2019 Northwestern State Demons football team

2019 Northwestern State Demons football
2019 Northwestern State Demons football
Conference	Southland Conference
Record	3–9 (3–6 Southland)
Head coach	Brad Laird (2nd season);
Offensive coordinator	Brad Smiley (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Mike Lucas (3rd season)
Base defense	3–4
Home stadium	Harry Turpin Stadium

2019 Southland Conference football standings

Team	W		L	W		L
No. 14 Nicholls +^	7	–	2	8	–	4
No. 11 Central Arkansas +^	7	–	2	9	–	3
No. 19 Southeastern Louisiana ^	6	–	3	8	–	5
Sam Houston State	6	–	3	7	–	5
McNeese State	5	–	4	7	–	5
Incarnate Word	4	–	5	5	–	7
Abilene Christian	4	–	5	5	–	7
	3	–	6	3	–	9
Stephen F. Austin	3	–	6	3	–	9
Houston Baptist	2	–	6	5	–	7
Lamar	2	–	7	4	–	8

+ – Conference co-champions ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS poll

The 2019 Northwestern State Demons football team represented Northwestern State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Brad Laird, the Demons compiled an overall record of 3–9 with a mark of 3–6 in conference play, tying for eighth place in the Southland. Northwestern State played home games at Harry Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Preseason

Preseason poll

The Southland Conference released their preseason poll on July 18, 2019. The Demons were picked to finish in tenth place.^[1]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Nicholls	200 (20)
2	Central Arkansas	154
3	Incarnate Word	150 (1)
4	Sam Houston State	146
5	Lamar	123
6	McNeese State	114
7	Abilene Christian	112 (1)
8	Southeastern Louisiana	71
9	Stephen F. Austin	63
10	Northwestern State	56
11	Houston Baptist	21

Preseason All–Southland Teams

The Demons placed four players on the preseason all–Southland teams.^[2]

Offense

2nd team

Chris Zirkle – OL

Defense

1st team

Hayden Bourgeois – DB

2nd team

O'Shea Jackson – DL

Myles Ward – KR

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 29	6:30 p.m.	at UT Martin*	Graham Stadium Martin, TN	ESPN+	L 20–42	3,008
September 7	6:00 p.m.	Midwestern State*	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	DemonTV	L 7–33	7,010
September 14	6:30 p.m.	at No. 4 (FBS) LSU*	Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA	SECN	L 14–65	100,334
September 21	6:00 p.m.	at Houston Baptist	Husky Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN3	L 21–48	1,941
September 28	6:00 p.m.	No. 19 Southeastern Louisiana	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	CST/ESPN+	L 27–44	7,584
October 12	3:00 p.m.	at No. 12 Nicholls	John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA (NSU Challenge)	CST/ESPN+	L 35–45	8,103
October 19	6:00 p.m.	No. 13 Central Arkansas	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	CST/ESPN+	L 30–31	7,584
October 26	4:00 p.m.	at Incarnate Word	Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium San Antonio, TX	UIWtv	W 44–41 ^OT	3,373
November 2	4:00 p.m.	at McNeese State	Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA (rivalry)	CST/ESPN+	L 20–30	9,295
November 9	6:00 p.m.	Lamar	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	CST/ESPN+	W 34–13	5,122
November 16	2:00 p.m.	at Sam Houston State	Bowers Stadium Huntsville, TX	ESPN+	W 31–28	4,280
November 21	6:00 p.m.	Stephen F. Austin	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA (Chief Caddo)	DemonTV	L 20–32	5,822
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^[3]^[4]

Game summaries

At UT Martin

Statistics	Northwestern State	UT Martin
First downs	28	17
Total yards	483	309
Rushing yards	96	179
Passing yards	387	130
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	35:53	24:07

Northwestern State at Tennessee–Martin – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Demons	7	13	0	0	20
Skyhawks	14	0	14	14	42

at Graham Stadium, Martin, TN

Date: August 29
Game time: 6:30 p.m. CST
Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C); sunny
Game attendance: 3,008
Referee: Drew Myers
TV: ESPN+
[1] [2] [3]

Game information

First quarter

(09:53) NSU TD – Quan Shorts 14-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Scotty Roblow kick
Northwestern State 7–0; Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 5:07
(06:02) UTM TD – Colton Dowell 39-yard pass from John Bachus III, Ryan Courtright kick
Tied 7–7; Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 3:46
(02:17) UTM TD – Jaylon Moore 43-yard pass from John Bachus III, Ryan Courtright kick
Tennessee–Martin 14–7; Drive: 4 plays, 58 yards, 2:11

Second quarter

(11:11) NSU TD – Quan Shorts 7-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Scotty Roblow kick
Tied 14–14; Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 6:06
(06:35) NSU TD – Corey Smallwood 26-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Scotty Roblow PAT failed
Northwestern State 20–14; Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:02

Third quarter

(04:22) UTM TD – Payton Logan 21-yard rush, Ryan Courtright kick
Tennessee–Martin 21–20; Drive: 2 plays, 25 yards, 0:42
(02:13) UTM TD – Terry Williams 55-yard punt returned, Ryan Courtright kick
Tennessee–Martin 28–20; Drive: 3 plays, 6 yards, 2:04

