Brad Weimer/Nichols Football
THIBODAUX, La. – Paced by a stifling performance by the defense, Nicholls State University football longtime defensive coordinator Tommy Rybacki earned his first career victory in his head coaching debut as the Colonels defeated No. 5/4 UIW, 20-6, Saturday afternoon in a Week 0 Southland Conference showdown on Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium in front of 8,779 fans.
The Colonels (1-0, 1-0 SLC) not only secured Coach Rybacki’s first career win but also knocked off a top-five ranked UIW squad for the second time in the last three years. The defending champs fell to 0-1, 0-1 after suffering their first SLC loss since Nicholls left San Antonio with a 45-32 win en route to the league title in 2023. Nicholls will now play four nonconference games before returning to the Southland slate in October.
After the teams traded field goals, safety Ty Marsh put Nicholls ahead for good at the end of the first quarter with a 29-yard touchdown return on an interception — his second pick six in as many seasons. The squads traded field goals once again leading up to the final period, and with 10 minutes remaining, Colonel quarterback Deuce Hogan found a wide open Karaaz Johnson for a 55-yard touchdown to double the lead at 20-6.
The defense took care of the rest, getting an Aidan McCowan breakup in the end zone on fourth down, an Ethan Lee interception, and then Jake Dalmado secured the win with a fumble recovery off a bad snap in the final minute.
UIW has established itself as one of the top offenses in the FCS over the last half decade but were held to just six points for the first time since the 2019 season. The 204 total yards of offense were also the fewest for the Cardinals since a loss to McNeese in ’17. Nicholls, which led the Southland in total defense and rushing defense a year ago, limited UIW’s ground game to 16 yards on 33 carries, however, a pair of hard-hitting sacks by Joe Mason and Dalmado launched the football backwards for significant chunks of loss yardage. The duo led the defense with nine tackles each and 2.5 TFLs.
Nicholls racked up three more interceptions after ranking third in the FCS last season. Anthony Rogers had his first career pick after Lee forced Richard Torres to throw the ball early, resulting in Rogers catching the ball deep inside the red zone. Torres was 23 of 35 for 175 yards and three interceptions.
On offense, Hogan shined in his debut by completing 21 of 36 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown. While Nicholls was held to a 2.3 yard-per-carry average in rushing, eight different Colonels had at least two receptions. Solo Lewis had a team-high six for 37 yards.
Gabriel Showalter made his first two field goals from 38- and 43-yards but missed two in the opening half.
UP NEXT
Nicholls will head to Troy for a matchup against the former league rivals. Since leaving the Southland, the Trojans now compete at the FBS level in the Sun Belt Conference. Kickoff on Saturday, Aug. 30 is scheduled for 6 p.m.
The Colonels will return the following weekend against West Georgia before a lengthy road swing.
**NICHOLLS PRESS RELEASE**
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