HAMMOND – The Southeastern Louisiana football team will open its 2010 season on Thursday, facing Tulane at 7 p.m. in the Louisiana Superdome.

The matchup between the Lions and Green Wave will be broadcast live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the Internet at www.LionSports.net. Fans in the New Orleans area will also be able to listen on WGSO-AM (990). A tape-delay broadcast will be televised on WHNO-TV (Charter Channel 14 in Hammond area) on Friday at 3:30 p.m.

Expectations are high for a Southeastern team coming off a 6-5 season and returning 51 letterwinners – including 20 starters. Armed with his most experienced squad, fourth-year Lion head coach Mike Lucas is ready to kick off the 2010 campaign.

“We're excited to get started,” Lucas commented. “We've been looking forward to this for a long time. We feel like we have a good football team and we're anxious to see how we perform.”

Senior quarterback Tyler Beatty will lead the offense, making his fourth career start for the Lions. Protecting Beatty will be one of the Football Championship Subdivision's most experienced offensive lines, featuring four returning starters led by two-time All-Southland Conference senior left tackle Kevin Hughes.

Junior preseason All-American Simmie Yarborough leads a talented Lion receiving corps after recording 57 catches for 803 yards and 12 touchdowns a season ago. Veterans Andre Cryer, Kory Theodore, Greg Johnson and Reshad Douglas will also be featured in a receiving corps that has been bolstered by the additions of Football Bowl Subdivision transfers Brandon Collins (Texas) and Ron Walker (Northern Illinois).

Sophomore Zeke Jones will be the feature back in the Lion attack after rushing for five touchdowns as a redshirt freshman in 2009. Sophomore Sam Fairley should also factor in the Southeastern ground game.

Defensively, Southeastern boasts seven senior starters and 10 total returning starters. The secondary is led by All-American senior safeties Tommy Connors and Re'Keem Wilson – the last two Southland interception leaders.

Tackle machines Mark Newbill (110 tackles in 2009) and Ryan Godare (87 tackles) return to give Southeastern an experienced senior linebacker tandem. A deep defensive line group will be bolstered by the return of junior tackle Devin Boutwell, a 2008 All-Southland choice who missed all of 2009 with an injury.

Tulane fourth-year head coach Bob Toledo returns 12 starters and 48 letterwinners from last season's 3-9 squad. Sophomore quarterback Ryan Griffin is back after throwing for 1,382 yards and nine touchdowns as a redshirt freshman in 2009. Senior wide receiver Casey Robottom (50 catches, 584 yards) is the team's top returning skill player. Defensively, the veteran secondary of senior strong safety Alex Wacha (77 tackles in 2009), senior cornerback Phillip Davis (41 tackles) and sophomore free safety Shakiel Smith (71 tackles) back up a young, but talented Green Wave front seven.

Southeastern is 0-5 all-time versus Tulane and will be looking for its first win in 12 tries versus FBS competition since the program returned from an 18-year absence in 2003. The most competitive game the Lions gave an FBS opponent came in the Superdome back in 2007, when Tulane star running back and current Chicago Bear Matt Forte helped the Green Wave rally from a 20-14 halftime deficit with a 303-yard, five-touchdown performance in a 35-27 Tulane win.

Several Lions are no stranger to the Superdome, as 12 current Lions played as freshman in that 2007 contest. That group includes current team leaders Connors, Newbill, Boutwell, Godare, Hughes and Wilson. Lucas is confident that his Lions will be ready to compete on Thursday.

“We feel this is the best we've matched up depth-wise with FBS competition since we've been here,” Lucas commented. “We have a lot of players on this roster with experience playing in big places with hostile crowds which we think helps us heading into Thursday. This is an opportunity for us to mature and take the next step as a program.”

Following Thursday's opener, the Lions will play their next two games in the confines of Strawberry Stadium. Southeastern opens its home schedule next Saturday with a 6 p.m. contest versus visiting Tennessee-Martin.