The 2008 Nicholls State football season is off-and-running now that the Colonels have hit the gridiron for spring practice. Hoping to build on last year’s 6-5 season, the Colonels are eyeing a run at a 2008 Southland Conference Championship.
“It was really good to see our guys in action for the first time this season,” head football coach Jay Thomas said. “There was a lot of enthusiasm among the coaching staff and players, and everyone is excited about this upcoming season.”
The Colonels started spring training April 3 and have been working on the offensive, defensive and special teams formations.
Monday saw the Colonels in full pads as the first and second teams scrimmaged for the first time.
“You can see the players go through the motions, but you always know the season starts when you hear the sound of pads and helmets hitting against each other,” Thomas said. “It was good to see the competitiveness come out in our guys today and the hard work they put in during today’s practice.”
This spring the Colonels are working to make the spread a big part of their offense. The spread is an offensive formation focusing primarily on passing, immortalized by coaches like Texas Tech’s Mike Leech and New Mexico State’s Hal Mumme. This attack most often lines the quarterback in a shotgun position with up to five wide receiver sets spreading the field horizontally.
Another version of the spread allows the triple option to be run contingent on the quarterback being able to read the defense effectively. West Virginia commonly ran this type of offense in 2007.
Nicholls is the only school in the SLC that has not finalized its 2008 schedule.
In conference play, the Colonels’ schedule features four home games and three away games. Nicholls will host Stephen F. Austin, Central Arkansas, Sam Houston and Southeastern and will face Northwestern State, McNeese State and Texas State on the road.
Nicholls also will play two Football Bowl Subdivision schools. The Colonels have signed agreements with Memphis University Tigers and New Mexico State University.
The Colonels are set to take on Mumme’s Aggies Sept. 4 and Memphis Sept. 20.
The annual spring game is set for 7 p.m., Thursday, April 24, in John L. Guidry Stadium. Nicholls’ Athletic’s Department will host Colonel Fest Saturday, April 19, in conjunction with baseball’s home contest against in-state rival Northwestern State.
An official start time of Colonel Fest is still being determined; however, the event will feature a band and a cooking contest, with a jambalaya division and a miscellaneous bracket.
