The Colonels dropped to 1-3 with a 35-3 loss to Texas State (3-1) on Saturday night in San Marcos, Texas.
The loss marked the teams’ third straight defeat and their third by three or more scores.
Battle for the Paddle
A quiet rivalry between two old Southland Conference foes, the “Battle for the Paddle,” has carried on even as the teams moved in different directions.
The rivalry was born out of the 1998 record floods that postponed a scheduled matchup between the schools. Texas State entered the night with a 16-15 edge in the series and extended it to 17-15.
Nicholls last held the paddle in 2010 after a four-overtime victory, but the Bobcats have now won the last three meetings.
Nicholls Falls Behind Early
Texas State jumped out to a 7-0 lead early in the game off a 9-yard rush by redshirt freshman quarterback Brad Jackson. Nicholls would follow this with an over seven-and-a-half-minute drive to set up a 32-yard Gabe Showalter field goal.
In the second quarter, the Bobcats took control offensively. Jackson scored his second rushing touchdown of the game this time from 4 yards out. Followed by a 7-yard rushing touchdown by senior running back Torrance Burgess Jr. With 2:17 remaining in the half, Lincoln Pare added a 9-yard touchdown run, leaving Nicholls trailing 28-3 at halftime.
Nicholls struggled to mount a comeback in the second half. Texas State added another touchdown late in the third quarter on a 5-yard touchdown rush by third-string running back Greg Burrell, extending the lead to 35-3.
The Bobcats ran just under their season average, accumulating 207 yards on the ground. Compared to 127 rushing yards for the Colonels.
What Needs to Change?
A glaring weakness for the Colonels has been the offense. Nicholls ranks 77th in passing and 111th in rushing out of 119 FCS teams.
The Colonels also rank 105th in third-down conversion, converting just under 27 percent of attempts.
While the defense has allowed more points in recent weeks, there is only so much that can be expected from the unit before fatigue sets in.
Next Up for Nicholls
Nicholls will look to regroup next week when they travel to Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Sept. 27, in a battle of the Colonels.
The game is the second of four straight road contests for Nicholls, which will try to break a three-game losing streak. Coach Tommy Rybacki will need to get the team’s offensive struggles sorted if they hope to win.