Fourth quarter

(05:06) UTM TD – Wanya Moton 78-yard interception returned, Ryan Courtright kick
Tennessee–Martin 35–20; Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 2:18
(02:53) UTM TD – Payton Logan 53-yard rush, Ryan Courtright kick
Tennessee–Martin 42–20; Drive: 2 plays, 53 yards, 0:54

Top passers

NSU – Shelton Eppler – 43/62, 387 yards, 3 TD, INT
UTM – John Bachus III – 8/20, 130 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

NSU – Shelton Eppler – 9 carries, 45 yards
UTM – Payton Logan – 13 carries, 149 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

NSU – Quan Shorts – 12 receptions, 111 yards, 2 TD
UTM – Jaylon Moore – 1 reception, 43 yards, TD

Midwestern State

Statistics	Midwestern State	Northwestern State
First downs	22	14
Total yards	425	243
Rushing yards	102	58
Passing yards	323	185
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	33:35	26:25

Midwestern State at Northwestern State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 20 (DII) Mustangs	13	13	0	7	33
Demons	0	7	0	0	7

at Harry Turpin Stadium, Natchitoches, LA

Date: September 7
Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 102 °F (39 °C); hot
Game attendance: 7,010
Referee: Mike Cuttone
[4] [5] [6]

Game information

First quarter

(05:50) MID TD – Tyrique Edwards 38-yard pass from Zach Purceli, Jacob Rowland PAT blocked
Midwestern State 6–0; Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:15
(01:03) MID TD – Kylan Harrison 25-yard pass from Zach Purceli, Jacob Rowland kick
Midwestern State 13–0; Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 3:01

Second quarter

(08:25) MID FG – Jaron Imbriani 28-yard field goal
Midwestern State 16–0; Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 5:45
(05:35) MID FG – Jaron Imbriani 25-yard field goal
Midwestern State 19–0; Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 1:53
(01:07) NSU TD – Jared West 10-yard rush, Scotty Roblow kick
Midwestern State 19–7; Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 4:28
(00:00) MID TD – Juwan Johnson 32-yard pass from Zach Purceli, Jaron Imbriani kick
Midwestern State 26–7; Drive: 3 plays, 32 yards, 0:13

Fourth quarter

(11:05) MID TD – Zach Purceli 7-yard rush, Jaron Imbriani kick
Midwestern State 33–7; Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:18

Top passers

MID – Zach Purceli – 26/40, 323 yards, 3 TD
NSU – Shelton Eppler – 28/42, 177 yards, INT

Top rushers

MID – Lazarus Fisher – 15 carries, 69 yards
NSU – Jared West – 10 carries, 27 yards, TD

Top receivers

MID – Tyrique Edwards – 5 receptions, 76 yards, TD
NSU – Quan Shorts – 8 receptions, 60 yards

At LSU

Statistics	Northwestern State	LSU
First downs	15	31
Total yards	278	610
Rushing yards	46	122
Passing yards	232	488
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	33:38	26:22

Northwestern State at Louisiana State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Demons	7	7	0	0	14
No. 4 (FBS) Tigers	3	21	27	14	65

at Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA

Date: September 14
Game time: 6:30 p.m. CST
Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C); partly cloudy
Game attendance: 100,334
Referee: Lee Hedrick
TV: SEC Network
[7] [8] [9]

Game information

First quarter

(05:30) LSU FG – Cade York 26-yard field goal
LSU 3–0; Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 4:19
(00:16) NSU TD – Quan Shorts 17-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Scotty Roblow kick
Northwestern State 7–3; Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 5:14

Second quarter

(12:38) LSU TD – Clyde Edwards-Helaire 4-yard rush, Cade York kick
LSU 10–7; Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 2:38
(08:50) LSU TD – Terrace Marshall Jr. 14-yard pass from Joe Burrow, Cade York kick
LSU 17–7; Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 2:44
(05:38) NSU TD – David Fitzwater 26-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Scotty Roblow kick
LSU 17–14; Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:12
(03:27) LSU TD – Clyde Edwards-Helaire 3-yard rush, Cade York kick
LSU 24–14; Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 2:11

Third quarter

(13:19) LSU TD – Joe Burrow 5-yard rush, Cade York PAT failed
LSU 30–14; Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 1:41
(09:36) LSU TD – Terrace Marshall Jr. 6-yard pass from Joe Burrow, Cade York kick
LSU 37–14; Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 2:28
(06:26) LSU TD – John Emery Jr. 4-yard rush, Cade York kick
LSU 44–14; Drive: 4 plays, 78 yards, 1:32
(02:16) LSU TD – Tyrion Davis-Price 1-yard rush, Cade York kick
LSU 51–14; Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 2:38

Fourth quarter

(07:22) LSU TD – Trey Palmer 54-yard punt returned, Cade York kick
LSU 58–14; Drive: 3 plays, 2 yards, 2:33
(02:12) LSU TD – Tyrion Davis-Price 2-yard rush, Cade York kick
LSU 65–14; Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:23

Top passers

NSU – Shelton Eppler – 21/38, 225 yards, 2 TD
LSU – Joe Burrow – 21/24, 373 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

