PreGameDay: Week 1 Vs Nicholls State

The Colonels enter Manhattan 1-0 after a dominant 44-10 win over Mississippi Valley State to open the season. Though the score is entirely one sided, there were still some things the Delta Devils did well that they just couldn’t take advantage of.

For starters, MVSU’s defensive line consistently put the pressure on QB Ean Rodrigue. Rodrigue had passes batted and had to maneuver out of the pocket consistently in order to keep plays alive. Though the offensive line got better as the game went on, the run game wasn’t much of a factor either. Though MVSU’s defensive tackles are pretty big, none of their edge rushers crack 260lbs and they were still able to pressure that O-line. Imagine what guys like Jordan Allen and Wendell Gregory could do on Saturday if they get hot early.

Though MVSU had a decent game in the trenches, their secondary was a huge problem for much of the game. Rodrigue’s first two touchdowns were on easy passes over the middle and down the seam to open receivers with no one in front of them. Nicholls State really excels at getting the ball out quickly and filling open space. Rodrigue has no shortage of arm talent as he threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns with some nicely placed passes throughout.

Even with Rodrigue’s great performance, he was shaky in the beginning, throwing an interception on the first play of regulation. It felt like Nicholls state had a bad foundation to start the game, but had a chance to build confidence as the game progressed and MVSU kept removing big plays due to penalties.

Now focus back into tomorrow; the Cats are -40.5 favorites to win according to ESPN Bet with a 98.1% chance of victory. But Nicholls State is in year two with a new coach, they have a returning QB who got some playing time last season and went 3-2 in his starts, and they have a lot of targets for him to throw to, as 16 different Colonels caught a ball in their win last week. The Colonels may not be FBS, but they’re still capable of doing some damage on offense.

For K-State, the defense has to get pressure fast. There is a litany of talent on that front seven for KSU, talent that a team like Nicholls State hasn’t seen since 2024. But Head Coach Tommy Rybacki has created a system where short passes are the name of the game, so guys like Wendell Gregory are going to be the difference maker if they can get to Rodrigue early in the game.

Offensively, K-State has to simply keep the mistakes to a minimum. MVSU struggled in the passing game with QB Josh Brown throwing for three interceptions and only 44 yards on 11 completions. However, their QB run game was able to find a sliver of life as Brown ran for 62 yards on eight carries.

This is where the Avery of it all comes into play; Avery Johnson needs to let himself take open space if a pass play breaks down. It’s no secret that Matt Wells’ as Johnson’s QB coach forced the dual threat to play in a more stationary style, limiting Johnson’s ability to improvise and slowing the offense down. But this year brings a chance for change with a former dual threat QB in Collin Klein at head coach, so I expect Avery to have a bit of a return to form as a runner. And if Johnson lets loose in the backfield, it could be a perfect storm against a Nicholls State defense that lacks size in the trenches but has a good secondary.

Overall, Nicholls State is a team that hasn’t had to face a power four team in two years, and their history against power conference schools is pretty lackluster. But with their ability to stretch the field on offense and guard the air on defense, K-State needs young guys like JoJo Scott to step up defensively and the offense needs to ground and pound with Johnson and Jackson. Whether the Cats cover the spread or not, it is certain to be an exciting start to the year in a new era for Kansas State.