The Colonels football team suffered its first loss of the 2007 season when the team fell to the University of Nevada Wolfpack, 52-17, Saturday night at Mackay Stadium in Reno, Nev. Nicholls, (2-1, 0-0 SLC) who rallied in the first quarter to jump on top of the pack 10-0, turned to sophomore quarterback Zach Chauvin after starting junior quarterback Vincent Montgomery suffered a thumb injury on the first offensive series.

“They showed why they were in a bowl game last year, and that they are going to be a force in their conference this year,” head coach Jay Thomas said. “I think that we got better as a team tonight, especially with a lot of our younger players getting some playing time.”

More than 15,000 fans were on the edge of their seats in Mackay Stadium observing the Colonels dominate the first quarter of play.

Nevada obtained the ball first and mounted a 47-yard drive before sophomore quarterback Nick Graziano was intercepted at the Colonels’ 14-yard line by senior cornerback Lester Brooks, who returned the pick 11 yards to the Colonels’ 25.

The Colonels offense drove the ball 60 yards into Nevada territory, and Alex Romero hit a 32-yard field goal at the 6:53 mark to put the Colonels on the board first 3-0.

The Wolfpack offense returned on the field with scoring hopes but Graziano was picked off for a second time by senior cornerback Jermaine Boggan. The Colonels went three and out and Nevada retained possession on its own 30-yard line.

The Wolfpack mounted a 42-yard drive but the Nicholls secondary made Graziano throw three incomplete passes to force the punt.

The Colonels offense retained possession and scored its first touchdown on a 42-yard rush by junior running back Zach Morgan. Romero tacked on the extra point and the Colonels led 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Wolfpack offense came back in the second quarter and scored 31 unanswered points.

The Colonels failed on a fake punt attempt and the Wolfpack seized the opportunity and scored 21 points in 5:55 to go into halftime with a 31-10 lead.

The second half was just as unfavorable for the Colonels as the Wolfpack tacked on another 21 points and held Nicholls to a single touchdown to finish the game 52-17.

Nicholls returns to action to face the Azusa Pacific University Cougars on Saturday at noon in John. L. Guidry Stadium.