Nicholls and Northwestern State will meet Saturday afternoon in the Battle of the Real NSU, a rivalry that brings a little more meaning to a matchup between two teams struggling through the 2026 season.

The Colonels enter at 2-5 overall and 1-3 in Southland Conference play, while the Demons remain winless at 0-7 overall and 0-4 in conference action. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Turpin Stadium.

Nicholls is coming off a 56-0 loss to Stephen F. Austin, a game where the Colonels struggled in nearly every phase. Northwestern State, meanwhile, turned in one of its better performances of the season last weekend, falling to McNeese 24-21.

Neither team is where it expected to be entering the final stretch of the regular season. But with a rivalry trophy involved, Saturday gives both programs something worth playing for beyond their records.

Battle of the Real NSU

One of the more unique rivalries in the Southland Conference, the Battle of the Real NSU dates back to October 6, 1973, when Nicholls defeated Northwestern State 3-0 in the first meeting between the programs.

The rivalry gets its name from the fact that both schools once used the NSU abbreviation. In 1993, student government leaders from the two universities established the NSU Challenge Trophy, which is still awarded to the winner of the annual matchup.

There is even an interesting connection involving former Nicholls coach Jay Thomas, who later coached Northwestern State. During his time at Nicholls, Thomas reportedly discovered the trophy sitting in a closet, cleaned it up, and brought it back into the locker room.

Northwestern State holds the all-time series advantage at 29-23, but Nicholls has controlled the matchup in recent years.

The Colonels have won eight of the last 10 meetings, including the previous two. Nicholls also put together a six-game winning streak in the series from 2016 through 2021.

Last season, Nicholls defeated Northwestern State 26-21 in Thibodaux to keep the trophy.

However, the Colonels have not always had an easy time playing in Natchitoches. Nicholls holds a 7-18 road record in the series.

Saturday is also Northwestern State’s Homecoming game, which adds another element to the matchup.

For Northwestern State, a victory would mean its first win of the season and bringing the trophy back to Natchitoches. For Nicholls, it would mean keeping the trophy in Thibodaux while ending its current losing streak.

Neither program is competing near the top of the Southland standings right now, but that doesn’t take anything away from the history between these schools.

Nicholls Needs to Find Some Offense

The biggest concern for Nicholls continues to be its offense.

Since defeating UTRGV 31-28 on September 12, the Colonels have struggled to sustain drives, move the football and put points on the scoreboard.

Nicholls has scored just 20 points over its last four games, including being shut out twice. That is an average of only five points per game during that stretch.

Through seven games, the Colonels are averaging 14 points and 288.1 yards of total offense per game.

Quarterback Ean Rodrigue has completed 84 of 156 passes for 861 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions. Preston Welch has added 147 passing yards, while Chase Richardson has thrown for 127 yards.

The injuries and changes at quarterback have certainly made things difficult, but regardless of who is behind center, Nicholls needs to find some consistency.

The Colonels have also struggled to establish a running game.

Tamaj Hoffman leads the team with 302 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Shane Lee has rushed for 248 yards. Nicholls is averaging 126 rushing yards per game.

Northwestern State has had its own struggles defensively, allowing 219.1 rushing yards per game and 26 rushing touchdowns.

That should provide Nicholls with opportunities to get the running game going, something that could help take pressure off the quarterback position.

Of course, having opportunities and taking advantage of them have been two different things for the Colonels this season.

Northwestern State Has Shown It Can Move the Football

While Northwestern State remains winless, the Demons have actually been more productive offensively than Nicholls.

Northwestern State is averaging 321 yards and 19 points per game, compared to Nicholls’ 288.1 yards and 14 points.

Quarterback Zach Wilcke has completed 98 of 177 passes for 1,050 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. Abram Johnston has also contributed, throwing for 425 yards and three touchdowns.

One of the players Nicholls will need to keep an eye on is Zay Davis.

Davis has rushed for 269 yards and two touchdowns while also catching 22 passes for 289 yards and two additional scores.

Brendan Webb has added 226 receiving yards and three touchdowns, while Joseph Moreland has contributed 221 yards through the air.

Northwestern State has struggled with turnovers and putting together complete games, but the Demons showed last weekend that they are capable of competing.

After losing their first six games by an average of more than 31 points, Northwestern State nearly knocked off McNeese before falling by three.

That’s something Nicholls cannot overlook.

Scoring by Quarters Tells an Interesting Story

When looking at the overall scoring numbers by quarter, it’s easy to see that both teams have struggled, but in different ways.

For Nicholls, the problems have been present throughout games.

The Colonels have scored 28 points in the first quarter this season while allowing 77. The second quarter has been their most productive offensively, scoring 39 points, but opponents have put up 90 during that same period.

Things haven’t improved much after halftime.

