Nicholls looking to play complementary football in attempted bounce-back season

Just looking at the numbers in Nicholls’ 38-24 season-opening home loss Thursday night on Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium in Thibodaux to Sacramento State, it might seem a mirror image of the Colonels’ 2022 season.

Along with allowing 38 points, the Colonels surrendered 185 yards rushing and 256 passing for a total of 441 yards and allowed several big plays.

A year ago, a young Nicholls defense took their lumps, yielding 35.3 points per game. The Colonels allowed 175.5 yards per outing on the ground and 256.5 through the air for a total of 432 per game.

Looking past the numbers, there were signs the Colonels may very well be an improved team from a year ago.

Many of the yards allowed through the air came on three pass plays in the second half. Two plays following a 41-yard toss from Kaiden Bennett to receiver Carlos Hill, the Hornets quarterback connected with Jared Gipson on a 40-yard scoring strike to give Sacramento State a 24-10 lead with 1:05 left in the third quarter.

The Colonels gave up a 47-yard pass play on Sacramento State’s next drive, setting up a 7-yard run by Bennett that extended the Hornets’ lead to 31-10 with 12:43 left in the game.

Of Sacramento’s 256 yards passing on the night, 128 came on the three pass plays.

Another positive sign for Nicholls came moments before the quick aerial onslaught by the Hornets.

A year ago, an inconsistent Nicholls offense continually put a young defense back on its heels for much of season, exasperating the weaknesses as the Colonels were unable to play complementary football.

Nicholls showed a glimpse of complementary football when a long interception return by linebacker Kershawn Fisher, a Louisiana Tech transfer, down to the Sacramento State 12-yard line, set up the Colonels offense. Another newcomer, quarterback Pat McQuaide, a Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College transfer, scored on a 4-yard run at the 7:16 mark to pull the Colonels to within 17-10.

Nicholls trailed 17-0 before getting a 30-yard Gavin Lasseigne field goal with 21 seconds left in the half and pulled to within 10 points on McQuaide’s first touchdown as a Colonel. Lasseigne’s conversion kick made him the all-time scoring leader in Nicholls history.

The Colonels face a tough slate to open the season and not all teams on the schedule will be the caliber of Sacramento State, ranked No. 10 among Football Championship Subdivision teams. The Hornets went undefeated in the regular season a year ago and entered the postseason as the No. 2 seed before falling to the University of Incarnate Word. There’s still a lot of football left for the Colonel defense to jell and for the offense to come around.

While taking their lumps, the young and injury-riddled Colonel defense of a year ago gained valuable experience. With 10 starters returning, the unit may very well be the team’s strength in 2023.

Eli Ennis epitomizes the maturation process of a young defense from a year ago. As a starting linebacker, Ennis ended up as the Freshman of the Year in the Southland Conference and was named to several Freshmen All-America teams.

In the 2023 season opener, he had seven total tackles.

“I’m really, really excited about him,” Rebowe said of Ellis. “He’s all over the field. He’s a smart football player and it looks like he’s taken off right where he left off. He’s had a good camp. He’s just a solid football player. He’s smart, he’s physical, he’s got all the tools to be a really, really good linebacker.”

As at several positions, numerous players are considered returning starters, not just from play from last season, but also starters in the past who have returned from injuries.

One such player is red-shirt sophomore linebacker Hayden Shaheen.

“The leader of that defense, and he happens to be a linebacker, is Hayden Shaheen. He’s the guy,” said Rebowe. “He’s from Catholic High at Baton Rouge. He’s been playing since he was a freshman. He got hurt in the first game last year. He tried to come back a couple of weeks later and had a foot injury and was just done. He’s the bell cow. He’s the guy they rally around. He makes all the calls. He’s the leader. He’s all over the football field for us.”

Kylin White, another red-shirt sophomore, is the team’s top returning tackler after posting 79 a year ago.

Fisher and senior Jacob Parker, work at the bandit linebacker position.

“He played in a bunch of games in Division I FBS football,” Rebowe said of Fisher. “He’s got a high motor. He’ll be really good for us.

“Jacob Parker is a guy that’s been there for a long time. He’s been from linebacker to tight end back to bandit. He had a really good fall camp and Elijah Reames is another fifth-year guy who was hurt last year, who’s now coming back from an injury.”

Another senior, Brandon Lairy, provides depth throughout the linebacker corps.

“He’s played inside, he’s played outside. He’s done a bunch of things,” Rebowe said of Lairy.

The Colonels return experience up front in the form of senior defensive tackle Perry Ganci and junior nose tackle Zack Bernard. Ganci, a preseason All-Conference selection, finished fourth on the team a year ago in tackles while recording four sacks and nine tackles for loss. Bernard had 43 tackles a year ago.

The new starter up front is junior Joe Mason, another Louisiana Tech transfer.

Nicholls also has experience returning in the secondary.