NSU – Stadford Anderson – 9 carries, 40 yards
LSU – Clyde Edwards-Helaire – 13 carries, 50 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

NSU – David Fitzwater – 3 receptions, 68 yards, TD
LSU – Justin Jefferson – 5 receptions, 124 yards

At Houston Baptist

Statistics	Northwestern State	Houston Baptist
First downs	25	27
Total yards	447	532
Rushing yards	146	266
Passing yards	301	266
Turnovers	3	1
Time of possession	30:36	29:24

Northwestern State at Houston Baptist – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Demons	0	0	14	7	21
Huskies	14	10	17	7	48

at Husky Stadium, Houston, TX

Date: September 21
Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 86 °F (30 °C); sunny, some clouds
Game attendance: 1,941
Referee: Ed Bourgeois
TV: ESPN3
[10] [11] [12]

Game information

First quarter

(13:05) HBU TD – Jerreth Sterns 12-yard pass from Bailey Zappe, Gino Garcia kick
Houston Baptist 7–0; Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 1:00
(08:28) HBU TD – Ean Beek 52-yard rush, Gino Garcia kick
Houston Baptist 14–0; Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 1:46

Second quarter

(13:08) HBU TD – Dreshawn Minnieweather 4-yard pass from Bailey Zappe, Gino Garcia kick
Houston Baptist 21–0; Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 2:53
(00:48) HBU FG – Gino Garcia 33-yard field goal
Houston Baptist 24–0; Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards, 3:31

Third quarter

(11:58) HBU TD – Ben Ratzlaff 9-yard pass from Jerreth Sterns, Gino Garcia kick
Houston Baptist 31–0; Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 2:53
(08:36) NSU TD – Jared West 7-yard rush, Ryan Gremillion kick
Houston Baptist 31–7; Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:22
(07:40) HBU TD – Ben Ratzlaff 66-yard pass from Bailey Zappe, Gino Garcia kick
Houston Baptist 38–7; Drive: 2 plays, 70 yards, 0:41
(05:20) NSU TD – Akile Davis 30-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Ryan Gremillion kick
Houston Baptist 38–14; Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 2:14
(01:15) HBU FG – Gino Garcia 51-yard field goal
Houston Baptist 41–14; Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 4:05

Fourth quarter

(14:06) NSU TD – Akile Davis 26-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Ryan Gremillion kick
Houston Baptist 41–21; Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:09
(09:57) HBU TD – Coleman Robinson 2-yard pass from Bailey Zappe, Gino Garcia kick
Houston Baptist 48–21; Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 4:02

Top passers

NSU – Shelton Eppler – 26/42, 287 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
HBU – Bailey Zappe – 22/37, 257 yards, 4 TD, INT

Top rushers

NSU – Jared West – 17 carries, 80 yards, TD
HBU – Ean Beek – 17 carries, 131 yards, TD

Top receivers

NSU – Akile Davis – 3 receptions, 68 yards, 2 TD
HBU – Ben Ratzlaff – 5 receptions, 117 yards, 2 TD

Southeastern Louisiana

Statistics	Southeastern Louisiana	Northwestern State
First downs	26	27
Total yards	537	378
Rushing yards	143	45
Passing yards	394	333
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	30:30	29:30

Southeastern Louisiana at Northwestern State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 19 Lions	10	7	20	7	44
Demons	7	10	3	7	27

at Harry Turpin Stadium, Natchitoches, LA

Date: September 28
Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C); sunny and warm
Game attendance: 7,584
Referee: Ed Bourgeois
TV: CST
[13] [14] [15]

Game information

First quarter

(09:18) SELA FG – Bryce Broussard 34-yard field goal
Southeastern Louisiana 3–0; Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:44
(07:16) NSU TD – Quan Shorts 26-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Ryan Gremillion kick
Northwestern State 7–3; Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 1:54
(03:49) SELA TD – Austin Mitchell 35-yard pass from Chason Virgil, Bryce Broussard kick
Southeastern Louisiana 10–7; Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 3:27

Second quarter

(09:17) NSU TD – Kendrick Price 19-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Ryan Gremillion kick
Northwestern State 14–10; Drive: 3 plays, 20 yards, 0:47
(04:43) SELA TD – Cole Kelley 1-yard rush, Bryce Broussard kick
Southeastern Louisiana 17–14; Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 4:27
(00:00) NSU FG – Ryan Gremillion 24-yard field goal
Tied 17–17; Drive: 15 plays, 72 yards, 4:37

Third quarter

(09:12) NSU FG – Ryan Gremillion 25-yard field goal
Northwestern State 20–17; Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 2:15
(07:07) SELA TD – Taron Jones 5-yard rush, Bryce Broussard kick
Southeastern Louisiana 24–20; Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:02
(05:59) SELA TD – CJ Turner 46-yard pass from Cole Kelley, Bryce Broussard kick
Southeastern Louisiana 31–20; Drive: 1 play, 42 yards, 0:07
(00:52) SELA TD – Kendall Collins Jr. 25-yard rush, Bryce Broussard PAT failed
Southeastern Louisiana 37–20; Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 3:51

