SAN MARCOS– Family Weekend at Texas State is right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than to watch one of the most historical and unique rivals in all of college football. Texas State will look to get right after their first loss of the season as they host the Nicholls Colonels this Saturday at 7 p.m.
The rivalry dates back to 1980 when Texas State was still Division II and Nicholls was an independent in FCS. In 1984, Texas State and Nicholls joined the Gulf Star Conference, which only lasted four years, and then in 1991 the two schools joined the Southland Conference where they were competitive rivals for 20 years. In fact, these schools have played each other so much that Nicholls, to this day, is Texas State’s most-played out-of-state opponent. And just for added intrigue to the rivalry, the two programs are neck and neck, with Texas State claiming a 16-15 advantage.
“We just need to execute at a higher level, especially offensively like we did the first two weeks of the season,” Texas State head coach GJ Kinne said to the media. “Nicholls is really good, this team is going to give us problems, they’re going to get some stops, they’re going to make some plays too.”
This rivalry has a North Carolina-Duke feel to it, but what makes this matchup so unique is in 1998, right before the game between Nicholls and Texas State, floods hit San Marcos hard, bringing 20 inches of rain and causing the game to be postponed. About a month later, the game was rescheduled and played out, and Texas State came away with a thrilling 28-27 win.
Given the severity of the flood, and to create an added incentive while honoring the flood victims, both athletic departments created a trophy for the game. But this was not your typical trophy, rather a canoe paddle that was conveniently painted maroon and gold on one side and silver and red on the opposite. The joke was that “fans and players would need a boat and paddle to make it to the game.” This gave birth to one of college football’s most special rivalries.
With the devastating floods that Central Texas received this year, you bet Texas State will be playing with some added juice to make sure they win the Battle for the Paddle. The last time these teams met in 2019, the Bobcats won with ease, 24-3.
Nicholls is 1-2 on the season, their lone win coming against Incarnate Word. Their quarterback, Deuce Hogan, can sling it. He is already up to 519 passing yards on the season and three touchdowns. On the flip, Texas State’s Brad Jackson has thrown for 684 yards and six touchdowns.
“They have guys on scholarship, guys on NIL, they’re a good team. They were beating Troy in the 4th quarter, and they flat got after UIW and beat them on national television,” Kinne said. “Their linebackers are super smart. They got the safety back there that has multiple interceptions, probably one of the best players we will play all year.”
Texas State opens as a heavy favorite, as they should, although coming off what was a deflating performance at Arizona State last weekend. However, Bobcats fans can ease their minds because ASU is definitely the best team they will play all year.
It is important, though, for Texas State to get right before conference play begins, and this is a golden opportunity to do just that in front of the home crowd—and a little extra too because it is Family Weekend.
“This is going to be a big game for them,” Kinne said. “They’ve had a bye week coming into this game, so they are going to be healthy, they are going to have a scheme, and we are going to have to respond the right way and play our best brand of football in order to win.”
