After suffering their first loss of the season at the hands of Western Michigan last Saturday, the Nicholls State football team has now set their sights on in-state Sun-Belt foe, UL-Lafayette.

The Colonels never could get their offense going against the Football Subdivision opponent and lost to Western Michigan 38-7. With the loss, the Colonels are now 1-1, and head coach Charlie Stubbs knows the importance of the match-up Saturday night against the Ragin’ Cajuns.

“Well of course it’s a great opportunity to play an FBS school within the state,” Stubbs said. “It means a lot because I’m sure our players and their players are familiar with each other from their high school days, because we have a real core base of Louisiana kids on our teams.”

ULL is 1-1 with a 20-12 victory over Kent State and a 61-34 loss to the No. 9 ranked team in the nation, Oklahoma State. Stubbs reiterated the importance of the game, and he said that a win over ULL would give the Colonels great recognition in the state and help with recruiting.

“The biggest thing is I know it would be a major step for us, and also a big step for our recruiting efforts,” Stubbs said. “It would give us a chance to draw some attention to the program and the positive direction that we’re headed in.”

In the Colonels’ 42-0 victory over Evangel in a blackout game at John L. Guidry Stadium, they racked up more than 400 yards of offense, but in the Colonels’ 38-7 loss to Western Michigan, they only accounted for 185 yards of total offense.

The Colonels’ senior cornerback Chika Madu was named Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week, and junior punter Corey Smith earned Southland Special Teams Player of the Week for their play against Western Michigan. Madu had a fumble return for a touchdown and an interception, while Smith landed three punts inside the 20 yard line. Stubbs said the Colonels have to continue to improve to get better each and every week.

“We just have to get better everywhere,” Stubbs said. “We’re trying to develop some depth on our team, because in football, in general, you have injuries. You’re only as good as your backups.”

ULL will be led on offense by their preseason All-American senior tight end Ladarius Green and freshman running back Qyendarius Griffin, who has two rushing touchdowns thus far for the Cajuns. Leading the Colonels on offense will be junior quarterback LaQuintin Caston, who has three touchdowns so far this year with two of them being rushing touchdowns.

Stubbs said he wants to see improvement on both sides of the ball, and he wants his team to take what the other team is giving them and make plays.

“I want to see us make big plays when it presents itself,” Stubbs said. “If we have a chance to intercept a ball, we have to intercept it, or if we have a chance to make a sack, sack them, and if we have a chance to make that big completion or run, we have to make it. That’s what it’s going to take to beat the real good teams.”

The Colonels will play ULL in Lafayette Saturday at 6 p.m.