Shirley Delaune
October 19, 2007Strain forces Odom into ag runoff
October 23, 2007NSU Sports Information Desk
THIBODAUX, La. – The No. 13 Colonels and No. 6 McNeese State will take center stage Saturday night in John L. Guidry Stadium for homecoming as the two Southland powers battle for conference supremacy. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
“Our players and coaching staff know that this is a big game, and we have a lot of respect for our opponent,” said head coach Jay Thomas. “It should be a great game as both teams know what is on the line.”
WHNO Channel 20 will broadcast the game live from Guidry Stadium, and Cox Cable and Charter subscribers can tune to Ch. 20 on both providers for the live action. Associate Athletics Director Ken Berthelot and NFL analyst Mike Detillier will have all of the play-by-play action.
The Colonels (5-1, 2-0) are off to their best overall start since joining the Southland Conference in 1991. Nicholls is also off to their best start in conference play, tying their only other 2-0 start in 2003.
McNeese State (6-0, 2-0) is one of five teams still undefeated in the Division I-Football Championship Subdivision. The Cowboys currently boast the nation’s fifth-most efficient quarterback in Derrick Fourroux and the country’s best sack artist in Bryan Smith who is averaging 1.50 sacks a game.
Smith was joined this week on the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List by Nicholls junior strong safety Ladarius Webb. Webb is the first football player in Nicholls history to be named to the list mid-season.
Former Colonel great Chris Thompson was on the list to start out his senior season in 2003, but was removed mid-season. Webb is currently tied for second in the nation in interceptions, while leading Division I-FCS in interception returns for touchdowns with three. Also second in the nation in interception returns for touchdowns is senior free safety Kareem Moore with two.
As a team, the Colonels are the conference’s leading rushers with an average of 256 yards a game while the Cowboys are second in the Southland with a 205 yards per contest mark.
Both teams bring stout defenses to the battle with the Colonels leading the league in total defense by only giving up 308.7 yards a game, while the Cowboys are the conference’s second best statistically rated defense by allowing 355.2 yards a contest.
Both teams are the only two Southland Conference teams to defeat Division I Football Bowl Subdivision participants this season. Nicholls defeated Rice 16-14 to open the season, and McNeese State beat Louisiana-Lafayette, 38-17, in week three.
Brennan Matherne along with color analysts Seth Thomas will provide all the play-by-play action for the Colonels radio network. Pre-game will air at 5:30 p.m. on the flagship station at 105.9 FM KBZE. Other stations that are in the Colonels radio network include 100.3 FM KLRZ, 106.3 FM KXOR, 640 AM KTIB, and 1600 AM KLEB.
The game can also be heard on the internet at www.kbze.com