Fourth quarter

(04:30) NSU TD – Quan Shorts 17-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Ryan Gremillion kick
Southeastern Louisiana 37–27; Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 4:13
(00:48) SELA TD – Taron Jones 2-yard rush, Bryce Broussard kick
Southeastern Louisiana 44–27; Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 3:42

Top passers

SELA – Chason Virgil – 24/32, 344 yards, TD
NSU – Shelton Eppler – 35/55, 333 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

SELA – Taron Jones – 18 carries, 108 yards, 2 TD
NSU – Jared West – 13 carries, 24 yards

Top receivers

SELA – CJ Turner – 7 receptions, 128 yards, TD
NSU – Quan Shorts – 11 receptions, 110 yards, 2 TD

At Nicholls

Statistics	Northwestern State	Nicholls
First downs	21	30
Total yards	428	537
Rushing yards	41	349
Passing yards	387	188
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	22:32	37:28

Northwestern State at Nicholls – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Demons	0	7	14	14	35
No. 12 Colonels	14	10	7	14	45

at Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium, Thibodaux, LA

Date: October 12
Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C); overcast
Game attendance: 8,103
Referee: Dan Lewis
TV: CST
[16] [17] [18]

Game information

First quarter

(12:25) NICH TD – Chase Fourcade 13-yard rush, Gunnar Jones kick
Nicholls 7–0; Drive: 4 plays, 32 yards, 1:50
(01:33) NICH TD – Dontrell Taylor 1-yard rush, Gunnar Jones kick
Nicholls 14–0; Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 6:43

Second quarter

(14:56) NSU TD – Jared West 1-yard rush, Ryan Gremillion kick
Nicholls 14–7; Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:37
(04:57) NICH TD – Chase Fourcade 29-yard rush, Gunnar Jones kick
Nicholls 21–7; Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 5:15
(00:00) NICH FG – Gunnar Jones 20-yard field goal
Nicholls 24–7; Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:21

Third quarter

(11:27) NICH TD – Julien Gumms 10-yard pass from Chase Fourcade, Gunnar Jones kick
Nicholls 31–7; Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 3:21
(10:13) NSU TD – Quan Shorts 23-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Ryan Gremillion kick
Nicholls 31–14; Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 1:09
(03:12) NSU TD – Gavin Landry 6-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Ryan Gremillion kick
Nicholls 31–21; Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 2:40

Fourth quarter

(14:23) NICH TD – Dontrell Taylor 27-yard rush, Gunnar Jones kick
Nicholls 38–21; Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:49
(10:09) NSU TD – Akile Davis 9-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Ryan Gremillion kick
Nicholls 38–28; Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:08
(02:31) NICH TD – Dontrell Taylor 3-yard rush, Gunnar Jones kick
Nicholls 45–28; Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:32
(00:32) NSU TD – Quan Shorts 1-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Ryan Gremillion kick
Nicholls 45–35; Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 1:51

Top passers

NSU – Shelton Eppler – 27/37, 387 yards, 4 TD
NICH – Chase Fourcade – 20/29, 188 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

NSU – Jared West – 10 carries, 33 yards, TD
NICH – Chase Fourcade – 14 carries, 135 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

NSU – Akile Davis – 7 receptions, 155 yards, TD
NICH – Tahj Smith – 4 receptions, 70 yards

Central Arkansas

Statistics	Central Arkansas	Northwestern State
First downs	23	22
Total yards	388	406
Rushing yards	89	96
Passing yards	299	310
Turnovers	4	2
Time of possession	30:42	29:18

Central Arkansas at Northwestern State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 13 Bears	7	7	10	7	31
Demons	14	10	0	6	30

at Harry Turpin Stadium, Natchitoches, LA

Date: October 19
Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C); sunny
Game attendance: 7,584
Referee: Christian Watso
TV: CST
[19] [20] [21]

Game information

First quarter

(10:07) NSU TD – Jared West 2-yard rush, Ryan Gremillion kick
Northwestern State 7–0; Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 4:53
(08:26) NSU TD – Gavin Landry 54-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Ryan Gremillion kick
Northwestern State 14–0; Drive: 3 plays, 57 yards, 0:53
(04:59) UCA TD – Carlos Blackman 14-yard rush, Hayden Ray kick
Northwestern State 14–7; Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:27

Second quarter

(12:10) NSU TD – Jared West 12-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Ryan Gremillion kick
Northwestern State 21–7; Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 2:50
(07:32) UCA TD – Joshua Nix 2-yard pass from Breylin Smith, Hayden Ray kick
Northwestern State 21–14; Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 4:24
(01:22) NSU FG – Ryan Gremillion 22-yard field goal
Northwestern State 24–14; Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:02

Third quarter

(11:21) UCA FG – Hayden Ray 28-yard field goal
Northwestern State 24–17; Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 3:33
(10:24) UCA TD – Carlos Blackman 5-yard pass from Breylin Smith, Hayden Ray kick
Tied 24–24; Drive: 5 plays, 43 yards, 0:56

Fourth quarter

(13:20) UCA TD – Lujuan Winingham 25-yard pass from Breylin Smith, Hayden Ray kick
Central Arkansas 31–24; Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 1:22
(01:30) NSU TD – Akile Davis 9-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, two-point pass conversion attempt failed
Central Arkansas 31–30; Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 3:09

