• The Nicholls State University football team football team will kickoff Year 2 of the Tommy Rybacki Era with a second straight home opener, hosting Mississippi Valley State on Thursday night, Aug. 27. Nicholls participated in the first game played in the United States last year in the Week 0 win over UIW, and the Colonels will once again get college football underway as one of the first games to be played on opening day. The matchup is set for 6 p.m. and will stream on ESPN+.

• The Colonels will feature somewhat of a new look this season as they return 36 letterwinners from last year with a current roster consisting of 130 student-athletes. The leading offensive returners include quarterback Ean Rodrigue, running back Shane Lee and receivers Karaaz Johnson and Jackson Dufrene. The top defenders back are linemen Alex Villavaso and Joey Lightfoot. With a large graduating senior class, Rybacki welcomed nearly 50 players to this year's signing class. 

• Nicholls posted a 4-0 record at home in league last season as their lone loss in Thibodaux came in a nonconference setback to West Georgia. The Colonels came up short in the nonconference in Rybacki's debut season, going 0-2 against the FCS and 0-2 versus the FBS, and will be searching for their first out-of-league win since beating Mississippi Valley State and Southern in 2024. The matchup with MVSU saw the Colonels claim a 66-0 victory at home, thanks to tying a single-game school record with six interceptions. It was just the second time playing the Delta Devils all-time, with the first coming in 1998.

• Following last season's win over No. 5/4 UIW, Nicholls improved its record in season openers to 24-30 all-time. Although the Colonels are under .500, their record in the 24 openers played at home is an impressive 19-5. Before a loss to No. 8 Sacramento State in 2023, Nicholls had won eight straight season openers at Guidry Stadium with the last setback coming in 1992. 


A WIN OVER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE WOULD...

... improve the Colonels' all-time record against the Delta Devils to 3-0. Nicholls won in New Orleans in 1998, 41-26, in the first matchup before picking up a 66-0 victory at home in 2024.
... give Tommy Rybacki his second straight win in as many season openers.
... give the Colonels a 25-30 record all-time in openers and a 20-5 mark in season openers at home.
... improve the Colonels' record to 25-10 against schools currently in the SWAC. Nicholls has won the last eight meetings versus SWAC opponents with the last loss coming against Southern in 1995.

BY THE NUMBERS

6 -- While running back Shane Lee ranked fourth in the Southland in rushing touchdowns with eight, six of his rushing scores came in the final three contests. After rushing for a score at UTRGV, Lee had a career game in the home finale as he ran for 134 yards and three TDs on just 14 carries in the win over Northwestern State. He then had two more scores in the River Bell Classic against Southeastern. 

6 -- In the last matchup with MVSU in 2024, the Colonels tied a school single-game record with six interceptions. Six different players had a pick in the 66-0 victory.

27.0 -- After scoring 10 or fewer points four times in the first seven games, Nicholls averaged 27.0 points in the last five contests with Ean Rodrigue as the quarterback. Rodrigue served as the backup before leading the Colonels to three wins in their final five games. 

92 -- For the second straight year, the Nicholls roster features 92 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
Sept. 21, 2024
Nicholls -- 66
Mississippi Valley State -- 0

THIBODAUX, La. - Playing on Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium for the first time this season, the Nicholls State University football team racked up 455 yards rushing and tied a school record with six interceptions by the defense as the Colonels rolled to a 66-0 win over Mississippi Valley State on Saturday. (FULL RECAP)

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