THIBODAUX – The Nicholls State University football team will embark on one of its toughest tasks of the 2010 season when No.10 Stephen F. Austin comes to John L. Guidry Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.

The Colonels (2-6, 1-3 Southland) are coming off of a 24-14 loss to McNeese State last Saturday, while the Lumberjacks (6-2, 3-1 Southland) had a six-game winning streak snapped last week against Texas State, allowing the Bobcats to come back from a 24-point deficit.

“They [Stephen F. Austin] have a very talented team,” said head football coach Charlie Stubbs. “We must have a positive first quarter. Last week we put ourselves in a difficult situation, trailing 21-0 in the first quarter, then played well in the final three by outscoring McNeese State 14-3. However, too little to late; from that experience, we must learn and improve as a team.”

Nicholls will turn to true freshman signal caller Landry Klann this week, who will garner his first collegiate start. Over his past two games in a limited role, Klann has completed 26-of-35 pass attempts for 318 yards and a touchdown. The San Antonio, Texas native also has a rushing touchdown to his credit.

In last week's game against McNeese State, Klann was 14-of-18 for 150 yards with a passing and a rushing touchdown. His passing touchdown went to junior wide receiver Kenyad Blair from 35 yards out. Blair turned in a career effort in the contest, catching four passes for 79 yards and a score.

Stephen F. Austin held a 24-0 lead in the fourth quarter at home versus Texas State, and allowed the Bobcats to score 27 unanswered points to hand the Lumberjacks their first loss in conference play this season. The Lumberjacks went into the game ranked No. 4 in the Sports Network FCS Top 25 poll, and fell to No. 10 following the defeat.

In last season's contest, Nicholls led for the entirety of the game in Nacogdoches, however, Stephen F. Austin scored late in the fourth quarter to get the 31-27 victory. The Lumberjacks went on to claim the Southland Conference Championship, and represented the league in the FCS playoffs in 2009 as its automatic qualifier.

The all-time series is swayed to Stephen F. Austin, but the games have been better for the ticket buyer in Thibodaux with the series being much closer – 8-5, Stephen F. Austin – in John L. Guidry Stadium.

“Our fans will provide a much needed home field advantage, and our goal is to make big plays for them to get excited about,” added Stubbs.

Other notes of interest:

No Pain, No Gain Or Game
Senior Tarbbaris Hicks, the team leader in tackles, suffered a seperated shoulder in the game at McNeese State, and was unable to return in the game. Despite the pain of the injury, Hicks has been cleared by the medical staff and plans on playing in the final three games.

Clog In The Middle
Sophomore Edet Udoh had a career game against McNeese State, recording seven total stops (six solo) that included a forced fumble and a tackle for a loss. The seven tackles was a career high for Udoh, and stands as the most tackles in game for a defensive lineman this season.

Dolan Nets LSWA Honor
Senior punter Patrick Dolan was awarded with the LSWA Special Teams of the Week award this past week. Dolan had boots of 47, 51, 50, 54, 41, 46, and 36 in the game for an average of 47.9 yards/punt. For his career, Dolan has a career average of 43.1 yards a punt (6,286 yards/146 punts).


Following the Colonels:

Game Notes: Nicholls vs. Stephen F. Austin Release
Colonels on Television: WHNO-TV New Orleans (tape-delayed) at 11 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010. Cox Subscribers: Ch. 20, Charter Subscribers: Ch. 20. HTV 10 on Sunday, Nov. 11, 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
Colonels Radio Network Halftime Show: Getting to know a Colonel with QB Landry Klann.
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

###