Top passers

UCA – Breylin Smith – 30/43, 299 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
NSU – Shelton Eppler – 26/49, 310 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

UCA – Carlos Blackman – 11 carries, 44 yards, TD
NSU – Jared West – 13 carries, 56 yards, TD

Top receivers

UCA – Lujuan Winningham – 9 receptions, 168 yards, TD
NSU – Quan Shorts – 11 receptions, 106 yards

At Incarnate Word

Statistics	Northwestern State	Incarnate Word
First downs	19	28
Total yards	358	422
Rushing yards	99	147
Passing yards	259	275
Turnovers	2	3
Time of possession	29:20	30:40

Northwestern State at Incarnate Word – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Demons	7	9	7	15	6	44
No. 20 Cardinals	7	10	14	7	3	41

at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium, San Antonio, TX

Date: October 26
Game time: 4:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C); sunny
Game attendance: 3,373
Referee: Vidal Jones
[22] [23] [24]

Game information

First quarter

(08:49) NSU TD – Jared West 3-yard rush, Ryan Gremillion kick
Northwestern State 7–0; Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 5:25
(04:40) UIW TD – Jon Copeland 4-yard rush, Carson Mohr kick
Tied 7–7; Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 3:58

Second quarter

(13:34) UIW FG – Carson Mohr 46-yard field goal
Incarnate Word 10–7; Drive: 10 plays, 39 yards, 4:32
(11:33) UIW TD – Keyondrick Philio 3-yard rush, Carson Mohr kick
Incarnate Word 17–7; Drive: 6 plays, 27 yards, 1:56
(07:27) NSU TD – Jared West 2-yard rush, Ryan Gremillion PAT failed
Incarnate Word 17–13; Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:01
(00:00) NSU FG – Daniel Justino 29-yard field goal
Incarnate Word 17–16; Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 1:01

Third quarter

(13:46) UIW TD – Jerick Pitre 32-yard interception returned, Carson Mohr kick
Incarnate Word 24–16; Drive: 3 plays, -2 yards, 1:14
(09:23) UIW TD – Mark Sullivan 39-yard pass from Jon Copeland, Carson Mohr kick
Incarnate Word 31–16; Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 2:44
(06:31) NSU TD – Stadford Anderson 2-yard rush, Daniel Justino kick
Incarnate Word 31–23; Drive: 2 plays, 6 yards, 0:21

Fourth quarter

(08:27) NSU TD – Jared West 5-yard rush, Daniel Justino kick
Incarnate Word 31–30; Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 7:46
(02:42) UIW TD – Brady Rogers 8-yard pass from Jon Copeland, Carson Mohr kick
Incarnate Word 38–30; Drive: 12 plays, 82 yards, 5:37
(00:19) NSU TD – Tanner Ash 19-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Shelton Eppler two-point conversion pass to Akile Davis
Tied 38–38; Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 2:23

First overtime

UIW FG – Carson Mohr 26-yard field goal
Incarnate Word 41–38; Drive: 16 plays, 0 yards, 0:13
NSU TD – Quan Shorts 1-yard pass from Shelton Eppler
Northwestern State 44–41; Drive: 16 plays, 0 yards, 0:13

Top passers

NSU – Shelton Eppler – 30/40, 259 yards, 2 TD, INT
UIW – Jon Copeland – 27/36, 275 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

NSU – Stadford Anderson –13 carries, 60 yards, TD
UIW – Kevin Brown – 21 carries, 116 yards

Top receivers

NSU – Quan Shorts – 11 receptions, 99 yards, TD
UIW – CJ Hardy – 4 receptions, 84 yards

At McNeese State

Statistics	Northwestern State	McNeese State
First downs	18	14
Total yards	314	308
Rushing yards	20	117
Passing yards	294	191
Turnovers	3	2
Time of possession	27:19	32:41

Northwestern State at McNeese State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Demons	10	7	3	0	20
Cowboys	6	3	8	13	30

at Cowboy Stadium, Lake Charles, LA

Date: November 2
Game time: 4:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C); fair and cool
Game attendance: 9,295
Referee: Mike Defee
TV: CST
[25] [26] [27]

Game information

First quarter

(11:22) NSU TD – Jared West 9-yard rush, Daniel Justino kick
Northwestern State 7–0; Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 2:41
(11:09) MCNS TD – D'Andre Hicks 96-yard kickoff returned, Bailey Raborn PAT blocked
Northwestern State 7–6; Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:00
(06:59) NSU FG – Daniel Justino 37-yard field goal
Northwestern State 10–6; Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 4:05

Second quarter

(14:14) MCNS FG – Bailey Raborn 23-yard field goal
Northwestern State 10–9; Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 2:46
(10:27) NSU TD – Quan Shorts 22-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Daniel Justino kick
Northwestern State 17–9; Drive: 2 plays, 22 yards, 0:12

Third quarter

(10:34) NSU FG – Daniel Justino 21-yard field goal
Northwestern State 20–9; Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 4:26
(02:45) MCNS TD – Trevor Begue 27-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Cody Orgeron two-point conversion pass to J'Uan Gross
Northwestern State 20–17; Drive: 4 plays, 54 yards, 1:21

