THIBODAUX, La.  – The Nicholls State University football team will look to reclaim the River Bell trophy after a two-year absence as the Colonels finish their 2013 season against No. 8/10 Southeastern Louisiana on Thursday night at Strawberry Stadium.

The River Bell Classic, which kicks off at 6 p.m., will be streamed live on ESPN3. WHNO – TV 20 will also air the game on tape delay at 3 p.m. on Friday and at noon on Saturday. A live audio broadcast will also be available on the Colonel Sports Radio Network which includes KLRZ 100.3 FM, KLEB 1600 AM and LA 106.3 Rock Hits Radio.

Despite seeing its losing streak extend to five games with a 17-10 loss to Central Arkansas last weekend, the Colonels (4-7, 1-5) head into Thursday's night matchup with plenty on the line. The game against the Lions, who have clinched a berth to the FCS playoffs and at least a share of the Southland title, will be the Colonels' last chance to end their Southland road drought which stands at 10 games. In addition, while the all-time series has been close with Nicholls holding a slim 12-10 lead, the Colonels have not been River Bell-less for three consecutive years since 1980.

A few Colonels head into the final game looking to solidify their names in the record books, led by quarterback Tuskani Figaro. A sophomore from Lafayette, La., Figaro has already rushed for 1,000 yards on the year and is only 53 yards from matching the Colonel single-season mark held by Nakia Lumar who rushed for 1,072 yards in 1996. Along with tying the program-record of five 100-yard rushing games for a season, Figaro set the single-game rushing mark with 281 yards in the win against Arkansas Tech.

Also on offense, wide receiver Erik Buchanan, who leads Nicholls with 462 yards receiving on 19 receptions, is currently averaging 24.3 yards per catch and needs only one more reception to qualify for the Colonels' single-season record for yards per reception. Buchanan hauled in his team-high fifth touchdown catch in the Colonels' late rally against UCA last Saturday.

Senior kicker Andrew Dolan added four points to his career total last weekend, putting him at sixth place on the Colonels' all-time scoring list with 199 points. Although Dolan has five players ahead of him, the leaders are within striking distance at 210 career points (Oscar Smith and Jose Bran).

Nicholls managed only 324 yards on offense in the loss against UCA and will face another stiff test as Southeastern (9-2, 6-0) heads into the game ranked first in the Southland in three of the four main defensive categories. The Lions are giving up a conference-low 22 points per game, 379.5 yards of total offense and 145.8 yards rushing.

On offense, Southeastern is led by former Oregon Duck quarterback Bryan Bennett, who was recently named to the Walter Payton Award Watch List. Bennett ranks third in the Southland in rushing (74.0), fifth in passing yards (212.5), and has accounted for 29 touchdowns. Bennett has the Southeastern offense scoring 39.9 points per game, which ranks eighth in the FCS, and the Lions are third in the country in third-down conversions at 50.6 percent.

Although missing several starters on defense, the Colonels put together one of their best efforts in the loss to Central Arkansas as they gave up 17 points, which was the lowest in conference play for Nicholls this season. Senior linebacker Chris Bermond had a career-high 11 tackles against the Bears and heads into the final game leading Nicholls in tackles with 78.

With all the injuries on defense, Nicholls has eight freshmen listed on the two-deep for its final game. Redshirt freshman Chris Lorden posted a career-high eight tackles against UCA and added his third sack of the year, which leads the team. Cornerback Josh Singleton also had a sack last weekend – his first of his career – and linebacker Ronnie Walker recorded a personal best five tackles. Safety B.T. Sanders, who also had a career-high with eight tackles, will notch a start in the secondary for the injured Siegan Vergenal.

The offensive backfield will also have a different look as they Colonels will play their second game without either senior running back, Marcus Washington and Dalton Hilliard Jr., who have combined for 1,133 all-purpose yards and 15 TDs this season. Sophomore Michael Henry led Nicholls with 59 yards on nine carries last weekend while sophomore Reggie Wilson had 59 all-purpose yards. Freshman C.J. Okpalobi added 32 yards on five carries in his offensive debut.

Junior quarterback Beaux Hebert is expected to see the field after completing 28 of 37 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games. On the year, Hebert has played in eight games, throwing for 576 yards and four TDs. Figaro leads Nicholls with 996 yards passing and eight touchdowns.

The all-time series between Nicholls and Southeastern is tied at 5-5 in games played in Hammond. The Colonels' last win in Strawberry Stadium came in 2009 when Nicholls picked up a 45-30 victory.

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Game Notes: Nicholls, Southeastern Louisiana
Video Stream: ESPN3
Television: WHNO TV-20 (Tape Delay); 3 p.m. Friday and 12 p.m. Saturday
Broadcast Team: Ken Berthelot (play by play), Gary Barbaro (color), Erin Cofiell (sideline)
Colonel Sports Radio Network: 100.3 FM KLRZ (Larose, La.); 1600 AM KLEB (Golden Meadow, La.); LA 106.3 Rock Hits Radio (Houma, La.)
Broadcast Team: Mike Wagenheim (play by play), Seth Thomas (color), Erik Solberg (sideline)
Colonels on the Internet: www.klrzfm.com, www.la1063.com