• The Nicholls State University football team begins its long road stretch with a matchup against a former Southland rival -- Texas State -- on Saturday, Sept. 20 in San Marcos. Following the bye week, the Colonels will play four games on the road, including three in Texas, with the next home contest being Oct. 25. Both squads will be looking to rebound after losses in their last outing. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN+.

• The Colonels started the year off with a Week 0 win over No. 5/4 UIW and was leading in the fourth quarter at Troy. However, the Trojans rallied for the victory and the Colonels then struggled in a 34-10 loss to now nationally-ranked West Georgia. Despite the two losses, Nicholls still finds itself just outside the Top 25 by receiving votes in both national polls. 

• Texas State was a member of the Southland Conference from 1987 until 2010 and the Colonels and Bobcats shared the Southland title in 2005 after Nicholls defeated them in Thibodaux, 32-29. The all-time series is at 16-15 in favor of Texas State after the Bobcats won the last two meetings following their move up to the FBS. Texas State made the transition to the FBS level in 2011 as an independent, then after a season in the WAC, joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2013. 

• The Texas State series features one of the three rivalry trophies that Nicholls plays for. "The Battle for the Paddle" was established in 1998 to recognize the floods in Texas that not only postponed the game, but took the lives of 31 people in southwest and central Texas. A rowing oar serves as the traveling trophy with the winning school holding possession of the paddle until the next game in the series. The Colonels evened up the Paddle Series at 6-6 with its four overtime victory in 2010 but Texas State won in 2011 and '19.
 

A WIN OVER TEXAS STATE WOULD...

... even the all-time series at 17-17 against the Bobcats.
... give the Colonels its fifth win over an FBS program, snapping a 12-game skid. The last victory was in 2018 at Kansas.
... be the second FBS win over a Sun Belt school. The first FBS win for Nicholls was in 2001 at Arkansas State.
... give head coach Tommy Rybacki his first road victory of his career.
... be the eighth road win in the series for the Colonels and first since 2010.
 

BY THE NUMBERS

5 -- The Colonel defense has five interceptions through the first three games -- two by Ethan Lee and one each by Ty Marsh, Aidan McCowan, and Anthony Rogers. Nicholls ranks third in the FCS and ranked third in the nation last season with 19. 

8 -- For the second straight year, the Colonels finished in the Top 10 of the FCS in turnovers gained with 29 last season. Nicholls has eight gained this year and ranks 4th in the FCS.

65 -- Freshman punter Pharrell Harewood has had three punts over 50 yards. In the last game versus West Georgia, he recorded his season long with a 65-yarder.

131.7 -- The Nicholls defense is allowing 131.7 yards passing per game, which ranks 10th in the FCS. UIW had the most with 188 in the opener, followed Troy (144) and West Georgia (63). 


LAST MEETING
Sept. 28, 2019
@Texas State -- 24
Nicholls -- 3

SAN MARCOS, Texas - After being tied at the break, the No. 9/12 Nicholls State University football team allowed three unanswered touchdowns in the second half against Texas State as the Colonels fell to the Bobcats, 24-3, on Jim Wacker Field at Bobcat Stadium.  (FULL RECAP)

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