“We have a couple of guys returning back there. Tyler Morton is a returning starter and then we picked up Ethan Lee, a guy right here from E.D. White, who was having a good year last year and got hurt. He happened to come back in spring ball. He got cleared to play the last couple of days and he’s emerged as a starter in the secondary,” Rebowe said.

Lee picked up where he left off prior to last season’s injury, leading the Colonels in tackles against Sacramento with 11.

Morton, a junior safety, was second on the team in tackles with 71 and led the team in interceptions last season with two. Lee is a sophomore safety.

Versatile fifth-year senior Jordan Jackson is one of the cornerbacks.

“He played everywhere for us from safety to nickel to corner. He’s the bell cow back there,” said Rebowe. “Markeyvrick Eddie played a bunch for us last year and then we picked up two other guys, one from the transfer portal and one from junior college, K.D. Smith and Devonte’ Mathews. Those guys played in some college football games before.”

The Colonel defense of a year ago didn’t get much help from an inconsistent offense. The Nicholls offense averaged 18.5 points per game. The Colonels averaged 362 yards per game, including 153.6 rushing and 208.4 passing.

While the Nicholls defense came up with few turnovers to give the offense favorable field position and had trouble getting off the field by allowing numerous third-down conversions, the Colonel offense failed to sustain drives, which put the beleaguered defense back on the field.

“When you go back and look at it, it’s not something that the other team was doing. You are your own worst enemy,” Rebowe said. “You drop balls or false start. You’re taking maybe a third-and-4 and now you’re third-and-9. Those types of things were disappointing because we did have some opportunities to convert.”

“It becomes a game of field position. Defensively, they (an opponent) might be backed up, they may get a couple first downs and the next thing you know, offensively you are backed up. We didn’t play good complimentary football. At any level, in order to win that’s what you’ve got to be able to do.”

A year ago, Nicholls quarterbacks combined to complete 55.8 percent of their passes with 14 touchdowns and 15 interceptions and an efficiency rating of 110.1.

The hope is McQuaide can significantly improve upon those numbers. He finished the Sacramento game 15 of 29 passing for 196 yards with one passing touchdown and one rushing, while throwing an interception.

At Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2022, McQuaide passed for 2,730 yards and 24 touchdowns. He completed 64.5 percent of his passes and had a passer efficiency rating of 154.8. He led the junior college ranks in passing yards, passing yards per game and passing touchdowns, and was third in completion percentage.

A native of Ohio, McQuaide started out at Kent State before moving on to junior college.

“He led them to the playoffs. He threw for a bunch of yards, and we were very fortunate to get him. We fell in love with him, recruited him hard, convinced him to stay down South, and he’s been a leader since Day One,” said Rebowe.

“He’s been a leader since before he even put his foot on campus,” Rebowe continued. “When he committed and when he says he’s coming, he signed. He started getting all the guys’ phone numbers and texting them and calling them and said, ‘hey, when I get in school, one night the first day I’m down here, we’re throwing in the afternoon. People don’t see that anymore.”

The Colonels must replace Julien Gums, the school’s all-time leading rusher. Gums rushed for 873 yards in 2022 and concluded his career with 3,429 yards.

Despite his loss, Nicholls returns experience to the backfield in the form of Collin Guggenheim. The junior rushed for 543 yards with four touchdowns a year ago. As a freshman, Guggenheim averaged a school-record 103.3 yards per game to finish third in the Southland Conference in rushing with 930 yards and 10 touchdowns.

He led the Colonels against Sacramento State with 74 yards rushing on 16 carries.

“Collin has had a good last couple of years. He’s a good, hard, tough runner. He’s physical. He was a former quarterback (in high school) who ran the veer. So he’s tough,” Rebowe noted.

The Colonels have more than just Guggenheim in the backfield.

“I think we’re really, really deep there. Jaylon Spears is a guy who has been waiting in the wings in the shadows and he’s back. He was All-Conference last year (as a kick returner). He could easily be first-team all-conference running back. He has that kind of talent, real explosive. John Carrington, Jake Dalmado, Marquese Albert. We picked up another one, Tye Smith-Lindsay. So, we go deep at that running back position and they all bring a little different aspect,” said Rebowe.

The Colonels lost their two most productive receivers from a year ago but return four that had at least 200 yards in receptions. David Robinson, a senior, had 154 receiving yards a year ago.

“David Robinson from Central Lafourche, he’s been here a long time. I think he’s ready to have a really, really big year for us,” Rebowe said.

Rebowe said he likes what he has seen from his receiving corps.

“I think they’re getting better and better each day,” the Nicholls coach continued. “I think we’ve got some guys on the outside. We have some explosive guys, we’ve got some possession guys, we’ve got some guys that can catch the football. We’ve got some guys that haven’t yet played in the college football game, and we have got some that’s really ready to take that next step.

