Exclusive: Nicholls Coach Previews LSU Matchup

Nicholls head coach Tim Rebowe joined Matt Moscona on After Further Review this week to discuss a number of topics. The Colonel coach talked about the transfer portal, his team preparing for LSU and more.

On the Nicholls roster that features 12 pre-season first team all-Southland Conference selections…

It might be the best we’ve had. We were talking about it the other day, too. Might be the one of the best defensive teams we’ve had since we’ve been here. And we’ve had some marquee players, you know, stay across the defensive line with Sully Laiche and linebacker like Alan Titman. But you know, not as many. We’re deep across the line, linebackers depth and in the secondary. We can really run. I really like our defense. We got some skill guys, but not as loaded on the offensive line as we are on the other side of the ball. 

On the transfer portal affecting FCS rosters…

It really hasn’t because we’ve always been able to recruit local high schools. You know, we build those relationships with the coaches and with the kids and try to get them to come here. And now even more so we’re going to do it because I think today the big (college programs), they’re not recruiting the high school athletes as much. You know, they’re going to go get them a guy maybe from UL to go to LSU because they can build some depth. The guy that has two or three years of college experience rather than get a high school guy. So we’ve always recruited the high schoolers and even more so now. 

On FCS rosters losing players to FBS programs…

I think you have to worry about it. But I’m not going to lose sleep over it, because I figure, like this Jalen Spears from Brother Martin, conference player of the year last year, if somebody comes and gets him after this year, he he’s given us two really good years, meaning we’re doing something right and winning some football games, you know. So we have to just keep developing. But, you know, we’re not the only ones. I think everybody’s a junior college now in college because if somebody’s going to always have a little bigger bag maybe to say to get to get some of these guys. 

On his experiences in Tiger Stadium with ULL and ULM previously…

Great venue. Great place to play. I do think this. It’s not like I was at the University of Alabama and the Crimson Tide is coming in Tiger Stadium. It’s not A&M coming into there. When we came in, and it’s gonna be the same thing this weekend, it’s gonna be loud. They’re gonna be getting on us. But when you had the first kick off, and you go down there and you make that first hit, I think some of that’s going to wear off. And I don’t know if they gonna be as loud, but I shouldn’t say that, I don’t know. It could be loud. Hey, we get down in the south endzone, who knows, huh? 

On his scheduling philosophy with FBS opponents

I really wish we could play just one game on the road. You know, the experience, developing our players, and it’s going to help us down the road. Last year, we did, we played TCU, and we played Tulane. We’ve played some before. We played Texas A&M. We played South Alabama. You know, we played those schools. I like it for our guys. I like fpr us to travel a little bit. I really like what we did this year, playing two in-state opponents right away. I think it’s good for our program, you know, they’re familiar with the with the schools. You get a lot of publicity like this week we’re getting, you know, for our program. For us, the payday to go to Baton Rouge where you know, we’re making it a day trip, Matt, we just we going on Saturday, you know, so you don’t have a flight. You don’t have to pay a hotels. You don’t have all the expenses. So it can help you program. 

On playing LSU meaning more than other Power 4 programs…

Absolutely. I mean, look, you said we have 90 something. I think we got like 93 players from Louisiana. Well, of course they all grew up, I think the majority wanting to play in Tiger Stadium. They know what it is. So, to get a chance to go back to play the flagship school, the state school, right, right here in, in the backyard. I think it’s gonna be exciting for them. And you know what it’s gonna do to all the parents, all the people working up and down the river, all the the stuff that’s been going on, all the tailgating. I think it’s a win-win situation for us. 

On what he learned in the opener at Louisiana Tech…

Yeah, I learned how hard we played, the effort, again. No quit in them. The fight that they have in them, I know we can really run on defense, can really get after a little bit, and I do think we’re going to be OK on offense…We’ll be able to move the ball. Now, the thing is too, you know, we’re going to be able to show some improvement this week. The old saying from Week 1 to Week 2. That just might not show up because of the opponent that you’re playing. 

On the biggest challenges gameplanning for LSU…

They’re so big and athletic. They’re so strong up front on the defensive and offensive lines. I worry about that. I think, in these types of games, that that’s where the difference is. Look, we have some skill players, they have tremendous skill players. But uh, I think it’s up front and I worry about that, you know, trying to line up if they just want to just take it and pound the ball right down your throat. Or, us trying to better run the football a little bit so. That that’s going to be a big challenge for us. 

On what excites him about his team getting into Southland Conference play… 

I do know Southland Conference play has gotten so much better over the years. It’s a different scale, but anybody can beat anybody week in and week out. But we have a lot of experience, and we have experience that I like. But you know, we got off to a rough start last year. (The players are) resilient and bounce back and said, “hey, we’re getting the conference, we know we can be a good football team”. So, we just got to continue to do the little things to improve, the little execution things that we can do, the communication things that we can do to get better each week, and hopefully by Week 5 and 6 when we get in the conference play we’ll be starting to play some really good football.