THIBODAUX - The Nicholls State University football team will open up its 2011 Southland Conference schedule on Saturday at John L. Guidry Stadium when the Colonels host Northwestern State University at 3 p.m. for the Toyota Game of the Week on the Southland Conference Television Network.

Louisiana television affiliates of the SLC TV Network include KWBJ Channel 22 in Morgan City-Houma, Baton Rouge WBTR 41; Hammond WSTY 23; Lafayette KLWB 50, Lake Charles KVHP 29.2; and Shreveport-Texarkana KPXJ 21. The game will also be streamed live on SLC NOW on Southland.org and ESPN3.

During halftime, Nicholls Athletics will recognize the 2011 Hall of Fame Class that includes Tommy Broom (football), Darrell Hebert (baseball), Reed Pere' (football), Randy Raymond (football/tennis) and Matthew Shelton (soccer).

Nicholls and Northwestern State both head into its conference opener with a 1-2 record, with each team suffering its two losses against Football Bowl Subdivision programs. Nicholls is coming off a 38-21 loss at Louisiana-Lafayette last Saturday, while the Demons fell 40-7 at Southern Methodist.

“We're very excited about getting into conference play,” said Nicholls head coach Charlie Stubbs. “It's kind of like the preseason is over, and now it really starts to count.”

The Colonels closed out 2010 with two straight conference wins, including a 37-7 victory over Northwestern State at Turpin Stadium. Although the Colonels have won the last two outings against the Demons, Northwestern State holds a 24-14 advantage all-time, dating back to 1973.

Nicholls comes into the game sporting the Football Championship Subdivision's 12th ranked defense, giving up 275.3 yards per outing. The Colonels have caused eight turnovers in the three games, with Siegan Vergenal forcing three fumbles while Chika Madu has two.

The special forces also has two of the FCS' top performers. Punter Cory Kemps is fourth in the nation with a 45.3 yard per punt average, and cornerback Bobby Felder ranks 13th in punt return average at 15.3.

For the Demons, junior quarterback Brad Henderson has guided the offense after replacing preseason All-SLC honoree Paul Harris at halftime of NSU's season opener. Henderson led the Demons to an impressive comeback victory over Delta State, who was ranked No. 2 in Division-II, by erasing a 17-point deficit. However, Northwestern State's offense has been quite in its last two contests, scoring only three points combined points against SMU and No. 3 LSU.

Leading the offense are Henderson with 361 yards and a touchdown, and tight end Justin Aldredge has 10 receptions for 155 yards and a score. Safety Brashard Booker heads the defense with 23 tackles.

Kickoff for the contest is scheduled for 3 p.m. Mike Wagenheim and Seth Thomas will cover all the action live on The Colonel Radio Network on 100.3 FM KLRZ, 105.9 FM KBZE and 1600 AM KLEB. Nicholls vs.

Nicholls vs. Northwestern State Game Notes
TV Coverage: Southland Conference TV Network
Broadcast Team: Randy McIlvoy (play-by-play), Shea Walker (color) and Jane Slater (sideline)
Video Streams: SLC NOW and ESPN3
Radio Coverage: 100.3 FM KLRZ (Larose, La.); 1600 AM KLEB (Golden Meadow, La.); 105.9 FM KBZE (Morgan City, La.)
Broadcast Team: Mike Wagenheim (play-by-play), Seth Thomas (color) and Brandon Rizzuto (sideline)
Colonels on the Internet: www.klrzfm.com; www.kbze.com
Live Stats: www.geauxcolonels.com