Nicholls Defense Crashes the FCS Party
Nicholls State helped kick off the FCS season with a statement, knocking off No. 4 Incarnate Word 20-6 on Saturday. How did the Colonels pull off the upset? The answer starts with a defense that dominated from start to finish. Nicholls held Incarnate Word to just 16 rushing yards and 188 passing yards. That’s 204 total yards against a team that averaged 442 per game last season.
Yes, teams change from year to year. But this wasn’t about Incarnate Word falling off. This was Nicholls controlling the game. So the real question is, what exactly did the Colonels do to slow down this offense?
Tackles for Loss & Sacks
Tackles for loss are one of the great equalizers in football. They put the offense behind the sticks and force a change in rhythm. Nicholls made a habit of that on Saturday, keeping Incarnate Word in second and third and long for most of the game. The Colonels finished with 11 tackles for loss, consistently disrupting plays before they could develop.
Nicholls also recorded four sacks, two of which were strip sacks that led to major negative plays. Not only did they get to the quarterback, but they created momentum-shifting moments that set Incarnate Word back even further. These weren’t just sacks. They were drive killers.
Takeaways
Nicholls came away with three interceptions on the day, including one returned for a touchdown. That early pick-six flipped the momentum and set the tone for everything that followed. Incarnate Word struggled to find a rhythm from that point on. Each turnover stopped a drive and shifted field position in Nicholls' favor.
On their first takeaway of the day, the Colonel defense ran a variation of Cover 3 out of a drop-eight look. Watching the TV copy live, it looked like a squat corner in Cover 2, but that wasn’t the case. The safety read the curl-flat route perfectly and made an incredible break on the ball. It was a simple concept, but a textbook execution of Cover 3 principles.
The second interception came off a well-designed simulated pressure. Nicholls showed a one-high look pre-snap and brought a weak-side overload pressure, but spun into a two-high shell and played a Cover 2 variation. The corner executed his sink technique perfectly, sitting on the sail route and waiting on the throw. Pressure on the quarterback combined with a post-snap coverage shift is a proven formula for success. The Colonels executed it flawlessly in the red zone.
The final interception was all about awareness and instinct from the middle-of-field safety in Cover 3. From the snap, the quarterback locked in on the single receiver and took a shot down the field. The post safety read his eyes the entire way, trusted his instincts, and jumped the route. Sometimes you just have to feel it and pull the trigger.
3rd Down & Red Zone Defense
Incarnate Word converted just 3 of 16 third downs and went 2 for 4 in the red zone. Both red zone trips ended in field goals, not touchdowns. Nicholls didn’t just get stops. They got them in the most critical moments of the game.
The first red zone series is a perfect example of Nicholls' ability to reset the line of scrimmage. They did it on both first and second down, setting up a tough third down. On that play, they brought interior pressure with a five-man rush, collapsing the pocket and forcing the quarterback to throw a screen pass into the dirt. Textbook disruption.
On their second red zone trip, Incarnate Word leaned on the passing game. On first and second down, Nicholls' corners flew downhill to make quick tackles in the flat. Then on third down, the Colonels brought a variation of the “Bear 1 Rat” pressure path, but with zone coverage behind it. The middle hook defender nearly came up with his second interception of the day. Another standout red zone series for the Colonels.
The third red zone visit followed a familiar pattern. Nicholls shut down the run game on early downs, forcing Incarnate Word into the air. They finally connected on a big play, but it was called back for a penalty. On the very next snap, Nicholls came up with the interception already outlined above. Coming away with no points in the fourth quarter added even more pressure to an already struggling Incarnate Word offense.
On the final red zone visit we’ll cover, Incarnate Word ran into more misfortune. After calling a screen on 3rd and 12 that set up 4th and 1, a penalty backed them up to 4th and 11. Now in a must-score situation, Nicholls brought a five-man fire zone that attacked the center, forcing the quarterback to scramble. He lobbed a pass into the end zone that looked like it had a chance, but the corner made a last-second play to knock it away. Another red zone stand for the Colonels.
Limiting Big Plays
On this 3rd and long, the Colonels dropped into a soft Cover 2, creating a high-low bracket on the single receiver. It was another example of how Nicholls used simple coverages with sound technique to take away deep shots and force check downs.
Once again, the middle-of-field post safety read the quarterback’s eyes and broke on the throw with perfect timing. The pass was contested by multiple defenders, showing how well Nicholls swarmed to the ball and played with discipline on the back end.
This was the one time Incarnate Word managed to get a receiver behind the defense, but they still couldn’t connect on the big play. That inability to strike downfield frustrated them all game. As highlighted in the takeaways section, Nicholls consistently bracketed deep routes and forced the quarterback to check it down. Over time, Incarnate Word showed they were not willing to stay patient, and the Colonels took advantage.
Conclusion
Nicholls State didn’t just beat a top-five team. They dismantled one of the most explosive offenses in the FCS with a game plan built on discipline, disguise, and relentless execution. Whether it was shutting down the run, taking the ball away, or locking down in the red zone, the Colonels played with a level of confidence that left Incarnate Word out of answers. This wasn’t a fluke. It was a blueprint.