Nicholls defense snaps back

Nicholls State University’s defense can best be described by the opening line of Dickens’ “Tale of Two Cities.”

Last week’s 72-0 trouncing by the Air Force Falcons was the worst of times.

Saturday’s 14-7 win against the Duquesne University Dukes was a completely different story, one the team looks to tell again against another Division I-FBS foe.

After giving up 571 total yards in their opening loss to Air Force, the Colonels’ defense was intent on making a better showing against the Dukes at home.

After all, a 72-0 loss is indicative of problems on both sides of the ball. It very well could have made Nicholls the conference’s laughingstock.

As a reminder of their woes, head coach Jay Thomas said he made the team do 72 of everything during calisthenics the following day.

The message was received.

Nicholls’ defense contained the Dukes’ offense, giving the Thibodaux-based team a foothold heading into Saturday’s showdown against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

Quarterback pressure kept the Dukes’ quarterbacks off balance. The defense managed nine sacks, forced three turnovers and blocked a field goal.

“They played hard and were put in a lot of difficult situations early on,” Thomas said. “You’ve got to tip your hat to them. They got the game ball.

“It was a hard week on all of us leading up to the game,” he added. “The guys were hurt. They were breaking records that they didn’t want to break. There were a lot of negative things that were said about the way they played in the opener. They were out to prove a point.”

By getting pressure on the quarterback, the defensive backfield was able to play a more laid back zone defense rather than a man-to-man scheme, which helped players in the secondary nursing minor injuries, the coach said.

The Dukes finished the night with 341 total offensive yards, a far cry from the 500-plus Air Force rushed for the previous game.

All-conference selection Zac Reddix finished second in tackles Saturday with nine. The senior said the defense went into the game refusing to be embarrassed again.

“It was great the way we came out, especially after last week when everybody was saying we were the embarrassment of the state,” Reddix said. “We made too many mistakes against Air Force, so a lot of that was on us. But we really simplified the defense this week. We just got the basic fundamentals down and after that everything fell into place.”

With their reputation intact, Reddix said it is important that the Colonels not ease up.

“It’s a huge confidence booster for everyone heading into Saturday,” he said. “We needed it and we expect to play better from here on out.”

Redshirt freshman quarterback Jacob Witt said he saw a difference in the defense in practice and on the field Saturday. Although the offense failed to score a lot of points, he credited the defense for giving the team confidence heading into the game against Louisiana Tech Saturday.

“Sometimes you have to get kicked in the mouth to wake up,” he said. “The defense was unbelievable out there. They won the game. They really stepped up and they took over the game from the beginning. It gives the whole team the confidence they need.”

Thomas said Nicholls’ needs a repeat performance from the defense and a little more consistency from the offense to beat the Bulldogs.

Mental mistakes at crucial times also hurt the Colonels’ defense. Against the Dukes, the Colonels had forced a fourth down but hurt themselves with an unsportsmanlike conduct and personal foul penalty.

“We had a few mental breakdowns where we gave them the ball for an extended time,” Thomas said. “We have to clean those things up defensively, but we’ll take care of that. It was a much better performance all around.

“There is no doubt about it, Louisiana Tech has a good football team with some great athletes,” he added. “We have to find a way to get the ball down the field and give our defense some rest.”

Reddix agreed, saying it will be important to maintain focus against the Bulldogs.

“This is what we needed, he said. “It’s a chip off of our shoulder and a chance to look at what we did right. We’ll build on it, and be ready to play.”