“Ty Montgomery is a walk-on young man who just came to us, who sat out last year to get eligible. He’s had a really good fall camp. Nino Lemay, Terry Matthews on the inside. I think he can go. I like Quincy Brown, the transfer from TCU. Tank McMath and Dany’e Brooks, all those guys played some games for us. So, we got to help protect that quarterback, so we can get them the ball now.”

Matthews hauled in an 84-yard scoring strike from McQuaide with 1:40 left in the game against Sacramento State for the 38-24 final.

The strength of the offensive line is on the left side with three-year starters Evan Roussel at center and Mark Barthelemy at tackle, along with guard De’Andre Keller.

A returning All-Southland Conference First Team lineman and preseason All-Conference, Roussel was named to the Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Third Team. He has been a starter since the moment he walked on the Thibodaux, starting as a true freshman in both the spring and fall seasons of 2021 and as a sophomore in 2022.

“He’s such a smart football player. He’s tough,” Rebowe said of his center. “He comes from a football family, obviously with his dad being a big-time football player. His dad is Terry Roussel. He played at Lutcher and LSU, so (Evan’s) got the genes. He’s got the smartness. His uncle was a was his offensive line coach here before, Lee Roussel (now the head coach at Riverside Academy). So he has all the intangibles, all the leadership qualities, the work ethic, the discipline. That’s why he’s a preseason All-American.”

Barthelemy, a senior, also was named preseason First Team All-Conference.

“Mark Barthelemy is as good a tackle in the league as there is. If we can keep DeAndre Keller healthy, he’ll add to it. We’ve got some young guys on the right side (like) Reed Lambert. Sameij Scott is another one that’s got to play there. Robbie Pizzolato has had a good fall camp and he’s ready to step up. I’m anxious to see those guys. You’ve got some that played a bunch of college football games and some that haven’t. So, there’s going to be maybe a little bit of concern on the right side.”

There shouldn’t be too much concern about the Colonels’ kicking game.

“I like both my kicker and my punter,” Rebowe said. “Gavin Lasseigne is ready to have a good year again as my place kicker. He’s made some big kicks for us over the years, and I thought he’s had probably his best offseason that he’s had.  Kylan Dupre is a preseason All-Conference punter for us that really has a strong leg. I thought he was just so raw last year.

“I like our deep snapper. We lost Dominic Brocato, who has been here for a long time. I think Jackson McFarland has really stepped up and done a good job. He kind of waited his turn and now he’s ready.”

There is confidence in the return game as well.

“Jaylon Spears could go back there. Tyler Morton, a starting DB. Marquese Albert, one of our running backs. Terry Matthews,” said Rebowe. “We got we got some explosive guys back in that kick game.

“For the punt return game, for me, it’s we’ve just got catch that ball to save us some field position and not lose yardage. That’s huge in the kicking game, too.”

While the Colonels dropped to 3-8 a year ago, the three wins came in the Southland, so Nicholls was able to stay competitive in the league – but for Rebowe, that comes with a caveat.

“You don’t want to sugarcoat it. You don’t want to get yourself blindsided by it. We were 3-8, which is not good. It’s the first losing season in five years that we’ve had here. When you look at the 3-3, you can sit there and go, ‘hey, two of those games were one-score games, we could easily been 5-1 in conference,’ but it’s still not where you want it to be. You know what? You could say a couple of those 3-3 wins could have been the other way. I guess you’ve got to look at it in reality in what we were,” the Nicholls coach said.

The early part of the schedule doesn’t get any easier following the Sacramento State opener. According to one national website, Nicholls has the second-toughest schedule in the country among FCS teams.

“I can’t worry about that. I gotta get this football team ready. I gotta worry about Nicholls, what we can do,” Rebowe said.

Next up for the Colonels is a trip to TCU, which played in the College Football Playoff title game a year ago. That will be followed by a game at Tulane, which defeated USC last season in the Cotton Bowl.

“You just let the chips fall where they may and come home, go rest up a little bit and go to Tulane and see what can happen and you get ready for conference,” said Rebowe.

Later comes the Southland schedule.

“It’s a tough conference every year. I still think it’s a wide-open conference, I really do,” said Rebowe. “You’ve got four new head coaches, all on the Texas side. You know the four Louisiana coaches are all coming back.

“Southeastern is ranked up there in the Top 20. UIW was coming off a good year. They picked McNeese to have a really good year, so it’s going to be tough. You’ve got to bring it week in and week out. You got to be able to do it. The thing that we’d like to really do is try to win the conference games, hold point at home – win those dang home games when you can and try to go on the road and sneak a couple wins, if you can.”

And look to return to the playoffs.

“I think we would get this program back to where we were in the last couple of years before COVID, which I think we’ve got the guys in place to do that,” the Nicholls coach said. “You want you want to win at home. If you win at home, then you are on your way. Yeah, everybody wants to win the conference.

“For this team, if we can just find a way to get into the playoffs. If you can do that and build some momentum that way, that’s going to be huge.”