Fourth quarter

(14:57) MCNS TD – Trevor Begue 3-yard pass from Cody Orgeron, Bailey Raborn kick
McNeese State 24–20; Drive: 6 plays, 17 yards, 2:41
(08:14) MCNS FG – Bailey Raborn 20-yard field goal
McNeese State 27–20; Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:52
(01:06) MCNS FG – Bailey Raborn 29-yard field goal
McNeese State 30–20; Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 0:58

Top passers

NSU – Shelton Eppler – 28/53, 294 yards, TD, 2 INT
MCNS – Cody Orgeron – 16/18, 191 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

NSU – Jared West – 8 carries, 31 yards, TD
MCNS – Justin Pratt – 29 carries, 87 yards

Top receivers

NSU – Akile Davis – 4 receptions, 73 yards
MCNS – Cyron Sutton – 7 receptions, 71 yards

Lamar

Statistics	Lamar	Northwestern State
First downs	12	22
Total yards	200	466
Rushing yards	93	177
Passing yards	107	289
Turnovers	2	2
Time of possession	26:44	33:16

Lamar at Northwestern State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	3	7	3	0	13
Demons	7	7	7	13	34

at Harry Turpin Stadium, Natchitoches, LA

Date: November 9
Game time: 6:30 p.m. CST
Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C); clear and calm
Game attendance: 5,122
Referee: Cooper Castlebe
TV: CST
[28] [29] [30]

Game information

First quarter

(07:22) LAMR FG – Bailey Giffen 37-yard field goal
Lamar 3–0; Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 5:28
(04:35) NSU TD – Miles Ward 39-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Daniel Justino kick
Northwestern State 7–3; Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:47

Second quarter

(08:25) NSU TD – Kendrick Price 4-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Daniel Justino kick
Northwestern State 14–3; Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 3:20
(03:34) LAMR TD – Michael Lawson 15-yard interception returned, Bailey Giffen kick
Northwestern State 14–10; Drive: 2 plays, 3 yards, 0:35

Third quarter

(08:29) LAMR FG – Bailey Giffen 25-yard field goal
Northwestern State 14–13; Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:13
(01:09) NSU TD – Tanner Ash 2-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Daniel Justino kick
Northwestern State 21–13; Drive: 3 plays, 1 yards, 1:14

Fourth quarter

(12:00) NSU TD – Kendrick Price 12-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Daniel Justino kick
Northwestern State 28–13; Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 3:30
(06:10) NSU TD – Stadford Anderson 40-yard rush, Daniel Justino PAT failed
Northwestern State 34–13; Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:52

Top passers

LAMR – Marcellus Johnson – 5/20, 107 yards, INT
NSU – Shelton Eppler – 24/35, 289 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

LAMR – Marcellus Johnson – 15 carries, 57 yards
NSU – Stadford Anderson – 13 carries, 84 yards, TD

Top receivers

LAMR – Kirkland Banks – 1 reception, 43 yards
NSU – Kendrick Price – 6 receptions, 69 yards, 2 TD

At Sam Houston State

Statistics	Northwestern State	Sam Houston State
First downs	21	19
Total yards	380	359
Rushing yards	74	135
Passing yards	306	224
Turnovers	1	4
Time of possession	34:17	25:43

Northwestern State at Sam Houston State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Demons	7	17	7	0	31
Bearkats	21	0	7	0	28

at Bowers Stadium, Huntsville, TX

Date: November 16
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C); sunny and clear
Game attendance: 4,280
Referee: Dan Lewis
TV: ESPN+
[31] [32] [33]

Game information

First quarter

(12:06) SHSU TD – Donovan Williams 12-yard rush, Hunter Pinegar kick
Sam Houston State 7–0; Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 2:54
(09:48) NSU TD – Kendrick Price 67-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Daniel Justino kick
Tied 7–7; Drive: 6 plays, 89 yards, 2:14
(06:38) SHSU TD – Donovan Williams 1-yard rush, Hunter Pinegar kick
Sam Houston State 14–7; Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 3:03
(06:02) SHSU TD – Dwayne Williams 23-yard interception returned, Hunter Pinegar kick
Sam Houston State 21–7; Drive: 2 plays, 10 yards, 0:36

Second quarter

(07:27) NSU TD – Quan Shorts 1-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Daniel Justino kick
Sam Houston State 21–14; Drive: 14 plays, 78 yards, 5:52
(02:52) NSU FG – Daniel Justino 43-yard field goal
Sam Houston State 21–17; Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 2:59
(00:19) NSU TD – Shemar Bartholomew 96-yard interception returned, Daniel Justino kick
Northwestern State 24–21; Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 2:28

Third quarter

(09:57) SHSU TD – Donovan Williams 10-yard rush, Hunter Pinegar kick
Sam Houston State 28–24; Drive: 2 plays, 59 yards, 0:38
(08:03) NSU TD – Shelton Eppler 5-yard rush, Daniel Justino kick
Northwestern State 31–28; Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:54

Top passers

NSU – Shelton Eppler – 26/42 306 yards, 2 TD, INT
SHSU – Ty Brock – 10/20, 146 yards, 3 INT

