THIBODAUX  - The Nicholls State University football team will return to John L. Guidry Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 8, to host Southland Conference rival Central Arkansas at 2 p.m on Family Day. Also, the Cancer Center of Thibodaux Regional Medical Center will be sponsoring 'Colonels Kicking Cancer' to help raise cancer awareness.

Staff members, coaches, players, band members and cheerleaders will wear pink attire and accessories as part of October being breast cancer awareness month. During halftime, a special presentation will be conducted to recognize breast cancer survivors from the area.

For the game, Nicholls (1-4, 0-1 SLC) will be looking to capture its first win since its season opener, a 42-0 shutout against Evangel University, and even up its conference record at 1-1. Last weekend, the Colonels were defeated by Texas State, 38-12, dropping Nicholls to 0-3 on the road.

Central Arkansas (2-3, 1-1 SLC) is coming off a 38-28 victory over Stephen F. Austin, who is the two-time defending SLC champions. The Bears raced out to a 35-6 lead before staving off a late comeback by the Lumberjacks.

“The conference is very challenging in itself,” said Nicholls head coach Charlie Stubbs. “But we're excited to be at home again, it should be a great atmosphere. We're hosting Family Day, and we're also playing a very good football team in Central Arkansas.”

The Colonel offense heads into the contest ranked last in the SLC (250.4 ypg), but will have a favorable matchup as UCA's defense has surrendered a conference-worst 472.6 ypg. However, the Bears' defense accounted for two touchdowns last week against SFA, scoring on a fumble return and an interception.  UCA's Isaiah Jackson also had a 91-yard kick return for a TD.

“They are very talented on defense,” said Coach Stubbs. “They gave us a hard time last season and they pretty much have everyone back.  We just need to get first downs, because they are a bend but don't break kind of defense.”

Another key component of Saturday's game will be the Bears' third-rated passing attack (278.8 ypg) against Nicholls' passing defense (151.2 ypg), which ranks ninth in the Football Championship Subdivision. Last weekend, senior cornerback Chika Madu recorded his second interception, which was the fifth in as many games for the Colonels.

For the series, Central Arkansas took the lead, 3-2, after last year's 31-7 victory at Guidry Stadium. The defense came up big in that matchup as well, scoring twice while recording 10 sacks. It was the first time in three tries that the Bears left Thibodaux with a win.

Kickoff for the Saturday's contest is scheduled for 2 p.m. WHNO-TV 20 will have a tape-delayed broadcast at 6 p.m., with Mike Wagenheim and John Fourcade calling the game. Seth Thomas and Brandon Rizzuto will cover all the action live on The Colonel Radio Network on 100.3 FM KLRZ, 105.9 FM KBZE and 1600 AM KLEB.

In correlation with Thibodaux Regional Medical Center's 'Colonels Kicking Cancer' promotion, Nicholls fans are encouraged to help TRMC win $10,000 for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure by liking their video here, which is featured in a contest at PinkGloveDance.com.

Nicholls vs. Central Arkansas Game Notes
TV Coverage: WHNO-TV 20 - Tape Delay - 6 p.m.
Broadcast Team: Mike Wagenheim (play-by-play), John Fourcade (color) and Kristen Eargle (sideline)
Radio Coverage: 100.3 FM KLRZ (Larose, La.); 1600 AM KLEB (Golden Meadow, La.); 105.9 FM KBZE (Morgan City, La.)
Broadcast Team: Seth Thomas (play-by-play) and  Brandon Rizzuto (color)
Colonels on the Internet: www.klrzfm.com; www.kbze.com
Live Stats: www.geauxcolonels.com