2021 Nicholls Colonels football team

2021 Nicholls Colonels football
File:Nicholls State Colonels wordmark.svg
Conference	Southland Conference
Record	6–5 (5–3 Southland)
Head coach	Tim Rebowe (7th season)
Offensive coordinator	Rob Christophel (7th season)
Defensive coordinator	Tommy Rybacki (7th season)
Home stadium	Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium

2021 Southland Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 12 Incarnate Word $^		7	–	1					10	–	3
No. 15 Southeastern Louisiana ^		6	–	2					9	–	4
Nicholls		5	–	3					6	–	5
McNeese State *		3	–	5					4	–	7
Northwestern State		3	–	5					3	–	8
Houston Baptist		0	–	8					0	–	11
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant * – Ineligible for FCS postseason play due to NCAA sanctions Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2021 Nicholls State Colonels football team represented Nicholls State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Tim Rebowe, the Colonels compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing third in the Southland. Nicholls State played home games at John L. Guidry Stadium in Thibodaux, Louisiana.

Preseason

Preseason poll

The Southland Conference released their preseason poll in July 2021. The Colonels were picked to finish second in the conference. In addition, eleven Colonels were chosen to the Preseason All-Southland Team.

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Southeastern Louisiana	48 (8)
2	Nicholls	43 (4)
3	Incarnate Word	32
4	McNeese State	26
5	Northwestern State	21
6	Houston Baptist	10

Preseason All–Southland Teams

Offense 1st Team

• David Mosley – Tight End/Halfback, SR
• Dai'Jean Dixon – Wide Receiver, SR
• P. J. Burkhalter – Offensive Lineman, SR
• Jair Joseph – Offensive Lineman, SR
• Evan Roussel – Offensive Lineman, SO

2nd Team

• Julien Gums – Running Back, SR
• KJ Franklin – Wide Receiver, JR

Defense 1st Team

• Kevin Moore III – Defensive Back, SR

2nd Team

• Perry Ganci – Defensive Lineman, SO
• Hayden Shaheen – Linebacker, FR
• Dontaze Costly – Kick Returner, SR