Top rushers

NSU – Stadford Anderson – 15 carries, 62 yards
SHSU – Donovan Williams – 23 carries, 152 yards, 3 TD

Top receivers

NSU – Kendrick Price – 4 receptions, 114 yards, TD
SHSU – Chandler Harvin – 4 receptions, 108 yards

Stephen F. Austin

Statistics	Stephen F. Austin	Northwestern State
First downs	21	20
Total yards	418	389
Rushing yards	232	56
Passing yards	186	333
Turnovers	3	3
Time of possession	36:37	23:23

Stephen F. Austin at Northwestern State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lumberjacks	13	14	5	0	32
Demons	0	7	7	6	20

at Harry Turpin Stadium, Natchitoches, LA

Date: November 21
Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C); cloudy and calm
Game attendance: 5,822
Referee: Vidal Jones
[34] [35] [36]

Game information

First quarter

(08:07) SFA FG – Storm Ruiz 54-yard field goal
Stephen F. Austin 3–0; Drive: 6 plays, 15 yards, 2:17
(05:38) SFA TD – Thomas Hutchings 7-yard rush, Storm Ruiz kick
Stephen F. Austin 10–0; Drive: 3 plays, 13 yards, 1:10
(00:28) SFA FG – Storm Ruiz 41-yard field goal
Stephen F. Austin 13–0; Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 2:57

Second quarter

(10:47) SFA TD – Josh McGowen 20-yard rush, Storm Ruiz kick
Stephen F. Austin 20–0; Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:19
(10:39) SFA TD – Xavier Gipson 55-yard pass from Trae Self, Storm Ruiz kick
Stephen F. Austin 27–0; Drive: 1 play, 55 yards, 0:08
(02:24) NSU TD – Kendrick Price 15-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Daniel Justino kick
Stephen F. Austin 27–7; Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 1:06

Third quarter

(11:09) SFA SF – Team Safety
Stephen F. Austin 29–7; Drive: 1 play, -2 yards, 0:09
(08:48) SFA FG – Storm Ruiz 44-yard field goal
Stephen F. Austin 32–7; Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 2:21
(00:27) NSU TD – Quan Shorts 15-yard pass from Shelton Eppler, Daniel Justino kick
Stephen F. Austin 32–14; Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 3:15

Fourth quarter

(09:22) NSU TD – Jared West 10-yard rush, two-point pass conversion attempt failed
Stephen F. Austin 32–20; Drive: 5 plays, 90 yards, 1:38

Top passers

SFA – Trae Self – 15/29, 177 yards, TD, 2 INT
NSU – Shelton Eppler – 27/50, 333 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

SFA – Josh McGowen – 22 carries, 158 yards, TD
NSU – Stadford Anderson – 6 carries, 35 yards

Top receivers

SFA – Xavier Gipson – 7 receptions, 98 yards, TD
NSU – Quan Shorts – 9 receptions, 132 yards, TD

Roster

2019 Northwestern State Demons football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
WR	`1`	Quan Shorts	Sr
QB	`2`	Kaleb Fletcher	So
RB	`3`	Stadford Anderson	Jr
WR	`4`	Benaiah Franklin	Jr
QB	`5`	Shelton Eppler	Sr
WR	`6`	Robbie Wiliams III	Fr
QB	`7`	Bryce Waters	So
WR	`8`	Levar Gumms	So
WR	`9`	Akile Davis	Sr
WR	`10`	Myles Ward	So
WR	`11`	Tanner Ash	So
QB	`13`	Zachary Clement	Fr
WR	`14`	Coby McGee	So
WR	`15`	Jalen Willis	Fr
TE	`17`	David Fitzwater	Jr
WR	`18`	Kendrick Price	Jr
WR	`19`	Curtis Williams	Fr
RB	`20`	Trevor Morgan	So
RB	`21`	Jared West	Sr
RB	`25`	JaQuan Jackson	Fr
RB	`27`	Erik Hart	Fr
WR	`35`	T. K. Hamilton	Fr
RB	`42`	Matthew Nelson	Fr
OL	`56`	Kenny Sheldon	So
OL	`57`	Brody Griffin	Jr
OL	`59`	Jalen Haydel	Jr
OL	`60`	Tyler Rapp	Sr
OL	`61`	Spencer Cody	Fr
OL	`62`	Jake Gore	So
OL	`63`	Alyzcha Ulufale-Hentz	Fr
OL	`64`	Reggie Young	Fr
OL	`67`	Jordan Cooper	Fr
OL	`69`	Jakob Sell	So
OL	`70`	Jonathan Hubbard	Sr
OL	`72`	Khalil Corbett-Canada	So
OL	`74`	Chris Zirkle	Sr
OL	`75`	Dustin Burns	Sr
OL	`76`	Christian Mobley	Fr
OL	`77`	Parker Fink	So
OL	`78`	Cody Coleman	So
OL	`79`	Clay Cotten	Fr
TE	`82`	Aaron Howell	Fr
WR	`83`	Jacob Sylvia	Fr
WR	`84`	Gavin Landry	Jr
WR	`85`	Gabriel Ernest	Fr
WR	`86`	Patrick Heard	Fr
TE	`88`	Tyler O'Donoghue	Sr
WR	`89`	McKane Kinchen	So

