Sam Houston rolls past Nicholls, 59-0, in Huntsville

Bobby Autin • September 20, 2026

Nicholls Shut Out by Sam Houston in Tough 59-0 Road Loss

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Nicholls entered Saturday night looking to continue the momentum from a 2-1 start, but Sam Houston controlled the matchup from beginning to end in a 59-0 win over the Colonels at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium.

The Bearkats dominated nearly every major statistical category, finishing with 619 total yards while holding Nicholls to 163. Sam Houston was especially effective through the air, piling up 386 passing yards and five passing touchdowns, while the Colonels managed just 39 yards through the air.

Nicholls struggled to sustain drives throughout the night, finishing with only 10 first downs and converting just 1 of 15 third-down opportunities. Sam Houston, meanwhile, consistently stayed ahead of the chains, finishing with 26 first downs and converting 10 of 17 third downs.

The Bearkats also won the turnover battle 3-0, a major difference in a game where Nicholls had little margin for error.

Sam Houston strikes through the air

Sam Houston quarterback Landyn Locke was one of the biggest reasons the Bearkats were able to take control so quickly.

Locke completed 19 of 28 passes for 322 yards and four touchdowns without throwing an interception. He consistently found receivers downfield and helped Sam Houston create several explosive plays that kept the Nicholls defense under pressure.

Backup quarterback Brett Holloway also contributed, completing 3 of 4 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown. Holloway added another dimension on the ground as well, rushing eight times for 51 yards and a touchdown.

Sam Houston finished the night 22-of-32 passing for 386 yards and five touchdowns.

Kamari Maxwell led the receiving group with two catches for 86 yards and a touchdown. Tim Burns Jr. made his one reception count, taking it 65 yards for a score. Kyan Berry-Johnson added two receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown, while Chris Reed caught two passes for 59 yards.

Grady O'Neill finished with five receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown, while Darrick Bledsoe III added four catches for 36 yards and another score.

The ability to hit plays downfield was one of the biggest differences in the game. Sam Houston averaged 12.1 yards per pass attempt, while Nicholls averaged just 1.7.

Nicholls struggles to find rhythm offensively

The Colonels were unable to establish any consistency in the passing game.

Ean Rodrigue completed 7 of 21 passes for 39 yards and threw two interceptions. Preston Welch also saw action and finished 0-for-2.

Nicholls' longest completed pass went for only 12 yards, and the Colonels finished with seven total completions.

Jordan Smith led Nicholls with two receptions for 21 yards, while Karaaz Johnson caught two passes for 15 yards. Ellis Stewart added one reception for three yards, and Shane Lee had two receptions that totaled no yards.

The pressure on the passing game made it difficult for Nicholls to build long drives, and the Colonels were unable to create enough explosive plays to change field position.

Nicholls also turned the ball over three times overall. Rodrigue threw two interceptions, while Romeo Brown lost a fumble.

Railyn Adams and She'Fon Boyd each recorded an interception for Sam Houston.

Running game provides some production

Nicholls had more success on the ground, finishing with 124 rushing yards on 36 attempts.

Tamaj Hoffman led the Colonels with 56 yards on nine carries, averaging 6.2 yards per attempt. His longest run went for 20 yards.

Shane Lee carried the ball 11 times for 37 yards, while Damondrick Blackburn added 21 yards on four carries. Jayden Milton finished with 15 yards on five attempts.

Despite those numbers, Nicholls could not consistently pair its running success with production through the air, allowing Sam Houston to keep the Colonels in difficult down-and-distance situations.

Nicholls averaged 3.4 yards per carry as a team.

Sam Houston was much more productive on the ground, rushing for 233 yards on 43 attempts and averaging 5.4 yards per carry.

Jerrian Parker Jr. led the Bearkats with 52 yards on six carries, while Holloway added 51 yards. Alton McCaskill rushed for 41 yards and a touchdown, and Landan Brown also scored on the ground.

Sam Houston finished with three rushing touchdowns in addition to its five passing scores.

Colonels defense forced to stay on the field

Nicholls' defense spent much of the night trying to slow down a Sam Houston offense that was able to move the ball both through the air and on the ground.

The Bearkats held the ball for 35:31, compared to 24:29 for Nicholls.

Kristian Dillard led the Colonels with seven total tackles. Zavian Dilworth and Kevin Martin each finished with six tackles, while Logan Jackson recorded five.