Personnel

2021 Nicholls Colonels football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class QB 0 Lindsey Scott Jr. Sr WR 2 K. J. Franklin So WR 3 Devonta Jason File:Redshirt.svg So WR 4 Lex Boucvalt Fr WR 5 Dai'Jean Dixon Sr RB 6 Marquese Albert File:Redshirt.svg Fr WR 9 Dontaze Costly Jr QB 10 Leonard Kelly Fr QB 11 Dillon Monette Fr QB 12 Andrew Robison File:Redshirt.svg Fr WR 13 Daniel Miller Fr WR 14 Arron McKenney Sr QB 15 Kohen Granier Jr RB 19 Collin Guggenheim Fr RB 20 Ronnie Jackson File:Redshirt.svg Fr WR 23 Brooks Thomas File:Redshirt.svg Fr WR 24 Justin Rivet File:Redshirt.svg Fr RB 25 Jake Dalmado Fr RB 26 Dalen Gondron Fr RB 28 Julien Gums Jr RB 30 Corey Warren Jr. Fr RB 33 TyShaun Hester Fr RB 35 Jaylon Spears Fr RB 36 Jai Williams Fr RB 37 John Carrington III So RB 37 Hugh Hamer Fr WR 38 Lance Williams File:Redshirt.svg Fr TE 42 Ja'Cobey Lee File:Redshirt.svg So TE 43 Nathan Hebb Fr TE 44 Codi Willis File:Redshirt.svg So OL 56 Joshua Echeverria So OL 57 Jeremiah James File:Redshirt.svg So OL 59 Baylee Trusty Jr OL 61 Reed Lambert Fr OL 62 Seth Trahan Fr OL 63 Ethan Bairnsfather So OL 64 P. J. Burkhalter Sr OL 67 Owen Melville File:Redshirt.svg Fr OL 68 Michael Hill Fr OL 69 Zakk McKeehan File:Redshirt.svg So OL 70 Titus Jones File:Redshirt.svg So OL 71 Evan Roussel Fr OL 73 Jair Joseph Sr OL 74 DeAndre' Keller Fr OL 75 Mark Barthelemy Jr OL 77 Mikhail Hill Jr OL 78 Jaden Ben Fr OL 79 Cru Blanchard Fr WR 80 Al'Dontre Davis Jr WR 81 David Robinson Jr. File:Redshirt.svg So TE 82 Brandon Hubicz File:Redshirt.svg Fr WR 83 Dany'e Brooks Fr WR 83 Mike Gray Jr. Fr WR 84 Terry Matthews So TE 85 Lee Negrotto Fr WR 86 Jay Tyler Fr WR 87 Quincy Cage Jr. Sr TE 88 David Mosley Sr TE 89 Logan Wilcox Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB 1 Kevin Johnson Sr DB 6 Jordan Jackson So DB 7 Kevin Moore III Sr DB 8 Jarius Monroe So LB 10 Hayden Shaheen Fr DL 11 Tahj Brown File:Redshirt.svg So DB 12 Brandon James Fr DB 14 Bryce Authement File:Redshirt.svg Fr DB 16 James Tobin IV Sr DB 17 Lloyd Nash File:Redshirt.svg So DL 18 Juan Monjarres Jr DB 20 Greg Evans Fr DB 21 Malik Woodery Fr DB 22 Tyreke Boyd Fr DB 24 Chancellor Hitchens File:Redshirt.svg Fr LB 25 Elijah Reames So DB 26 Keontae Williams Fr DB 27 Maurquel Price Fr DB 29 Chase Brown Jr DB 31 Tyler Morton Fr DB 32 Shawn Hall So DB 33 Logan Scott Fr LB 34 Ty'Ree Evans Sr LB 36 Hayden Seneca Fr DB 37 Hugh Gregory Hamer Fr LB 39 Chandler Rhodes Fr LB 40 Johmel Jolla Jr. Fr DB 41 Zane McCrary File:Redshirt.svg Fr DB 42 Pershing Toney Fr DB 43 Caleb Lee File:Redshirt.svg Fr LB 45 Quinton Sharkey Jr LB 46 Kaleb Brown Fr LB 48 Mark Thomas II Fr LB 49 Jacob Parker So LB 51 Tylan Turner Fr LB 52 Lance Rockwood Jr. File:Redshirt.svg Fr LB 58 Kylin White Fr DL 59 Deondre Diggs Jr DL 62 Shane Levy So DL 65 Christian Mannino Fr DL 88 Theodore Tyler So DL 90 Caboz Craig Fr DL 91 Zack Bernard Fr DL 92 Elinus Noel III Fr DL 93 Jamiran James File:Redshirt.svg So DL 94 Jequaries Martin Sr DL 95 Dillion Davis File:Redshirt.svg Fr DL 96 Glen Thurmond Jr DL 98 Perry Ganci So DL 99 Myles Vigne Sr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K/P 34 Patrick Vanderbrook Fr P 39 Matthew Martin File:Redshirt.svg So K 46 Gavin Lasseigne So P 47 Craig Walker Jr LS 50 Jackson McFarland Fr LS 53 Dominic Brocato Jr LS 54 Andrea Dragna File:Redshirt.svg So	Head coach Tim Rebowe (LSU) Coordinators/assistant coaches Rob Christophel (Austin Peay State) Offensive coordinator/qb Tommy Rybacki (Jacksonville State) Defensive coordinator Russ Gisclair (Nicholls State) Tight ends Marquase Lovings (Mississippi State) Defensive line Tylan Martin (Jacksonville State) Running backs Sean Murphy (Millsaps College) Wide receivers Lee Roussel (Southeastern Louisiana) Offensive line Lionel Stokes (Louisiana–Lafayette) Cornerbacks Brian Wallace (Louisiana College) Safeties Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Injured Redshirt Redshirt Roster Last update: 3 August 2021

