2 weeks Ago By By Nathan Hague Staff Writer
SFA (5-3, 3-2) at Nicholls State (4-4, 2-1) Another series will be renewed Saturday when SFA’s football team travels to Thibodaux, Louisiana to take on Nicholls State for the teams’ 37th meeting and their first since Sept. 21, 2019 when the Colonials won 48-30. “They are really, really physical, a veteran ball club,” SFA head football coach Colby Carthel said of the Colonias.
“They’re the defending conference champions and the preseason favorites for a reason.” Last week saw the Lumberjacks rebound from a one-point road loss to Southeastern Louisiana with a 55-6 win at home over Houston Christian. Nicholls is looking to extend its win streak to three games after defeating McNeese a week ago.
When the Lumberjacks have the ball: The Lumberjacks are averaging 41.63 points per game. They have gained 194 total first downs on 2,334 passing yards and 1,515 rushing yards.
Qualan Jones leads the rushing attack but is expected to sit out another week. Jaylen Jenkins has 77 carries for 471 yards and three touchdowns. Jerrell WImbley has 45 carries for 251 yards and two touchdowns.
Sam VIdlak leads the passing game. He’s currently 160-of-232 for 23 touchdowns and three interceptions. Kylon Harris leads the Lumberjacks with 57 catches for 654 yards and six touchdowns.
Blaine Green has 22 catches for 395 yards and three touchdowns. Jordan Nabors has 19 catches for 328 yards and five touchdowns. Nicholls State is allowing an average of 23 points per game, 130 first downs, 618 rushing yards and 1,750 rushing yards.
“Defensively, they’re so, so stout,” Carthel said about the Colonels. “They’re No. 2 in all of college football against the run.
Yards are going to be really tough to come by. I may do a cartwheel every time we make a first down. Their linebacker core is unbelievable, maybe the best set of linebackers I’ve coached against since I’ve been here.
They just play hard. They're sound, disciplined and very well coached. It’s going to be a tremendous test for our offense.
This is the best defense we’ve faced all year and it’s not even close. “They’ve got two or three really good linebackers,” he said. “This one kid played running back and now he’s moved over to defense,” Carthel said.
“His name is Jake Dalmado and the sucker has like nine sacks in the last two games. He is incredible. I wish they’d move him back to running back.
The other kid’s name is Eli Ennis. He’s an All-American and I mean, holy macro, he was a finalist for FCS Freshman of the Year in ‘22, just a really, really good player.” Ennis leads the team in tackles with 74, six tackles for a loss, two sacks, two interceptions, two broken up passes, a pair of forced fumbles and a pair of two fumble recoveries.
Dalmado is next in line in total tackles with 34, 11 of which were made behind the line of scrimmage, but he also leads the team in sacks with nine. He has one interception, three broken up passes, one fumble recovery and a safety. Junior defensive back Laurence Sullivan, Jr.
, also has two interceptions. When the Colonels have the ball: Josiah Cotton leads the Lumberjacks in tackles with 47, including five tackles for loss. He has three broken up passes.
Trashawn Adams has 39 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack. He has also broken up three passes. Edward Bobino, III, has 33 tackles, five tackles for a loss and a sack.
Six Lumberjacks have exactly one interception while Jahem Mullen has three. As a team. SFA has intercepted nine passes and recovered five fumbles.
Aaron Ausint has 34 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one broken up pass and one forced fumble.
There will be no lack of tests for the Lumberjacks on the defensive side of the ball. The Colonels are averaging 27 points per game, 152 total first downs, 1,424 rushing yards and 1,325 passing yards. Running back Collin Guggenheim has 134 carries for 638 yards and five touchdowns.
Miequle Brock has 44 carries for 352 yards and three touchdowns. Corey Warren, Jr., has 42 carries for 246 yards and three scores.
Pat McQuaide is 122-of-205 with 1,228 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. Quincy Brown leads the receiving squad with 25 catches for 305 yards and three touchdowns. “On the offensive side of the ball, they’re very physical.
They have 87 starts between their O-line. They’re a run-first team with an All-American tailback and a couple other backs who do a great job. We’re going to be really, really challenged in terms of our run defense and if they do go through the air, trying to hold up against a really good quarterback who’s a multi-year starter.
SFA holds the lead in the series 25-11 but it’s been a while that the Lumberjacks have won a road game against the Colonels. “This is my first-ever trip to Thibodaux,” Carthel said. “We hadn’t been to Thibodaux in a while.
SFA hasn’t won a football game in Thibodaux in over a decade. I told our team that this team has never lost down there, so hopefully we can go down there, take care of the football and find a way to win it in the fourth quarter, similar to that Southeastern game but let’s make one of those plays this time.” Kickoff is slated for 3 p.
m. Saturday at Nicholls’ Manning Field AT John L. Guidry Stadium.
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