Kennon Loftin, Gavin Duplechin, Charlie Diedrich and Kasai Jones each added four tackles.

Nicholls finished without a sack and recorded just one tackle for loss as a team.

Kevin Martin and Jhamal Shelby Jr. each recorded a pass breakup, but the Colonels were unable to force a turnover.

Sam Houston's offensive balance made the night especially difficult. The Bearkats could attack downfield when Nicholls tried to slow the run, while the rushing attack continued to pick up positive yardage and keep drives moving.

Third down and turnovers become major difference

Two statistics stood out in the final numbers: third-down efficiency and turnovers.

Nicholls went just 1-for-15 on third down, while Sam Houston converted 10 of 17 opportunities.

That allowed the Bearkats to extend drives while repeatedly forcing the Colonels to punt.

Nicholls punter Pharrell Harewood was called on 11 times, finishing with 423 punting yards and an average of 38.5 yards per punt. Four of those punts were downed inside the 20-yard line.

The three Nicholls turnovers also gave Sam Houston additional opportunities, while the Bearkats played turnover-free football.

Sam Houston's defense recorded two interceptions, one fumble recovery, one sack, six tackles for loss and five pass breakups.

Final numbers tell the story

Sam Houston finished with a 619-163 advantage in total offense.

The Bearkats led 386-39 in passing yards and 233-124 in rushing yards.

Sam Houston also had 26 first downs compared to 10 for Nicholls and held the ball for more than 35 minutes.

Both teams committed seven or more penalties, with Nicholls finishing with seven penalties for 66 yards and Sam Houston with eight for 70 yards.

The biggest difference remained offensive efficiency. Sam Houston consistently finished drives and created explosive plays, while Nicholls struggled to stay on the field and never reached the end zone.

The 59-0 loss drops Nicholls to 2-2 on the season and gives the Colonels their most difficult result of the young season.

Nicholls will now turn its attention back toward Southland Conference play, where the Colonels will look to regroup after a difficult night in Huntsville.

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Saints vs Ravens Preview

By Anthony Parker • September 20, 2026

The New Orleans Saints will find themselves matching up against one of the best teams in the NFL and an actual Super Bowl contender in the Baltimore Ravens. The Saints are coming off a tough road loss to the Detroit Lions last week. That game saw everything you did not want to see and everything you did want to see. The Saints started off slow, could not find an offensive rhythm, and struggled to run the ball early. Because of that, they found themselves down 21-0. But they fought, rallied back, forced overtime, and had a shot to win the game with a two-point conversion that was well played by the Detroit defense. In order for the Saints to pull off an upset as an 8.5-point road underdog, they cannot repeat those same mistakes. Under head coach Kellen Moore, slow starts have been normal for the team in black and gold, and the defense they are matching up against will absolutely be looking to continue that trend for the Saints. The good news for New Orleans is that they will be getting some reinforcements for this game, as Alvin Kamara will be making his season debut this Sunday in Baltimore. Kendre Miller was able to find success in the second half of the game last week, but adding Kamara brings back the dynamic running back that this team was building the running game around this offseason. Olave will also be looking to build on his dominant season-opening debut. The number one receiving target for QB Tyler Shough had nearly 200 yards receiving but will find himself matched up with Marlon Humphrey, one of the premier cornerbacks in the NFL. As for Tyler Shough, after such a dominant second half and overtime against the Lions, the question for him becomes: Can he carry that momentum into this game? That will determine a lot, but the competition is taking a major step up this week. This Ravens defense has elite talent at every single level. Trey Hendrickson at edge will definitely cause issues as a pass rusher. Roquan Smith is the leader of the defense in the middle, and Kyle Hamilton is a versatile safety who can line up anywhere. The offense will have to stay patient, stay on schedule, and ensure that it can limit third-and-long situations. The defense, however, will have its own set of issues—primarily two of the biggest problems the league has to offer on a single offensive unit: two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and one of the greatest running backs to ever play, Derrick Henry. The combination of Jackson and Henry is a running duo that causes defensive coordinators to lose sleep. Henry is coming off a game in which he rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns, and after seeing what the Saints defense allowed from Jahmyr Gibbs, it would be understandable to have concerns about this matchup for the rushing defense. Add to that the fact that Jackson is the most explosive running threat at the quarterback position ever, and you have yourself a very stressful situation. The issue with Jackson, though, is that in Week 1 he was also very polished throwing the football. Jackson finished with a 68% completion percentage, 324 passing yards, and one passing touchdown, while also adding 40 yards on the ground and another rushing touchdown. The Saints will have to get pressure on Jackson and cause issues in the backfield, even in the running game, but they have to do so with precision and rush-lane integrity. If they don't, Jackson will have the freedom to open the offense up to its full potential. In order for the Saints to pull off the upset, they have to control the clock by establishing the run and getting Shough into rhythm early. They will have to keep the Ravens offense off the field, and when they are on defense, they will have to win first down and force Baltimore into long third-down situations. By the end of the game, everyone will know whether the Saints are on the right track for this season or if they are still a few pieces away from challenging for the division and making a run in the playoffs.