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 4	6:00 p.m.	at Memphis*	No. 22	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	ESPN+	L 17–42	30,263
September 11	6:00 p.m.	at Louisiana*		Cajun Field Lafayette, LA	ESPN3	L 24–27	25,417
September 25	3:00 p.m.	North Alabama*		Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA	ESPN+	W 31–17	7,314
October 2	3:00 p.m.	Houston Baptist		Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA	ESPN3	W 48–17	5,840
October 9	12:00 p.m.	No. 14 Southeastern Louisiana	No. 25	Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA (River Bell Classic)	ESPN+	L 48–58	7,402
October 16	11:00 a.m.	at No. 18 Incarnate Word		Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium San Antonio, TX	ESPN3	L 21–38	1,369
October 23	6:00 p.m.	at Houston Baptist		Husky Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN+	W 44–14	2,362
October 30	12:00 p.m.	Northwestern State		Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA (NSU Challenge)	ESPN+	W 42–21	7,328
November 6	12:00 p.m.	at McNeese State		Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA	ESPN+	W 24–14	8,898
November 13	3:00 p.m.	No. 17 Incarnate Word		Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA	ESPN3	L 23–27	6,392
November 18	6:00 p.m.	at No. 15 Southeastern Louisiana		Strawberry Stadium Hammond, LA (River Bell Classic)	ESPN+	W 45–42	6,057
*Non-conference game Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Game summaries

At Memphis

Nicholls at Memphis

1 2 3 4 Total No. 22 (FCS) Colonels 7 0 7 3 17 • Tigers 10 19 6 7 42 Date: September 4, 2021 Location: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN Game start: 6:05 p.m. CDT Elapsed time:  03:13 Game attendance:  30,263 Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: S 9mph Referee:  Edwin Lee TV announcers (ESPN+): Richard Cross (play-by-play) and Leger Douzable (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 2 3 4

See also: 2021 Memphis Tigers football team

Pregame line	Over/under
MEM-22.5	59

Statistics	Nicholls	Memphis
First downs	17	32
Total yards	299	587
Rushing yards	100	322
Passing yards	199	265
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	28:45	31:15

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Nicholls	Passing	Lindsey Scott Jr.	17/30, 194 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Julien Gums	13 carries, 48 yards
	Receiving	Dai'Jean Dixon	7 receptions, 107 yards
Memphis	Passing	Seth Henigan	19/32, 265 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Brandon Thomas	16 carries, 147 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Javon Ivory	5 receptions, 106 yards

At Louisiana

Nicholls at Louisiana

1 2 3 4 Total Colonels 7 3 0 14 24 • Ragin' Cajuns 10 7 7 3 27 Date: September 11, 2021 Location: Cajun Field Lafayette, LA Game start: 6:04 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 15 minutes Game attendance:  25,417 Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: NE 5 MPH Referee: Trennis Livingston TV announcers (ESPN3): Dan McDonald (play–by–play) and Scott Brazda (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 12:10 LA John Stephens Jr. 14-yard pass from Levi Lewis (Kenneth Almendares kick) (7 plays, 80 yards, 2:46) LA 7–0 10:54 NICH Dai'Jean Dixon 21-yard pass from Lindsey Scott Jr. (Gavin Lasseigne kick) (3 plays, 25 yards, 1:10) TIE 7–7 08:20 LA Kenneth Almendares 46-yard field goal (6 plays, 21 yards, 2:26) LA 10–7 2 05:54 LA Michael Jefferson 46-yard pass from Levi Lewis (Kenneth Almendares kick) (4 plays, 99 yards, 2:09) LA 17–7 00:36 NICH Gavin Lasseigne 42-yard field goal (9 plays, 32 yards, 1:38) LA 17–10 3 00:43 LA Kris Moncrief 67-yard interception returned (Kenneth Almendares kick) (2 plays, 0 yards, 0:52) LA 24–10 4 09:29 LA Kenneth Almendares 28-yard field goal (14 plays, 72 yards, 4:10) LA 27–10 05:03 NICH K. J. Franklin 20-yard pass from Lindsey Scott Jr. (Gavin Lasseigne kick) (10 plays, 75 yards, 4:26) LA 27–17 00:33 NICH Dai'Jean Dixon 6-yard pass from Lindsey Scott Jr. (Gavin Lasseigne kick) (7 plays, 81 yards, 1:45) LA 27–24

See also: 2021 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team

Pregame line	Over/under
LA –26.0	65

Statistics	Nicholls	Louisiana
First downs	24	20
Total yards	511	417
Rushing yards	152	113
Passing yards	359	304
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	33:12	26:48

