NSU Demons take 13/14 SEMO to the limit before falling
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Missouri – Five games into the Blaine McCorkle era, the Northwestern State football team is still searching for true complementary football. The Demon defense took a step toward that Saturday afternoon in Northwestern's matchup with No. 13/14 Southeast Missouri State at Houck Stadium, slowing one of the Football Championship Subdivision's top offenses. Despite that, the nationally ranked Redhawks posted a 19-0 victory as the Demons wrapped up their participation in the Southland Conference-Ohio Valley Conference scheduling alliance. "You go toe-to-toe for four quarters with the No. 13 team in the country – you can't not be proud of them," McCorkle said. "They fought hard. They played hard. It's kind of the same song, second verse. It seems to be the same theme every week. I'm real proud of our defense. They played their tails off. That's one of the most potent, high-powered offenses in the country at our level right now. That quarterback is phenomenal, and to hold him to one touchdown and a pile of field goals, I'm proud of that." The Demons (0-5) allowed the Redhawks (4-1) to take their opening possession 37 yards on nine plays for a touchdown as quarterback Paxton DeLaurent found Cam Pedro for a 10-yard score on third down. Even on that drive, the Demons forced SEMO to work from behind the chains, but DeLaurent was up for the challenge. The senior quarterback was 3-for-3 passing on third downs on the drive, accounting for 34 of the 37 yards. That would be the best rhythm DeLaurent and the Redhawks found against the Northwestern defense. DeLaurent entered the game as the FCS' No. 2 quarterback in touchdown passes, No. 7 in total passing yards and No. 10 in passing yards per game. The Demon defense limited him to the first-quarter touchdown and 237 yards passing on 21-of-43 passing.
Redshirt freshman Antonio Hall intercepted DeLaurent toward the end of the first quarter for the first interception of Hall's career. The pick and ensuing return set the Demons up at their 43-yard line, but Northwestern could not convert three short-yardage plays following Zay Davis' 9-yard rush on first down. "Offensively, the story of the day is 0-for-2 on fourth down," McCorkle said. "We got the ball moving a little bit. You're finding a little bit of rhythm and on a fourth-and-short, you have to convert. Twice we didn't. We tried to do it two completely different styles and neither worked. That's something we have to get corrected in a hurry. We've got to have a little better situational awareness and understand what's on the line when it's third or fourth and short. "If we convert those, we keep drives alive, we build momentum and it gives you a chance to put points on the board. Offensively, we're at a bit of a loss. We've got to keep digging, keep searching. We did some things significantly differently with our offense this week that we have to keep building on." While the Demon defense stood tall in the red zone, the Northwestern offense could not gain much traction on a day that was not weather friendly for either offense. After converting its first third-down opportunity on a 16-yard pass from Quaterius Hawkins to Travon Jones , Northwestern finished 1-for-10 on third downs and managed five total first downs as it was shut out for the second straight game – the first time that has happened to the Demons since 1975.
The second pivotal fourth down for the Demons came in the fourth quarter when a sack stymied a fourth-and-2 from the SEMO 43-yard line. Northwestern was trying to cut into a 16-point deficit at that time thanks in part to a defense that allowed 19 points on seven red-zone chances and kept the FCS' top touchdown-scoring receiving duo of Dorian Anderson and Mitchell Sellers – who had nine total touchdowns entering Saturday — out of the end zone. "(Defensive coordinator) coach (Matt) Conner and the staff do a really good job emphasizing that and putting the plan together," McCorkle said. "If I'm being really honest, one of the best things we have going for our defense is our scout-team offense. There are some guys who are really working our guys, and I give them a lot of credit. Every day we come in as a staff, the defensive staff is talking about how hard the scout-team offense is working to get them ready. It carries over here on the field." The Demons return to action in a week when they resume their longtime rivalry with Stephen F. Austin. Northwestern's first visit to Nacogdoches, Texas, since 2018 kicks off at 7 p.m. inside Homer Bryce Stadium.
