushing yards in his last three games, totaling 48 vs. Texas State and 65 at EKU.

LAST MEETING
Nov. 2, 2024
SFA -- 28
Nicholls -- 12

THIBODAUX, La. - After shutting down Stephen F. Austin for most of the first half, the Nicholls State University football team allowed three touchdown passes in the final four minutes of the second quarter as the Colonels suffered a 28-12 loss Saturday afternoon on Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium. (FULL RECAP)

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