Exterior of a stadium with overlaid text reading “WHAT IF THERE WAS NO PORTAL”

WHAT IF The Transfer Portal Never Existed! Defense Edition

By Patrick Harkness • September 19, 2026

Same rules as the offense: only original Tulane high-school recruits, including guys who later left. No portal arrivals (Ed Smith IV, Reshad Sterling, Derrick Shepard, Chris Rodgers, Jack Tchienchou, Anthony Rogers, Macho Stevenson, Dalton Hughes, Justin Agu, Kajuan Banks, etc.). Tulane’s current defense is a 4-2-5. Defensive line DE Geordan Guidry/Josh Lewis/Gerrod Henderson DT Kameron Hamilton/Maxie Baudoin DT Maxie Baudoin IV/Jordyn Crites Hamilton (Zachary HS) is the big keep, multi-year starter, 12 career sacks, back for a fifth year. Guidry (Ruston HS, 2024 class) is a homegrown edge still on the roster. Lewis is a young homegrown end. The 2025 CFP front was mostly portal/graduates (Harvey Dyson, Santana Hopper, Tre’Von McAlpine). Without the portal you don’t get those Power-4-bound imports or the 2026 replacements (Smith, Sterling, Shepard). Bandit (hybrid DE/OLB) Matthew Fobbs-White/Jah’rie Garner/Warren Roberts Jr Garner (St. Augustine, New Orleans) is already the 2026 starter and a true homegrown product. Fobbs-White (Neville, Monroe) signed with Tulane, became a 2024 starter at bandit, then left for Baylor. In this world he never leaves, so you have a proven local edge duo instead of leaning on portal rushers. Linebackers MLB Makai Williams/Jesus Machado WLB Cory Platt Jr/Dickson Agu/JC Joseph Agu (Dutchtown, Geismar) is a homegrown starter right now. Williams (Cibolo Steele, TX, 2023 class) is a long-time Tulane recruit and the next man up. Chris Rodgers, the current WLB, came from Troy with Sumrall, so he doesn’t count here. The room loses portal depth (Dalton Hughes) but keeps two original Wave LBs who already play. Secondary CB E’zaiah Shine/Jahiem Johnson CB Reyshaun Pleasant/Armani Cargo Spear Javion White/Micheal Igbinoghene SS Kevin Adams III/Josh Simms FS Kentrell Webb/Joshua Moore Shine (Mainland, FL, 2024 class) is already a 2026 starter. Nicholas is a West Jefferson / Harvey product. Adams (Destrehan) is a homegrown safety and current starter. Moore (Clear Falls, TX) was a 2023 signee and would start at free safety instead of Troy transfer Jack Tchienchou. Javion White (playmaking sophomore safety/nickel who left for Houston) and Jahiem Johnson (starting CB, 4 INTs in 2025, left for Arkansas) were developed at Tulane after signing there. If they stay, the back seven is actually one of the stronger parts of this hypothetical. Jayden Lewis, a 4-star 2025 high-school signee who later entered the portal, adds another homegrown corner. Bottom line The back seven is playable Agu, Adams, Shine, Garner, Williams, Moore, plus leavers like Fobbs-White, White, and Johnson. The front is the problem. Without portal D-linemen, you’re asking Hamilton and a bunch of younger homegrown ends/tackles to replace an entire CFP rotation that walked to Power 4 schools. Special Teams K Patrick Durkin P William Carroll LS Jason Arrendendo If I’m missing anyone please let me know. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X