Analysis: It’s time for NSU to win

I admit it – I’m one of the biggest Charlie Stubbs homers around.

I like pretty much everything about the way the third-year coach runs the Colonels’ program.

The organization is first-class. The team’s practices are crisp and precise and everyone seems to be on the same page.

That philosophy has carried into the classroom where Nicholls has cleaned up its act and has drastically improved its APR score under the coach.

Sure, some might shun academics to the side. But to an old-school guy like me, it is very important that a program produces a few students on the Dean’s List every now and again.

Nicholls does that and it’s a pleasant change from what I’m used to when dealing with college athletes.

And away from everything football related, Stubbs just seems to be a genuinely good guy.

He truly seems to care about his players, the program and the local media.

Every encounter I’ve had with the coach has been as pleasant as can be expected.

But with all of the pleasantries exchanged, let’s get to business – it’s time for the Colonels to blossom in their rebuilding process and see some success in the standings.

Since taking over in Thibodaux, Stubbs has just a 5-17 record.

I’m willing to overlook the team’s lack of victories for a number of reasons.

The first is because of the change in culture.

When taking over at Nicholls, the coach flattened the team’s triple option attack and shifted to a spread offense.

For those unfamiliar with football or its complex terminology, this is like telling an apple that it needs to taste like an orange – the offenses are vastly different and are polar opposites.

It’s only fair for one to expect that this would be a transition that takes a few seasons to master. It’s only natural for Stubbs to need some time to fully find success in the name of victories.

Away from the offensive changes, the Colonels have just had rotten luck under its coach.

Last season, Nicholls was ravished by injuries worse than any program I’ve even seen in my 20-plus years as a sports fan.

Literally half of its depth chart missed time due to a nick or a bruise.

Some of the injuries were for just a game or two. But many were for the entire season.

The short-term injuries prohibited the team from having elite chemistry of the top-tier teams in the Southland Conference.

The season-ending injuries forced freshmen into the lineup too early. It was all a perfect storm for disaster and the team’s 1-10 record was not a giant surprise.

But now is the time for the team to turn things around.

The Colonels seem to be fully healthy and have a full roster for the first time in the Stubbs’ era.

The team has more big bodies than ever before (thanks to increased efforts to recruit offensive and defensive linemen) and Nicholls seems in a better position to avoid being gutted up front in games.

Their depth also allows them to overcome an injury or two that will occur in practice or games.

That’s not a luxury the team has had in each of the past two seasons.

With the able bodies, the team has experience.

The Colonels now have the injuried players back hungry to reclaim their spots. They also have the guys who filled in during 2011 who are eager to prove they have matured and progressed enough to keep the starting job.

Simply put – Nicholls has competition within its team for the first time in the Stubbs era.

And competition breeds success within any program.

But more important than any factor – the Colonels have desperation and hunger.

The players within the Nicholls program are just flat-out tired of losing.

They do not want to have another one-win season. They don’t want to even have a losing season period – these guys are ready to win at a high level.

I can see it in the eyes of players. I can hear it in their tone of voice – the Colonels get agitated when asked about their recent failures.

I know that doesn’t sound like much on the surface, but a little bit of extra motivation can go a long way to helping a program turn things around.

In close games, that small amount of added hunger can be the difference between a close win and a close loss.

Truthfully, the close losses have been the ones that have plagued the Colonels the most in recent years. These guys haven’t been far away from the winner’s circle in the past two seasons.

It appears to be that the Colonels have all the motivation they need to flip their 2010 record around.

The Southland Conference has a history of programs going from the bottom to the top in a short span of time.

It’s possible – it can be done.

Now it’s just time to go out there and do it.

I love Charlie Stubbs as much as anyone in the area – I was one of the few who supported his hiring.

It’s year three now and it’s time for results to be seen in the standings.

This is a very big year for Colonels’ football.