Nov. 8, 2007

THIBODAUX, La. - Nicholls will host Texas State on Saturday in John L. Guidry Stadium at 2 p.m. to conclude the home portion of their 2007 schedule. The game will also be the last home game for 20 seniors, which all of them will be recognized before the game.

"Texas State always plays us tough and down to the wire, and I would not be surprised if that happens again this year," said head coach Jay Thomas. "Our seniors have meant so much to our program and the university over the last four years, and although we are sad to see them go, we are happy that they chose to make us (Nicholls) a part of their lives."

Seniors that will be recognized before the game with their parents and siblings will be Matt Blanchard, Jermaine Boggan, Lester Brooks, Broderick Cole, Sean Comeaux, Dominic Cooper, Jesse Frazier, Benjamin Gombossy, Mike Heyl, Cal Jones, Andre Kelly, Jared Landrum, Collin Moore, Kareem Moore, Zack Morgan, Michael Okoronkwo, Alex Romero, Jordan Stone, Grant Thorne, and Joseph Tobias.

Cole currently has 30 career touchdowns, and will leave Nicholls as the all-time rushing touchdown leader.

WHNO Channel 20 will tape-delay broadcast the game from Guidry Stadium on Sunday at 10 a.m., and Cox Cable and Charter subscribers can tune to Ch. 20 on both providers for all the action. Associate Athletics Director Ken Berthelot and broadcast veteran Harry McCulla will provide all of the play-by-play action.

The match up between the Colonels (5-4, 2-3) and the Bobcats (4-5, 3-2) has been commonly referred to as the `Battle for the Paddle' since the 1998 season when the game had to be rescheduled due to flood waters that ravaged the San Marcos, TX area. Ever since that season, a paddle with the each schools colors and the years that they won the coveted contest is presented to the winner in honor and memory of those who lost their lives in the flood.

Even though the Colonels have won the last two in the series, Texas State comes to Thibodaux, La. riding a three-game win streak with their most recent victory coming against SE Louisiana last Saturday. Nicholls enters the contest against the Bobcats having lost three consecutive games including the last two by a combined total of 10 points. During the three skid, the Colonels went from ranked as high as the No. 13 team in the nation to not being ranked at all heading into battle with Texas State.

Texas State is statistically the fourth best offense in the league with 423.3 yards a game, but ranks last in the conference on defense by allowing 470.9. The Colonels enter the game as the sixth best overall offense with 344.3 yards of offense a contest, and bolster the Southland's second best defense by allowing 353.9 yards a game. It marks the first week of this season that the Colonels were not the best statistical defense in the conference.

Kickoff is at 2 p.m., and the seniors will be honored in pre-game. Brennan Matherne along with color analysts Seth Thomas will provide all the play-by-play action for the Colonels radio network. Pre-game will air at 1:30 p.m. on the flagship station at 105.9 FM KBZE. Other stations that are in the Colonels radio network include 100.3 FM KLRZ, 106.3 FM KXOR, 640 AM KTIB, and 1600 AM KLEB. The game can also be heard on the internet at www.kbze.com.

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