The Nicholls State football team will look for its first conference win against Southeastern tonight in the River Bell Classic.
The Colonels are 1-8 (0-6) on the season, and the 34-24 loss against Lamar last Saturday marked Nicholls’ 13th straight loss against Southland Conference opponents. But still head coach Charlie Stubbs said his team is excited to play in the home finale on Thursday night.
“I’m all for all of the Thursday night games we can get,” Stubbs said.
Stubbs knows that a lot of students go home on the weekend, and others have jobs to attend, but a game in John L. Guidry on Thursday night usually draws well. Stubbs looked back on the Southeastern game two years ago as an example.
“We had a tremendous crowd. Students were loud, and they made this stadium like the 12th man. We pulled it out because of their support,” Stubbs said.
Stubbs expects this crowd to be the same, and he knows it will have a direct impact on the way his team plays.
“Let me tell you-when (football players) see fan support, they play harder,” Stubbs said.
Senior wide receiver LaQuintin Caston felt the same way and said he loves to play in front of the Nicholls student body on Thursday night because he knows there will be a much bigger crowd than on Saturdays.
“If we play Thursday, they’ll have no other choice but to come, because people will be talking it up,” Caston said.
One reason fans will be talking it up is because Nicholls will be playing for the River Bell Trophy against in-state rival, Southeastern. The Lions are currently third in the Southland Conference after beating Stephen F. Austin 42-27 last Saturday. The Lions will come into John L. Guidry with a 4-2 conference record, and though Southeastern will enter with a winning record, Stubbs will have no problem firing his team up for the contest.
“I like tradition,” Stubbs said. “I like how in your motivational speeches you’re able to add a little extra. You know a lot of these kids played against each other in high school.”
Caston is entering this game with a chip on his shoulder for personal reasons. Before former Nicholls head coach Jay Thomas received a full commitment from Caston to play here, he was being recruited by Southeastern.
“At the last minute when I was getting recruited by Southeastern, they ended up taking the scholarship back,” Caston said.
In his final game against Southeastern, Caston wants to once again show the Lions that they made a mistake. Stubbs, on the other hand, has the big picture in mind. He knows his team is going to face an Oregon State team that is ranked No. 16 in the BCS on Dec. 1 and a win would give his team momentum entering the contest.
“You always want to go into your offseason with a big victory,” Stubbs said. “Of course, we have another game to play with Oregon State, but it was give us tremendous momentum.”