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Nicholls	Passing	Lindsey Scott Jr.	26/37, 359 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Lindsey Scott Jr.	18 carries, 121 yards
	Receiving	Dai'Jean Dixon	14 receptions, 198 yards, 2 TDs
Louisiana	Passing	Levi Lewis	19/33, 304 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Chris Smith	11 carries, 46 yards
	Receiving	Michael Jefferson	3 receptions, 84 yards, 1 TD

North Alabama

North Alabama at Nicholls

1 2 3 4 Total Lions 7 7 0 0 14 • Colonels 0 3 14 14 31 Date: September 25, 2021 Location: Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA Game start: 3:00 p.m. CDT Elapsed time:  3:19 Game attendance:  7,314 Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C) • Weather: Clear • Wind: 8mph Referee:  Gary Leeper TV announcers (ESPN+):

Scoring summary 1 2 3 4

See also: 2021 North Alabama Lions football team

Pregame line	Over/under
NSU-17	58.5

Statistics	North Alabama	Nicholls
First downs	21	28
Total yards	314	463
Rushing yards	130	291
Passing yards	184	172
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	30:42	29:18

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
North Alabama	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Nicholls	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Houston Baptist

Houston Baptist at Nicholls

1 2 3 4 Total Huskies 0 14 0 3 17 • Colonels 21 14 10 3 48 Date: October 2, 2021 Location: Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA Game start: 3:00 p.m. CDT Elapsed time:  3:03 Game attendance:  5,840 Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C) • Weather: Cloudy and muggy • Wind: 7mph ESE Referee:  Nolan Dumas TV announcers (ESPN3):

Scoring summary 1 2 3 4

See also: 2021 Houston Baptist Huskies football team

Pregame line	Over/under
NSU-26	62.5

Statistics	Houston Baptist	Nicholls
First downs	10	33
Total yards	182	650
Rushing yards	35	421
Passing yards	147	229
Turnovers	2	4
Time of possession	22:45	37:15

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston Baptist	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Nicholls	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

No. 14 Southeastern Louisiana

Southeastern Louisiana at Nicholls

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 14 Lions 7 24 14 13 58 No. 25 Colonels 7 7 21 13 48 Date: October 9, 2021 Location: Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA Game start: 12:00 p.m. CDT Elapsed time:  3:17 Game attendance:  7,402 Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Clear and sunny • Wind: 2mph NNE Referee:  Gary Leeper TV announcers (ESPN+):

Scoring summary 1 2 3 4

See also: 2021 Southeastern Louisiana Lions football team and River Bell Classic

Pregame line	Over/under
NSU-1	72.5

Statistics	Southeastern Louisiana	Nicholls
First downs	32	26
Total yards	573	507
Rushing yards	167	209
Passing yards	406	298
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	37:51	22:09

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Southeastern Louisiana	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Nicholls	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

At No. 18 Incarnate Word

Nicholls at Incarnate Word

1 2 3 4 Total Colonels 7 14 0 0 21 • No. 18 Cardinals 0 14 7 17 38 Date: October 16, 2021 Location: Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium San Antonio, TX Game start: 11:00 a.m. CDT Elapsed time:  3:09 Game attendance:  1,369 Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C) • Weather:Sunny • Wind: 14mph SSW Referee:  Ed Bourgeois TV announcers (ESPN3): David Saltzman (play-by-play), Taylor McHargue (analyst), & Lainie Fritz (sideline)

Scoring summary 1 2 3 4

See also: 2021 Incarnate Word Cardinals football team

Pregame line	Over/under
IW-2	76.5

Statistics	Nicholls	Incarnate Word
First downs	28	19
Total yards	445	469
Rushing yards	202	81
Passing yards	243	388
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	35:25	24:35

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Nicholls	Passing	Lindsey Scott Jr.	19/29, 214 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Lindsey Scott Jr.	20 carries, 90 yards, TD
	Receiving	Dai'Jean Dixon	9 receptions, 120 yards, TD
Incarnate Word	Passing	Cam Ward	25/36, 388 yards, 4 TD
	Rushing	Kevin Brown	14 carries, 80 yards, TD
	Receiving	Taylor Grimes	9 receptions, 182 yards, 4 TD

At Houston Baptist

Nicholls at Houston Baptist

1 2 3 4 Total • Colonels 27 3 7 7 44 Huskies 7 7 0 0 14 Date: October 23, 2021 Location: Husky Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 6:00 p.m. CDT Elapsed time:  03:11 Game attendance:  2,362 Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C) • Weather: Rain • Wind: 9mph S Referee:  Craig Helser TV announcers (ESPN+):

