THIBODAUX, La. — Nicholls did not play a perfect football game Thursday night, but the Colonels did exactly what they needed to do in a season opener.

They won.

Nicholls overcame an uneven start, settled into its new offense and eventually overwhelmed Mississippi Valley State, 44-10, at John L. Guidry Stadium. The Colonels scored the first 44 points of the game, built a 37-0 halftime lead and used a combination of explosive plays, improved balance and a disruptive defense to take control.

For head coach Tommy Rybacki, the first takeaway was simple: Nicholls is 1-0.

Rybacki said afterward that getting the season-opening win was “not easy,” even if the final score made it look that way. The Colonels came out of fall camp knowing there were still areas that needed to be identified, and Thursday gave them a much clearer picture of what is working and what still needs attention.

There were early mistakes. There were offensive stretches that took time to settle. There were turnovers.

There were also 515 yards of offense, three defensive interceptions and a night in which Mississippi Valley State never scored an offensive touchdown.

That gave Nicholls plenty to build on.

Offense Finds Its Rhythm

The Colonels did not come flying out of the gate offensively.

There were a couple of difficult early drives, and Ean Rodrigue had to respond after an early interception. Once Nicholls began getting into better down-and-distance situations and found more opportunities to use play action, the offense began to look much more comfortable.

That is when the explosive plays started coming.

Rodrigue connected with Jordan Smith for a 59-yard touchdown in the first quarter, then found Greg Donaldson for a 74-yard score just over two minutes later. In a short stretch, Nicholls went from searching for an offensive rhythm to holding a 14-0 lead.

Rodrigue settled in from there and finished 16-of-25 for 264 yards and three touchdowns.

The production was not limited to one or two targets. Donaldson finished with 100 receiving yards on three catches, while Smith made the most of his opportunities with two catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns. Nicholls finished with 347 passing yards and spread the football around throughout the night.

Rodrigue was credited after the game for his leadership through the difficult opening stretch, and the offense showed it could recover from early mistakes instead of allowing them to define the night.

That may have been as important as any individual stat.

Smith, Rodrigue and the New-Look Passing Game

Smith’s night was one of the clearest examples of what Nicholls hopes the new offense can become.

His two receptions both went for touchdowns, including the 59-yard score that opened the scoring and a 21-yard touchdown late in the second quarter.

After the game, Smith talked about the trust he felt from Rodrigue and what it meant to get back on the field after a difficult previous season. He also pointed to two long third-down conversions as an encouraging sign for the receiving group and the offense as a whole.

The biggest difference in the new system, at least from the receiver perspective, was not hard for Smith to explain.

“Every receiver would have the same answer, but we get the ball,” Smith said.

That attitude showed throughout the night.

Nicholls did not simply rely on one receiver or one type of throw. The Colonels were able to push the ball downfield, get multiple players involved and give Rodrigue options across the field.

For an offense that is still learning and developing, that kind of confidence can matter.

Ground Game Gives Nicholls Balance

The explosive passing plays grabbed the early attention, but the ground game helped turn the night into a complete offensive performance.

Rybacki highlighted the running game afterward as one of the more encouraging areas from the opener, particularly the ability to sustain a drive almost entirely on the ground.

That balance showed up most clearly in the second quarter.

Tamaj Hoffman scored twice, once from 13 yards and again from seven, as Nicholls began to lean more heavily on the run. Hoffman finished with 53 yards on seven carries, while the Colonels rushed for 168 yards as a team.

That gave Nicholls 515 total yards between the passing and rushing games.

The run game is still an area the Colonels want to continue improving from week to week, but Thursday gave them a strong starting point. They were able to hit explosive plays through the air, then turn around and control drives on the ground.

For a new offensive system, that type of balance is exactly what Nicholls wanted to see.

Defense Responds and Creates Opportunities

While the offense took some time to get comfortable, the defense helped make sure Mississippi Valley State never gained real control of the game.

There were some rough moments early, but the response was strong.

Nicholls generated takeaways, made key stops and repeatedly kept the Delta Devils from turning drives into points. By the end of the night, the Colonels had intercepted Mississippi Valley State three times and held the Delta Devils to just 79 passing yards.

Most importantly, Mississippi Valley State never reached the end zone offensively.

Its only touchdown came on a 95-yard interception return in the fourth quarter. The Delta Devils’ only offensive points came later on a 34-yard field goal.

Antoine Okelo-Johnson, Jhamal Shelby Jr. and Zavian Dilworth each recorded an interception for Nicholls, and those takeaways repeatedly gave the offense favorable opportunities.

That was especially important when Nicholls made mistakes of its own.

Instead of allowing early turnovers or tough offensive possessions to change the momentum of the game, the defense kept responding. It made Mississippi Valley State earn everything and consistently prevented the Delta Devils from taking advantage of the chances they were given.

That response helped set the tone for the rest of the night.

Colonels Put It Away Before Halftime

By the middle of the second quarter, Nicholls had complete control.

Kingston Phan’s 42-yard field goal extended the lead to 17-0 before Hoffman’s two rushing touchdowns made it 31-0.

Then came one of the biggest sequences of the night.

With less than a minute remaining in the half, Nicholls was already firmly in control. Another defensive takeaway gave the offense one more opportunity, and Rodrigue quickly took advantage, finding Smith for a 21-yard touchdown with 30 seconds remaining.

In less than half a minute, Nicholls turned a commanding lead into a 37-0 halftime advantage.

That sequence showed how quickly the Colonels could turn a defensive play into points.

Damondrick Blackburn added a two-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to make it 44-0, giving Nicholls an opportunity to work more players into the game and get valuable reps across the roster.

Three quarterbacks attempted passes, multiple running backs carried the football and a wide group of receivers got involved.

For a season opener, those snaps matter.

A Starting Point, Not a Finished Product

The final score was convincing, but the postgame message was not that Nicholls had everything figured out.

Far from it.

Rybacki made it clear that the opener helped identify areas the Colonels still need to work on. The new offense remains a learning process. The run game needs to keep improving. Nicholls threw two interceptions and had stretches offensively where the execution was not as clean as it needed to be.

But the positives were easy to find.

Rodrigue responded well after early adversity. The receivers created explosive plays. The ground game showed improvement. The defense forced turnovers and kept Mississippi Valley State’s offense out of the end zone.

Most importantly, the Colonels found out a little more about who they are, saw several areas they can build on and opened the season with a convincing win.

They are 1-0.