Defensive line play helps to keep Nicholls unbeaten in Southland Conference action
Through the first six games of the season, the statistics show that the Nicholls defense has allowed 23.2 points per game, 364.2 yards per game, 116.8 rushing yards per outing, and 247.3 passing yards per game.
That may seem like pedestrian numbers, but when looking at another set of stats, a different story emerges.
Through three Southland Conference games, the Colonel defense is yielding 8.0 points per game, 298.0 total yards, 79.0 rushing yards, and 219 yards passing. Except for passing yards at No. 3, the Nicholls defense ranks No. 1 in the conference in all the other categories.
A big reason for the now-lofty numbers is the play of the Nicholls defensive line. With the help of the Colonel defensive front, Nicholls also tops the SLC in interceptions with eight and sacks with four.
What skewered the numbers early was a brutal schedule against the likes of Sacramento State, Texas Christian, and Tulane that led to an 0-3 start for the now 3-3 Colonels. Also, early mistakes by the Nicholls special teams and offense often caused the Colonels to defend a short field.
The numbers suggest the turnaround came with the start of conference play. To a certain extent, that is true, but the Nicholls defense wasn’t actually playing all that poorly from the start.
“If you got back and watch the TCU tape – TCU has a Power 5 offensive line, a year removed from having played for the national championship – and I would say we won the line of scrimmage in that game,” said Nicholls defensive line coach Brian Wallace. “Obviously, the scoreboard is different, but I would say the same with Tulane. You take away a few plays, like a big run, Tulane didn’t run the ball, either.
“We’ve been playing pretty solid early in the season. Obviously, playing different opponents kind of dictated the outcome of the game and stuff, but I thought probably our worst game of the year was McNeese when we won. I didn’t think we played well up front, and I told the guys that even though the scoreboard said differently, I thought we played better in the games we lost.”
The defensive line features a diverse and deep group.
That wasn’t always the case when a young and inexperienced squad took their lumps a year ago.
In eleven games in 2022, the Nicholls defense allowed an average of 35.3 points per outing, and 433.5 total yards per game, including 176.9 rushing and 256.5 passing.
“Last year we were short. We had some injuries and young guys that didn’t have much playing time,” said senior defensive lineman Perry Ganci. “This year, we are all coming back, got healthier, added some pieces, got some transfers, did some recruiting, we did it all. Everyone’s buying into the system, the culture.
“This year, we know we have a lot of playmakers on our team, a lot of players that can make the plays and we trust each other, so we can take more risks and play faster, and just know that if we don’t make the play, someone else will make the play because we have great effort and playing to the standard building that wall up front.”
Ganci has five tackles for loss for the Colonels.
“Quickness off the ball. Tough,” said Nicholls head coach Tim Rebowe, assessing Ganci’s attributes. “Perry’s been nursing (injuries) every week. Playing that interior line, getting banged up. He was banged up a couple of weeks ago and had a great game against Commerce. He’s quick off that ball. He’s smart. He’s instinctive. You have to be able to account for him on the defensive line.”
“He just has a knack. He’s very quick. He’s very good with his technique. Sometimes he just has a knack for when to make a play,” Wallace said of Ganci. “A lot of his TFLs have been on third- and fourth-down stops when we needed them. He understands when he can take a calculated risk and maybe be out of a gap or maybe shoot a gap or do whatever. He understands that from playing in our system for a while.”
That ability to come up with the timely tackles behind the line, Ganci said, is attributable to the players believing in what they are doing.
“Timing is just trusting the game plan. Coach making a great plan and putting us in the right positions at the right time. Just everybody doing their job,” said Ganci.
A newcomer having an immediate impact is junior defensive end Joe Mason. Mason transferred to Nicholls from Louisiana Tech.
“I came on a visit. I felt like it was a good atmosphere. Everybody is close together. It’s like a great brotherhood. We stick together no matter what. That’s pretty much why I chose here,” said Mason.
Mason leads the team with three sacks and is a constant terror against opposing quarterbacks.
“We all got to rush together in our passing lanes,” Mason said of rushing the passer. “You may not always get paid, but everybody eats at the same time. We continue to put in the work, and it continues to show up on game day.
“You have to have relentless effort. You got to keep going no matter what. Rushing the passer, you’ve got to know your plays. You’ve got to stay up with what they’re doing so you can get the upper hand.”
It’s not just about sacks, but pressure on the quarterback. Mason hit Lions quarterbacks three times while they were attempting to pass in Nicholls’ win last week over Texas A&M-Commerce, leading to two interceptions deep in Colonels territory.
“They were huge,” Mason said of the interceptions. “They helped us stay on top as a defense. They got in the red zone maybe four times and three times they came out with no scores. That’s pretty good.”
A new starter to the group is Rasheed Lovelace. The red-shirt freshman said he has learned a lot from the veterans, especially through a tough start through the first three games of the season.
“They (taught me) how to stay focused, even through the hard times, like when we were losing. They helped me build my leadership for when I become one of the older guys,” Lovelace said.
“Rasheed Lovelace has been doing a tremendous job,” Rebowe said. “A spot that doesn’t show up, when you are getting double teams, and you are forcing guys to stay on blocks and freeing other guys up. He and Zack Bernard are doing a fantastic job.
“If you slip up and don’t double-team them, they are good enough to make plays and get tackles for loss. I like what we are doing up front.”
Lovelace explained his role along the defensive front.
“My role, I’m just one of the young guys that’s athletic and knows what to do. I really just stop the run and get after it on pass rush and fill the pocket,” said Lovelace.
Bernard, a seasoned junior nose tackle, is another veteran who has seen the defense mature from a year ago.
“We learned to play more as a team. We learned to correct a lot of our mistakes from last year,” said Bernard. “Having a lot of new players, we had a lot of mental mistakes and just not doing the right thing sometimes and I think that affected us mentally and just having to trust the game plan. This year, we are making a lot less mental errors. We are able to trust the game plan and really play all as a unit.”
Others in the rotation along the defensive front include Dane Whalen and Dillion Davis.
“That’s the nature of the defensive line. We play multiple guys,” said Rebowe. “We play a bunch of guys, rolling six or seven. Dane Whalen is playing so well for us. We’ve got some guys who can do things for us, along with Dillion Davis.”
“That’s the thing, keeping fresh in the fourth quarter,” Wallace said. “Really, the production and the drop off – I really don’t call them ones and twos, it’s 1A and 1B – there really has been no drop off.
“In the second rotation, those guys are getting equal or a little less than equal snaps, but they all know they are going to play, and they prepare like it. Dane, Zack, Dillion, and whoever is in that next group in, when they go in, it’s the same. They are not running the ball any different, the pressure is still there.”
The guys in the rotation, Bernard said, understand their role.
“It’s about a next-man-up mentality. When you are making plays and do what you are supposed to do and do your job, and it’s someone else’s turn, just cheer them on,” said Bernard.
