The Nicholls State Colonels are 1-6 on the year and 0-3 in conference play, but head coach Charlie Stubbs said the team will do everything it can to make Homecoming a happy weekend for everyone.

The Colonels celebrate Homecoming this Saturday when they welcome Stephen F. Austin State University to John L. Guidry Stadium.

Stubbs said he is not worried about the distractions that go hand-in-hand with Homecoming and that he is excited about former students and players coming back to the University.

“There’s a lot of pride instilled, and it’s not a distraction for us at all,” Stubbs said. “A lot of my team, coaches and players will participate in activities to support in everything. I have no problem with it, and I’ve enjoyed it.”

Like the Colonels, Stephen F. Austin comes to town with only one win on the season and is winless in conference play. Stubbs said he is doing everything he can to keep the minds of his players focused for a good showing on Saturday.

“The biggest thing for me as a coach is keep them focused on the task at hand, because there’s a lot of people coming to the game, and I want them to have a favorable opinion of our program and the direction we’re headed,” Stubbs said.

While the Colonels have been unable to finish the season .500 or better for the past three seasons, the Stephen F. Austin Jacks are in unfamiliar territory with only winning one game so far in the season. In the past two seasons, the Jacks won a combined total of 19 games.

Stubbs said he believes down years in football go hand-in-hand with the game, and everyone goes through a rough patch for a couple of years.

“I think in this conference and this division of football, the way your team is kind of comes in cycles,” Stubbs said. “They had a good run for a few years, and now they’re kind of reloading. I think right now that’s what we’re doing, is building the program up. It takes time.”

Stubbs said he does not like going through any year having more losses than wins, but he understands the process.

So far this season, the Colonels rank last in conference in total offense and scoring offense, but Nicholls ranks first in the league in pass defense.

The Colonels will look to get their first win in the conference this Saturday against Stephen F. Austin with kickoff coming at 5:30. p.m.