Nicholls has scored 23 third-quarter points while allowing 56. But the fourth quarter is where the numbers become especially concerning.

The Colonels have scored just eight points in the fourth quarter through seven games, while their opponents have scored 66.

Overall, Nicholls has been outscored 289-98 this season, including 122-31 in the second half.

Northwestern State has a different set of problems.

The Demons have scored 30 first-quarter points while allowing 91. In the second quarter, Northwestern State has scored 48 points but has given up 107.

Coming out of halftime has been particularly difficult for the Demons.

Northwestern State has managed just three points in the third quarter all season while allowing 91.

However, the fourth quarter tells a completely different story.

The Demons have scored 52 fourth-quarter points while allowing just 38. It’s the only quarter this season in which Northwestern State has outscored its opponents.

Overall, Northwestern State has been outscored 327-133.

These numbers are interesting when looking at Saturday’s matchup.

Nicholls has struggled to finish games, while Northwestern State has shown the ability to put points on the scoreboard late.

Now, it’s fair to point out that both teams have been involved in several games with large scoring margins. Those situations can affect how teams approach the fourth quarter.

Still, if this game remains competitive entering the final 15 minutes, it will be interesting to see whether those trends continue.

Defensive Struggles for Both Programs

Neither Nicholls nor Northwestern State has been particularly strong defensively this season.

The Colonels are allowing 41.3 points and 443.7 yards per game. Opponents are averaging 203.3 rushing yards and 240.4 passing yards against Nicholls.

Northwestern State is allowing even more points, surrendering 46.7 per game while giving up 439.7 yards of total offense.

Both teams have also struggled to get off the field on third down.

Opponents are converting 47.3% of their third-down attempts against Nicholls, while Northwestern State is allowing conversions on 51.9% of those opportunities.

Those are numbers that have to improve if either team expects to start winning more consistently.

Turnovers could also be a factor Saturday.

Northwestern State has lost nine fumbles this season, compared to four for Nicholls.

If the Colonels can force turnovers and give their offense better field position, it could make a difference in a game where both defenses have struggled.

What Nicholls Needs to Do Saturday

Establish the running game. Northwestern State is allowing more than 219 rushing yards per game. Nicholls needs to get Hoffman and Lee involved early and avoid constantly putting its quarterback in obvious passing situations.

Find consistency at quarterback. Regardless of who starts, Nicholls needs better execution. The Colonels don’t necessarily need 300 passing yards, but they do need to protect the football and sustain drives.

Get off the field defensively. Allowing opponents to convert nearly half of their third downs has been a problem all season. Nicholls needs better tackling and more pressure up front.

Finish drives with touchdowns. Nicholls has scored touchdowns on just eight of its 15 red-zone trips this season. Against a defense that allows nearly 47 points per game, the Colonels need to capitalize on opportunities.

Play four quarters. The fourth-quarter scoring numbers are concerning. Nicholls has to show it can execute from the opening kickoff through the final whistle, especially against a team that has had more success scoring late.

What’s Next for Nicholls?

Regardless of what happens Saturday, Nicholls still has plenty of work ahead.

Following Northwestern State, the Colonels travel to McNeese, return home to face East Texas A&M, visit UIW, and close the regular season against Southeastern Louisiana.

At this point, I don’t think anyone can make the argument that Nicholls is close to competing with the better teams in the Southland Conference.

The losses to Lamar, Houston Christian, and Stephen F. Austin have shown there is still a significant gap between the Colonels and some of the conference’s top programs.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything left to play for.

The coaching staff needs to continue evaluating the roster, figuring out what is working and making adjustments where necessary.

That includes the offensive line, quarterback position, defensive execution, and the ability to finish drives.

Nicholls has dealt with injuries and changes throughout the season, but improvement still needs to happen with the players available.

There are opportunities remaining to build some momentum heading into next season.

Saturday would be a good place to start.

Final Thoughts

This is an interesting matchup because neither team has played particularly well this season, but both have an opportunity to change that Saturday.

Northwestern State may be winless, but the Demons are coming off a competitive performance against McNeese and have actually been more productive offensively than Nicholls throughout the year.

The Colonels, meanwhile, have struggled to put points on the board and haven’t shown much consistency on either side of the football.

On paper, both offenses should have opportunities against defenses that have struggled all season.

But that’s on paper.

For Nicholls, this is about getting back in the win column, showing improvement and finding something positive to build on over the final month of the season.

For Northwestern State, it’s an opportunity to get its first win, celebrate Homecoming and bring the NSU Challenge Trophy back to Natchitoches.

There’s also the history of this rivalry, which gives the game a little more meaning than the records might suggest.

The Battle of the Real NSU is still something worth playing for.

And for both teams, Saturday is an opportunity to show they’re capable of more than what we’ve seen so far this season.