By Jason Pugh, Northwestern State Associate Director of External Relations; featured photo by Chris Reich, NSY Photographic Services
NATCHITOCHES – While the result of Saturday’s Senior Day was mostly the same as the balance of the 2024 Northwestern State football season, there was enough subtlety for first-year head coach Blaine McCorkle to notice.
The Demons fell to McNeese, 35-3, in a Southland Conference matchup inside Turpin Stadium on a day where Northwestern honored its eight seniors in a pregame ceremony.
“We find ourselves in a similar situation to what we have been in a lot this year, but something about this one did feel a little different as it went,” first-year head coach Blaine McCorkle said. “I felt like we were in this one a little bit longer than we have in the past. We learn a little bit more each week about where we need to go as a program. With the things we have identified as a staff, every week that goes by I feel like we’re spot on.”
A portion of those things the Demons (0-11, 0-6) have identified as needing changes have been from a physical standpoint.
McNeese (6-5, 3-3) outrushed the Demons, 319-102, with Cowboys backs Joshon Barbie (139 yards) and Bryce Strong (106 yards, two touchdowns) each eclipsing the 100-yard mark.
“We’ve got to get bigger,” McCorkle said. “We’ve got to get stronger. There are a lot of things in those areas we just can’t execute. When you see guys getting knocked straight back, that’s a problem. Part of that comes with being so young and youthful. Our freshman count – I can’t keep up with it – but I keep seeing little bitty guys going in there and fighting their tails off. We’ve got to make those little bitty guys bigger and stronger. We have a heck of a strength and conditioning coach in Jason Smelser, and he and I have been talking for several weeks about how to address some of those things. He’s got a good plan.”
For the first time since the opening game of the McCorkle era at Tulsa on Aug. 28, the Demons emerged from the first quarter tied with an opponent after a scoreless opening period.
Northwestern answered McNeese’s first score with a Reed Honshtein 25-yard field goal that was set up by a 54-yard pass from true freshman Abram Johnston to redshirt freshman running back Ray Mckneely-Harris that moved the Demons to the McNeese 8.
After a Demon stop, the teams traded interceptions as Northwestern linebacker Blake Gotcher snagged his first career pick and returned it 24 yards to the McNeese 44. Three plays later, the Demons had lost three yards and were forced to punt.
That’s when the Cowboys leaned into their physical advantage and built a 13-play, 91-yard touchdown drive that swung the momentum back to the McNeese sideline.
“I was really hoping we could get a stop there and go into the half at 7-3,” McCorkle said. “That creates a whole different level of momentum. To their credit, they took that long drive right before the half, and it changed a lot of the momentum of the game. That’s one of those spots where we have to be bigger and stronger. That was a drive that was a great example of that.”
The Demons won the turnover battle, 4-2, as junior cornerback Caesar Magee III intercepted a pair of passes, becoming the first Northwestern player with multiple interceptions in a game since PJ Herrington on Oct. 2, 2021, against UIW.
Despite recording a season high in forced turnovers, the Demons could not convert them into any points. McNeese, meanwhile, took advantage of a short field provided by Tristan Diggers’ third-quarter interception, going 27 yards in three plays to take a 21-3 lead on Strong’s 16-yard scoring run.
“Caesar is one heck of a football player,” McCorkle said. “He’s awesome. He’s a competitor. Blake had the interception to add to his unbelievable stat line this year, and we had the fumble (forced by Chancellor Owens and recovered by Christian Williams). On the other side, we gave up two. Two freshmen quarterbacks made some bad decisions. Those are things you hope they grow out of and never do again. It just shows we have no room for error. We just don’t. Good teams can overcome those things. We’re not there now.”
The Demons return to action in a week when they travel to Houston to face HCU. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. inside Husky Stadium.