Colonels take on Stephen F. Austin for 2016 Homecoming game

After two losses in a row, Nicholls football must look to rebound as they take on Stephen F. Austin for homecoming. The Colonels stand with a record of 1-3 this season, with their most recent game ending in a 38-13 loss against McNeese.

“Last week wasn’t our best practice, and we knew that,” B.T. Sanders, a senior defensive back for Nicholls, said. The Nicholls defense held McNeese to only 71 rushing yards throughout the entire game, but struggled in stopping McNeese’s passing game. The Colonels allowed the Cowboys to net 376 passing yards on Saturday, which is 100 yards more than what Nicholls’ opponents have been averaging this season.

“Getting in that red zone is where we really have to finish,” freshman quarterback Chase Fourcade said. Fourcade totaled 341 passing yards against McNeese, but had no touchdowns and two interceptions. Fourcade had at least one touchdown pass in each of his previous games.

In addition to a rough night of passing, Nicholls struggled to run the ball as well. The Colonels were only able to achieve 31 rush yards against McNeese, which was 132.5 yards below their average.

“I know we didn’t give up [against McNeese], but we’re still going to come out this Saturday as a different team,” Fourcade said. The Colonels did manage to find the end zone once in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough to push them past the Cowboys.

The Colonels, with a 1-1 record in the Southland Conference, look to bounce back after consecutive losses. Should they win, Nicholls would net their second conference win against Stephen F. Austin, a team they narrowly lost to last year with a score of 24-28. The Colonels look to break an eight game losing streak against the Lumberjacks, who have beaten Nicholls five times in a row at home.

“Each week is a new week, we have to turn the page and write the next chapter. We don’t have time to sit back,” Nicholls Head Coach Tim Rebowe said on rebounding from the recent losses.
Emotions are running high for Sanders, who has been a member of the Nicholls football team since he was a freshman.

“If we have a good week of practice and are sound on our basics, then we’re prepared for almost anything,” Sanders said, emphasizing that it was not a specific area that needed work, but the way the team practiced as a whole.

“Homecoming is here, and while I know there’s going to be a lot of people, I’ll still have me just being the same person. I’m still going to be watching film on the team we’re playing, and I’m not going to really be changing anything,” Fourcade said.

“It’s my last homecoming, so I want it to be a good one. When we come back, we’re going to remember our senior homecoming, so I’m just trying to take in every moment,” Sanders said.