Nicholls Colonels vs. Northwestern State
Thibodaux, La. (Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium)
Saturday, Nov. 15 -- 3 p.m. CT
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• The Nicholls State University football team will look to wrap up its home slate with an undefeated mark in league play, hosting rival Northwestern State on Senior Day. The Colonels are 3-0 at Guidry Stadium in conference under first-year head coach
Tommy Rybacki, while the Demons come to town searching for their first SLC win of the year. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN+.
• Nicholls was unable to keep its winning streak going, falling 28-21 on the road against league newcomer UTRGV last week. The Colonels never led but traded touchdowns with the Vaqueros as the game was tied 14-14 in the third quarter. But a short punt gave UTRGV great field position for the go-ahead score and then a lost fumbled turned into another scoring drive.
Shane Lee rushed for his third rushing TD of the season to make it a one-score game in the fourth, but Nicholls did not get the ball back until there was less than a minute remaining. The Colonels suffered their ninth consecutive loss on the road while UTRGV stayed undefeated at home for their inaugural season.
• In last season's matchup with Northwestern State, Nicholls won their Southland home opener, 20-0, against the rival Demons. 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,
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.
• Before the game, Nicholls will honor its 19 seniors for the 2025 Class. Suiting up for the final time at Guidry Stadium will be
Jordan Aaron,
Christian Arceneaux,
Joseph Bradford,
Dany'e Brooks,
David Cresson Jr.,
Deuce Hogan,
Ethan Lee,
Jamison Lindsey,
Ty Marsh,
MarcQues Mayo,
Yarun McMath,
Elijah Sabbatini,
Gabriel Showalter,
Hayden Shaheen,
William Stewart,
Laurence Sullivan Jr.,
Payton Tally,
Corey Warren Jr., and
Kylin White.
A WIN OVER NORTHWESTERN STATE WOULD...
... improve the Colonels' SLC record to 4-3, securing at least a .500 league record.
... be head coach Tommy Rybacki's fourth career victory.
... give Nicholls a 4-0 mark at home in league play and a 4-1 overall home record.
... be the eighth win versus the Demons in the last nine matchups.
... improve the Colonels' all-time record to 23-29 in the series vs. NSU.
BY THE NUMBERS
3 -- Safety Ty Marsh has three career interception returns for touchdowns in his two seasons, tying the program's record held by longtime Baltimore Raven Lardarius Webb. Marsh started the year off with a pick-6 against UIW and had another in the win over McNeese. Marsh recorded his first last season at Sacramento State.
6.7 -- In three home conference games this season, Nicholls is allowing an average of 6.7 points per game. The Colonels started the year with a 20-6 win over UIW, then had 31-7 victories against McNeese and HCU.
14 -- The Colonel defense has 14 interceptions -- three by Ethan Lee, Laurence Sullivan Jr., and Anthony Rogers , two by Ty Marsh, and one each from Hayden Shaheen, Aidan McCowan, and Travin Moore. Nicholls ranks 2nd in the FCS and ranked third in the nation last season with 19.
20 -- For the second straight year, the Colonels finished in the Top 10 of the FCS in turnovers gained with 29 last season. Nicholls has 20 gained this year and ranks 2nd in the FCS.
56 -- Tight end Everett Hunter finished with a career high 56 yards on four receptions at UTRGV and hauled in his third touchdown catch of the year. Hunter is second on the team in receiving yards this season with 265.
91 -- The Nicholls roster features 91 Louisiana natives, which is the most of any Division I roster this season. The Colonels have held the distinction for most of Tommy Rybacki's tenure on staff.
LAST MEETING
Oct. 19, 2024
Nicholls -- 20
Northwestern State -- 0
THIBODAUX, La. - The Nicholls State University football team tallied its second straight shutout at Guidry Stadium as the Colonels won their Southland Conference home opener, 20-0, against rival Northwestern State on Saturday afternoon. (FULL RECAP)
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