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
CB	`1`	Tobias Williams	Fr
CB	`2`	D'Ronne Littleton	Sr
CB	`3`	Shemar Bartholomew	So
S	`4`	Cedric Anderson	Fr
ILB	`5`	Jalen Angelle	Fr
CB	`6`	Kunta Hester	Fr
S	`7`	Kevin Ratliff	Sr
S	`8`	Ryan Reed	Sr
LB	`10`	Ja'Quay Pough	Jr
OLB	`11`	Jomard Valsin Jr.	So
S	`14`	Isaiah Armstrong	Sr
CB	`15`	William Hooper	So
CB	`16`	Fredrick Lee Jr.	Fr
S	`18`	Ronald Malbrough	Sr
OLB	`19`	Tevyn Johnson	Jr
CB	`20`	Malik Sonnier	Jr
ILB	`21`	Jared Pedraza	Fr
ILB	`22`	Adrion Robertson	Jr
S	`23`	Nicholas Forde	Sr
S	`24`	Ian Edwards	Sr
S	`25`	Hayden Bourgeois	Jr
CB	`26`	Keldrick Ward	So
CB	`28`	Dylan Wilson	Sr
CB	`29`	Trey Williams	So
ILB	`30`	Bishop Breaux	Fr
CB	`31`	Jalen Garrison	Fr
OLB	`32`	Landon King	So
ILB	`33`	Isaiah Longino	Jr
OLB	`35`	Kyle Moore	Jr
ILB	`36`	Corban James	Jr
OLB	`38`	Quindarrius Whitley	Sr
OLB	`39`	Chandler Moncrief	Fr
S	`40`	TK Evans	Fr
ILB	`43`	Blake Stephenson	Sr
CB	`45`	Tyson Ford	Fr
CB	`46`	Ray Johnson	Fr
OLB	`47`	Rashuad Powell	So
DE	`48`	Johnathan Daigle	Fr
S	`49`	Keenan Leachman	Fr
ILB	`50`	Ricky Chatman	Jr
DT	`51`	Nathalohn Nanai	So
DE	`52`	Desmond Prejean	Sr
ILB	`53`	Brice Borgeson	Sr
OLB	`54`	Matthew Pajinag	Fr
DT	`55`	O'Shea Jackson	Sr
OLB	`57`	Jackson Matthews	So
DT	`58`	Myles Mitchell	So
NT	`70`	Khalil Sumlin	Jr
DL	`71`	Devin Gabriel	Fr
DE	`90`	Darius Whitfield	Jr
DE	`91`	Jarviar Wade	Fr
DE	`93`	Ty Cormier	Fr
DT	`94`	Ja'Quez Jackson	Fr
NT	`95`	Joey McNeely	Fr
DT	`96`	Jabralen Yarber	Fr
DE	`97`	John-Alex Perkins	So
DT	`98`	Tyrus Butler	Jr
NT	`99`	Damian Thompson	Jr

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class
P	`9`	Parker Pastorello	Sr
K	`37`	Daniel Justino	Jr
K, P	`43`	Scotty Roblow	Fr
LS	`55`	Evan Gibson	Fr
K	`94`	Ryan Gremillion	Fr

Head coach

Brad Laird (Northwestern State)

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Brad Smiley (Baylor)
Offensive coordinator, tight ends
Mike Lucas (William & Mary)
Defensive coordinator, inside linebackers
De'Von Lockett (Northwestern State)
Defensive backs
Gerald Howse (Georgia)
Running backs
Ledell Love (Northwestern State)
Defensive line
Jake Olsen (Valley City State)
Safeties, recruiting coordinator
J Pond (Texas A&M)
Offensive line
Anthony Scelfo (Tulane)
Quarterbacks
Alvin Slaughter (Clarion)
Wide receivers

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Roster
Last update: May 5, 2020

References

^ "Nicholls Voted to Top Spot in 2019 Football Preseason Poll". www.southland.org. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
^ "Southland Announces 2019 Preseason All-Conference Football Teams". www.southland.org. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
^ "2019 Demon Football Schedule". Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
^ "SOUTHLAND TV SELECTIONS ANNOUNCED FOR FIRST FOUR WEEKS". Southland Conference. August 13, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.

[1] "Nicholls Voted to Top Spot in 2019 Football Preseason Poll". www.southland.org. Retrieved August 19, 2019.

[2] "Southland Announces 2019 Preseason All-Conference Football Teams". www.southland.org. Retrieved August 19, 2019.

[3] "2019 Demon Football Schedule". Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Retrieved February 28, 2019.

[FirstFourWeeks-4] "SOUTHLAND TV SELECTIONS ANNOUNCED FOR FIRST FOUR WEEKS". Southland Conference. August 13, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.

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Northwestern State Demons football
Venues	Harry Turpin Stadium (1976–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Louisiana–Monroe Louisiana Tech McNeese Nicholls: NSU Challenge Southeastern Louisiana Stephen F. Austin: Chief Caddo
Culture & lore	Vic the Demon Spirit of Northwestern Marching Band
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025