TXST FOOTBALL
The Bobcats enter their final non-conference game of the season to renew an old rivalry as Texas State takes on the Nicholls Colonels in the Battle for the Paddle.
Nicholls started their season off with a bang, upsetting the No. 5ranked Incarnate Word Cardinals 20-6 in the season opener during Week 0.
In their Week 2 showdown against Troy, Nicholls led 17-10 going into the fourth quarter before the Trojans outscored the Colonels 28-3 to win 38-20.
Last week against the West Georgia Wolves, Nicholls was unable to get their offense going and fell to West Georgia 34-10.
The Colonels are led by senior quarterback Deuce Hogan, who has passed for 519 yards and three touchdowns. Against West Georgia, Hogan passed for 114 yards and one touchdown. On the ground, Nicholls is led by sophomore running back Miequle Brock Jr., who leads the team in rushing with 28 carries for 117 yards and one touchdown. Brock Jr. also leads the team in receiving with 11 catches for 126 yards and one touchdown.
Offensively, the Colonels average 16.6 points per game.
Defensively, senior linebacker Hayden Shaheen leads the team in total tackles with 29 along with 12 solo tackles. Defensive back Ethan Lee is second in total tackles with 29 and leads the team in solo tackles with 14 and interceptions with two.
As a defensive unit, the Colonels allow an average of 26 points through three games.
The series between Texas State and Nicholls dates back to 1980 and became one of the fiercest rivalries in the Southland Conference, with a unique history.
Both the Bobcats and Colonels met during the 1980 season and the 1982 season when Texas State was still in Division II and Nicholls was an independent in FCS.
Texas State and Nicholls helped found the Gulf Star Conference in 1984, forming a new conference along with Northwestern State, Sam Houston, Southeastern Louisiana and Stephen F. Austin that would compete at the FCS level.
The Gulf Star Conference only lasted four seasons before Texas State, Northwestern State, Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin joined the Southland while Nicholls and Southeastern Louisiana remained independent.
Despite no longer belonging to the same conference during this time span from 1987-1990, Nicholls remained an opponent for Texas State, playing four straight years as non-conference opponents.
Nicholls later opted to join the Southland Conference in 1991, where the series between the Bobcats and Colonels returned as a conference matchup, where it would remain until the 2011 season.
In 1998, the series took an unexpected turn, creating one of the most unique college football ri- valry trophies.
The original game between Texas State and Nicholls was scheduled to take place Oct. 17 of the 1998 season during homecoming for the Bobcats. However, San Marcos was hit with torrential rainfall, bringing an estimated 20 inches of rainfall, causing severe flooding. The game was moved to Nov. 28 later in the season.
Looking to add both an incentive for the players and honor the victims of the flood, both athletic departments came up with the Paddle Trophy, a canoe paddle painted maroon and gold on one side, red and silver on the other. The running joke between fanbases that emerged was that fans “needed a boat and a paddle just to see the game.”
The game ended in a 28-27 win for the Bobcats after quarterback Spergon Wynn hit D’Angleo Torres for two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to seal the game. As time expired, defensive back Darrick Vaughn became the first Bobcat player to touch the paddle trophy as Texas State celebrated the victory and the creation of what would be known as the Battle of the Paddle.
The Battle for the Paddle continued on through the 2011 season until Texas State made the transition to FBS.
However the ending of the Battle for the Paddle as a conference series again added another chapter to the history of the rivalry.
During the 2010 season, Nicholls defeated Texas State 47-45 in a thrilling game to bring back the Paddle trophy. In the lead-up to their showdown in 2011, Texas State began the process of leaving FCS to become an FBS program and briefly became an independent.
Nicholls argued because Texas State was transitioning to FBS and now had a scholarship advantage, the game was no longer even. As former Nicholls Head Coach Charlie Stubbs put it in a now infamous quote “we ain’t bringing the damn thing.” Texas State created a new Paddle trophy and defeated Nicholls 3812.
The Battle for the Paddle was brought back for the 2019 season as Texas State and Nicholls met once again in the 31st meeting between the two teams, ending with the Bobcats winning 24-3.
Texas State leads the overall series 16-15 and leads the Battle for the Paddle series at 9-6.
Kickoff for Texas State-Nicholls is set for 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20 at UFCU Stadium in San Marcos.
