Get to Know a Pac-12 Non-Conference Opponent Countdown: Nicholls State Colonels
By Mike Vamosi
With football season inching closer and closer the Autzen Zoo presents a countdown of the 32 non-conference teams we’ll see Pac-12 teams play in 2012. Kicking off the list are the Nicholls State Colonels who went 1-10 and 0-7 in the Southland Conference. Nicholls will open their season in Corvallis, Oregon, against Oregon State at Reser Stadium.
Why are the Colonels last on countdown? It’s not how they lost but by how many. Nicholls allowed 34.5 points a game scoring only 18 per contest. They won their first game 42-0 over Evangel which is an NAIA school and was their only win last season.
Nicholls is a member of the Southland Conference of the Football Championship Subdivision (formally I-AA) until a couple years ago. The conference had FCS runner-up Sam Houston State which lost to North Dakota State in the national title game.
Oregon State will host this SLC opponent on September 1 at 12:00 p.m. PST, which again will be the opener for each team. Starting QB LaQuintin Caston of Baton Rouge, who started 9-of-10 games last season, figures to get the first shot. Caston threw for 870 yard with eight TD passes while rushing for 707 and five touchdowns.
Running back Jesse Turner is one of the teams top returning threats having caught 15 passes for 126 yard with one touchdown. Senior linebacker Jordan Piper of Ponchatoula, Louisiana returns off an 81 tackle junior campaign.
2012 Nicholls State Colonels Schedule
- @Oregon State 9/1
- @South Alabama 9/8
- @Tulsa 9/15
- Evangel 9/22
- @Central Arkansas 10/6
- Sam Houston State 10/13
- @Stephen F. Austin 10/20
- @Northwestern State 10/27
- McNeese State 11/3
- @Lamar 11/10
- Southeastern Louisiana 11/15
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