Scoring summary 1 2 3 4

See also: 2021 Houston Baptist Huskies football team

Pregame line	Over/under
NSU-21	65.5

Statistics	Nicholls	Houston Baptist
First downs	30	15
Total yards	572	157
Rushing yards	347	8
Passing yards	225	149
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	36:52	23:04

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Nicholls	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Houston Baptist	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Northwestern State

Northwestern State at Nicholls

1 2 3 4 Total Demons 0 14 0 7 21 • Colonels 7 21 14 0 42 Date: October 30, 2021 Location: Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA Game start: 12:00 p.m. CDT Elapsed time:  3:00 Game attendance:  7328 Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C) • Weather:Sunny and clear • Wind: WNW 9mph Referee:  Nolan Dumas TV announcers (ESPN+):

Scoring summary 1 2 3 4

See also: 2021 Northwestern State Demons football team and NSU Challenge

Pregame line	Over/under
NSU-23.5	55.5

Statistics	Northwestern State	Nicholls
First downs	17	34
Total yards	345	564
Rushing yards	135	300
Passing yards	210	264
Turnovers	3	1
Time of possession	25:54	34:06

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northwestern State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Nicholls	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

At McNeese State

Nicholls at McNeese State

1 2 3 4 Total • Colonels 0 7 7 10 24 Cowboys 7 0 7 0 14 Date: November 6, 2021 Location: Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA Game start: 12:00 p.m. CDT Elapsed time:  3:10 Game attendance:  8,898 Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C) • Weather: PC • Wind: NNE 8mph Referee:  Gary Leeper TV announcers (ESPN+):

Scoring summary 1 2 3 4

See also: 2021 McNeese State Cowboys football team

Pregame line	Over/under
NSU-5.5	55

Statistics	Nicholls	McNeese State
First downs	22	22
Total yards	367	352
Rushing yards	180	188
Passing yards	187	164
Turnovers	2	4
Time of possession	30:25	29:35

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Nicholls	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
McNeese State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

No. 17 Incarnate Word

Incarnate Word at Nicholls

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 17 Cardinals 0 13 14 0 27 Colonels 10 10 0 3 23 Date: November 13, 2021 Location: Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA Game start: 3:00 p.m. CST Elapsed time:  3:40 Game attendance:  6392 Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C) • Weather: Clear • Wind: NNW11mph Referee:  Craig Helser TV announcers (ESPN3): John Liddle (play-by-play), Gary Reasons (analyst), Lainie Fritz (sideline)

Scoring summary 1 2 3 4

See also: 2021 Incarnate Word Cardinals football team

Pregame line	Over/under
NSU-1.5	70.5

Statistics	Incarnate Word	Nicholls
First downs	13	31
Total yards	376	491
Rushing yards	268	220
Passing yards	108	271
Turnovers	3	2
Time of possession	17:52;	42:08

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Incarnate Word	Passing	Cameron Ward	13/30, 108 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Kevin Brown	11 carries, 185 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Robert Ferrel	4 receptions, 47 yards
Nicholls	Passing	Kohen Granier	18/27, 191 yards, TD
	Rushing	Collin Guggenheim	32 carries, 141 yards, TD
	Receiving	Dai'Jean Dixon	8 receptions, 90 yards

At No. 15 Southeastern Louisiana

Nicholls at Southeastern Louisiana

1 2 3 4 Total • Colonels 21 0 17 7 45 No. 15 Lions 14 14 0 14 42 Date: November 18, 2021 Location: Strawberry Stadium Hammond, LA Game start: 6:00 p.m. CST Elapsed time:  3:45 Game attendance:   6,057 Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: N13mph Referee:  Gary Leeper TV announcers (ESPN+):

Scoring summary 1 2 3 4

See also: 2021 Southeastern Louisiana Lions football team and River Bell Classic

Pregame line	Over/under
SEL-7.5	78

Statistics	Nicholls	Southeastern Louisiana
First downs	28	26
Total yards	556	496
Rushing yards	292	111
Passing yards	264	385
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	33:29	26:31

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Nicholls	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Southeastern Louisiana	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving