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Nicholls State Colonels

Game Information

Week: 1

Date: Saturday, September 5, 2026

Location: Bill Snyder Family Stadium – Manhattan, Kansas

Time: 6 PM CST

TV: ESPN+

Head Coach – Tommy Rybacki

Seasons at School (as head coach): 1

Coaching Record at School: 4-8

Overall Coaching Record: 4-8

2025 Results

Overall Record: 4-8

(#5 FCS) UIW: W – 20-6

Troy: L – 20-38

West Georgia: L – 10-34

Texas State: L – 3-35

Eastern Kentucky: L – 7-27

(#20 FCS) Lamar: L – 17-24

(#25 FCS) Stephen F. Austin: L – 7-34

McNeese: W – 31-7

HCU: W – 31-7

UTRGB: L – 21-28

Northwestern State: W – 26-21

(#21 FCS) Southeastern: L – 26-38

2025 Stat Leaders

Offense

Passing Yards: Hogan Deuce – 1049

Touchdown Passes: Ean Rodrigue – 6

Rushing Yards: Shane Lee – 636

Rushing Touchdowns: Shane Lee – 8

Receiving Yards: Miegule Brock Jr. – 340

Receiving Touchdowns: Hunter Everett – 3

Total Touchdowns: Shane Lee – 8

Defense

Tackles: Jake Dalmado – 101

Sacks: Jake Dalmado – 3.5

Tackles for Loss: Jake Dalmado & Ty Marsh – 7.5

Interceptions: Laurence Sullivan Jr. – 4

2026 Key Players

Offense

Quarterback: Ean Rodrigue

Offensive line: Ryan Bernard

Running back: Shane Lee

Wide Receiver / Tight End: Jacob Godrey

Defense

Defensive Line: Alex Villavaso

Linebacker: Kennon Loftin

Secondary: Jhamal Shelby Jr.

2026 Media Predictions

7th out of 10 teams in the Southland Conference

My Thoughts

I like this game infinitely more than starting the season off in Ireland against Iowa State. Nicholls is a mid- to lower-tier FCS team with enough talent to make things competitive but not enough to make them interesting. This is a season-long sprint for the Wildcats, and the Colonels should provide a nice warm-up.

Coach Klein is going to kick off his coaching career with a win in a game that shouldn’t be close. This is one of those games where you want your starters to put in a solid, healthy first half and then turn things over to the reserves.

There are levels to college football, and Nicholls isn’t on K-State’s level.

Sometimes things are that simple.

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