By Brad Welborn, Northwestern State Assistant Sports Information Director; featured photo by Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services
NATCHITOCHES – There will be plenty to see when Northwestern State kicks off the 2026 football season on Thursday night.
There will be the lights illuminating Turpin Stadium. The annual Inferno Run. The Spirit of Northwestern State Marching Band will be in full voice. Thousands of fans will be encouraged to wear purple as the Demons celebrate Purple Reign Night, presented by Lott Oil.
And, if the weather cooperates, there will be a lunar eclipse unfolding above it all.
Most importantly though, there will be football.
The Demons open the 2026 season by welcoming Louisiana Christian to Turpin Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff, beginning the third season under head coach Blaine McCorkle.
The game will air live on ESPN+ with Patrick Netherton returning for another season of play-by-play action. He will be joined by analyst Tyler Moody and sideline reporter Jason Pugh. It will also air locally in Natchitoches on 100.7 FM KZBL with Chris Salim and Jay Thomas.
“It should be a good crowd and a good atmosphere. And it definitely is not going to rain and there won’t be any lightning delays,” McCorkle joked. “Fully expect LC to bring a good crowd up here being so close and it should be a good night for football. Excited to get out there, hear the band, see the lights on. There’s nothing like college football at night. It’s special.”
The matchup itself is a special one for its rarity.
Northwestern State and Louisiana Christian will meet for the first time since 1968, ending a nearly six-decade gap between two programs that once met on a near-annual basis from 1922 through 1968.
The Wildcats bring plenty of experience into Thursday’s matchup. LCU has won its NAIA conference championship in two of the past three seasons, giving the Demons an experienced opponent to open the year.
For Northwestern State, the goal is to make its own bit of history.
The Demons are looking to open a season with a victory for the second consecutive year, something they have not accomplished since the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Last year, NSU snapped a long season-opening drought with a 20-10 victory against Alcorn State, giving the Demons their first season-opening win since Zach Adkins led NSU past Missouri State in 2013.
Abram Johnston played a major role in that victory, making just his third career start at the time.
Now, Johnston enters Thursday as the established starter, becoming the first Northwestern State quarterback since 2021 to open consecutive seasons as the team’s starting signal caller. He will make his 14th career start against the Wildcats.
“I definitely feel more at ease and more prepared going into this year,” Johnston said. “But knowing that, even after we won that first game, the results of the season I feel the pressure of us wanting to play better and perform. I know it’s a long season but that’s why this game in front of us is super important to get us off on the right foot. So there’s an ease but also knowing where we need to improve to do what needs to get done this year.”
Johnston and the Demons enter the season looking to build on the progress they made during McCorkle’s second season.
In FCS games the Demons increased its production from year one to year two in points, first downs, rushing yards, total yards and time of possession. The next step is turning that statistical progression into more results on the scoreboard.
“The maturation of this team has been fun to watch throughout the spring and fall,” McCorkle said. “I think we’re all excited to see that really start to show some results on the field and the scoreboard.”
That process begins with playing a clean game.
“You want to play good, clean football early on,” McCorkle said. “They always say you see the biggest improvement in the team between game one and game two. It’s an old coaching adage but it’s very true. You don’t want a sloppy game one. You want to play hard. Play tough. Play fast and free. But you want to be disciplined at the same time. If we can do that and what we’re coached to do to the best of our ability, we’ll be in good shape.”
One of the biggest areas of intrigue for the Demons will be the defensive secondary.
Northwestern State has an influx of new faces in the back end of its defense, and those players will be tested immediately by a Louisiana Christian offense that likes to push the tempo and features an experienced group of skill players.
Among the veterans helping lead that new-look secondary is captain and graduate safety Christian Williams, who knows firsthand what a season-opening splash can do.
Williams recorded the first interception of his career in last season’s victory against Alcorn State. He wouldn’t mind repeating the feat Thursday night.
“I would love to get another one in this game,” Williams said with a laugh. “I’m hoping that everybody in the secondary can get their hands on the ball.”
Before that can happen, however, the Demons will have to keep pace with the Wildcats.
“Handling their tempo is our biggest focus,” Williams said. “They move really fast and they have athletes on the perimeter just like we do. It’ll be a challenge in the secondary but we’re ready for everything. Our coaches do a great job of preparing us every day, so we’ll be ready.”
Williams has embraced an expanded leadership role as he prepares to anchor a group that will be asked to grow up quickly.
“I’m trying to be more vocal as one of the leaders on the team and in the secondary,” Williams said. “Speak up more when I need to speak up. If guys are slipping up off the field, stepping up and letting them know that I’m there for them. And especially with the freshman. Just setting a good example for guys to look up to.”
Thursday’s matchup provides the Demons with an opportunity to take another step in their progression and to do it in front of a home crowd, under the lights and, for at least part of the night, beneath an eclipsed moon.