THIBODAUX – After a victory two weeks ago and an open date last Saturday, the Nicholls State University football team will dive head first into Southland Conference action, hosting Sam Houston State on Saturday at Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.

The contest will also serve as the Nicholls Athletics' Hall of Fame game with five former Colonel greats garnering the prestigious honor. The five are Rondon Anderson of baseball, Lester Bimah of men's soccer, Doug Hudson of football, Chris Jennings of men's basketball, and Daryl Pounds of football. To read more about Nicholls Athletics' 2010 Hall of Fame class, click here.

The contest will be tape-delayed broadcast on WHNO-TV following the game at 12 p.m. on Sunday. Charter Communications viewers can watch the delayed broadcast on Ch. 20. It will also be shown on HTV 10 in Houma at 2 p.m. on Sunday for those that can not watch the rebroadcast on Sunday at Noon. For more information on whether the game is viewable in your area, click here.

The Colonels (1-3, 0-0 Southland) will be playing their first game in two weeks. The club's last, a 44-28 win over Bacone College, was on September 25 in John L. Guidry Stadium. The Bearkats (2-2, 0-0 Southland) enter the game riding back-to-back wins, including a 30-14 win over Gardner-Webb and a 38-10 victory over Lamar most recently.

“The open date came at a great time for us. It was welcomed, and gave us a chance to get healthy and recharge our batteries,” said head coach Charlie Stubbs. “We are very excited to start conference play and go up against Sam Houston State. We have a lot of positives to build on from our first four games as we move forward into our second season.”

Stubbs and Sam Houston State head coach Willie Fritz are very familiar with each other and each other's style of coaching with Stubbs serving as Fritz's offensive coordinator at NCAA Division II Central Missouri in 2008 and 2009. The duo guided UCM to a second place finish in '09 in the MAIA Conference.

Both Stubbs and Fritz are in their first year as head coaches at their respective institutions.

“With Willie and I being from the same staff at Central Missouri and great friends on top of that, I don't think either of us has an advantage in the game. We have respect for each other,” added Stubbs. “Willie is not only a very good coach, but a credit to the coaching profession by helping lead young men. I know each of us is looking forward to Saturday.”

Sam Houston State holds the all-time series advantage, 13-10-1, and has won the last four contests over Nicholls. The Colonels have not won in the series since 2005 when Nicholls cruised to a 37-17 victory in quest of the conference championship. Nicholls does hold the all-time advantage in Thibodaux, 8-5-1.

The Bearkats do boast the Southland's leading rushing in freshman tailback Tim Flaunders with a 113.2 yards/game average. Flaunders, the reigning Southland Offensive Player of the Week, rushed 25 times for 153 yards and three scores last week against Lamar.

The Southland's second leading rusher is Nicholls sophomore running back Jesse Turner with a 102.0 yards/game average. Turner was the previous week's Southland Offensive Player of the Week, turning in a 210-yard, four-touchdown performance. The Houma native was only the fourth running back in school history to rush for over 200-yards in a game, joining Corey Thomas, Jarvis Lillie and Jamie Lawson in the exclusive club.

Nicholls' team captains for the game will by senior punter Patrick Dolan, senior safety Tarbbaris Hicks, sophomore linebacker Jordan Piper and sophomore running back Jesse Turner.

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.

Notes of Interest:

Dolan a William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
Senior punter Patrick Dolan was one of 121 semifinalists named by the National Football Foundation for the William V. Campbell Trophy. The William V. Campbell Trophy (formerly known as the Draddy Trophy) is the highest honor in college football for a scholar athlete. Dolan is the not only the first player in Nicholls history to be named to this list, he is the only player representing the Southland Conference. Dolan is also one of 28 FCS semifinalists.

First Interceptions
Both Ed James and Chika Madu recorded their first career interceptions against Bacone College. Madu's interception ended the first half, while James' interception led to six points for the Colonels in the third quarter with a LaQuintin Caston run.

Dolan Living Up to Preseason All-American Status
Senior punter Patrick Dolan is the main reason why the Colonels rank No. 4 in the nation with a net punting average of 37.95. In Dolan's previous two seasons as a starter, the Colonels have finished in the Top 10 in net punting both times with a high of No. 7 in 2008. The Colonels squad is on its way of finishing a third consecutive season in the Top 10 nationally behind the leg of Dolan in 2010.

A Day to Remember for Turner
Sophomore running back Jesse Turner's 210 yards rushing against Bacone College was the third best rushing performance in a single-game, a yard shy of the second best held by Jarvis Lillie and Jamie Lawson of 211. Turner's four touchdowns tied the school record for the most in a game held by Oscar Smith and Broderick Cole.

Following the Colonels:

Game Notes: Nicholls vs. Sam Houston State Release
Colonels on Television: WHNO-TV New Orleans (tape-delayed) at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010. Cox Subscribers: Ch. 20, Charter Subscribers: Ch. 20. HTV 10 on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010 at 2 p.m.
Colonels Radio Network: KLRZ 100.3 FM in Larose, 100,000 watts (Flagship), KBZE 105.9 FM in Morgan City, 5,000 watts, KFRA 1390 AM in Franklin, 500 watts, KLEB 1600 AM in Galliano, 500 watts
Broadcast team: Brennan Matherne (play-by-play) and Seth Thomas (analyst)
Colonels on the internet: www.klrzfm.com, www.kbze.com
Live Statistics: www.geauxcolonels.com

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