1983 Nicholls State Colonels football team

The 1983 Nicholls State Colonels football team represented Nicholls State University as an independent during the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by third-year head coach Sonny Jackson, the Colonels compiled a record of 5–6. Nicholls State played home games at John L. Guidry Stadium in Thibodaux, Louisiana.

1983 Nicholls State Colonels football
Conference	Independent
Record	5–6
Head coach	Sonny Jackson (3rd season)
Home stadium	John L. Guidry Stadium
Seasons ← 1982 1984 →

1983 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 3 Holy Cross ^			–					9	–	1	–	1
No. 17 Tennessee State			–					8	–	2	–	1
No. 7 Colgate ^			–					8	–	3	–	0
Lehigh			–					8	–	3	–	0
Lafayette			–					6	–	4	–	0
Northeastern			–					6	–	4	–	1
Southeastern Louisiana			–					6	–	5	–	0
William & Mary			–					6	–	5	–	0
Nicholls State			–					5	–	6	–	0
Bucknell			–					4	–	5	–	1
Delaware			–					4	–	7	–	0
Northwestern State			–					4	–	7	–	0
James Madison			–					3	–	8	–	0
Richmond			–					3	–	8	–	0
Western Kentucky			–					2	–	8	–	1
^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 3	Lamar		John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA	W 21–14		[1]
September 10	at Troy State		Veterans Memorial Stadium Troy, AL	L 25–33	6,000	[2]
September 24	at No. 2 McNeese State		Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA	W 30–27	20,000	[3]
October 1	No. 4 Jackson State	No. 18	John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA	L 20–27		[4]
October 8	Southern		John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA	L 20–21		[5]
October 15	at No. 8 Northeast Louisiana		Malone Stadium Monroe, LA	L 27–47		[6]
October 22	Illinois State		John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA	L 29–34		[7]
October 29	Southwest Missouri State		John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA	W 33–7		[8]
November 5	Northwestern State		John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA (rivalry)	L 21–24		[9]
November 12	at UCF		Florida Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL	W 37–14	4,520	[10]
November 19	at Southeastern Louisiana		Strawberry Stadium Hammond, LA (rivalry)	W 6–0	2,000	[11]
Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game

^[12]

References

1. "Nicholls State tops Lamar". The Victoria Advocate. September 4, 1983. Retrieved November 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Troy St. 33–25". Daily World. September 11, 1983. Retrieved November 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Colonels stun McNeese". The Crowley Post-Signal. September 25, 1981. Retrieved March 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "JSU holds off Nicholls 27–20". The Clarion-Ledger. October 2, 1983. Retrieved August 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Southern University 21, Nicholls State 20". The Alexandria Daily Town Talk. October 9, 1983. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Indians win fifth straight". The Daily Advertiser. October 16, 1983. p. 39. Retrieved January 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Coppens boosts Illinois State". The South Bend Tribune. October 23, 1983. Retrieved November 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Colonels bomb SMS with aerial attack, 33–7". The Springfield News-Leader. October 30, 1983. Retrieved November 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Northwestern snaps skid, tops Nicholls". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. November 6, 1983. Retrieved November 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Nicholls State whips UCF, 37–14". The Tampa Tribune-Times. November 13, 1983. Retrieved November 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Nicholls St. blanks SLU". The Shreveport Times. November 20, 1983. Retrieved October 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Nicholls State University Athletics - 1983 Football Schedule" (PDF). Nicholls State University Department of Athletics. p. 63. Retrieved September 24, 2017.