For 12 Northwestern State seniors, Saturday’s matchup against Houston Christian represents one final opportunity to take the field at Turpin Stadium. The Demons hope to make the most of it.
Northwestern State (0-10, 0-7) closes its regular-season home schedule with a 1 p.m. Senior Day matchup against the Huskies (4-6, 3-4), marking HCU’s first trip to Natchitoches since 2021 and just its third visit since the program began playing football in 2014.
The Demons will honor 12 seniors before kickoff. The game will air on ESPN+ and can be heard locally on 100.7 FM KZBL.
“There are some guys in this class that have been around for a while, some longer than we have,” head coach Blaine McCorkle said. “I give this class a lot of credit. They’re here for the right reasons. They want to see this thing through and believe in what we’re doing. We want to honor them and really want to send them out right.”
One of those seniors is linebacker Danny Sears, a two-year team captain who will make his 30th career start Saturday. Sears said the Demons’ best weeks of preparation have often led to the ability to put themselves in position to compete late in games.
“Throughout the season you’re going to have weeks where it’s up and down in terms of energy in practice,” Sears said. “But every single game where it seems we are in it and we had a chance to win late in the game, we had a phenomenal week of practice and preparation. When we get to Saturday it’s about executing that game plan we worked on and trust in each other. Do our 1-of-11 on each play, both sides. Everyone has to do their job and enforce the game plan.”
That collective approach will be important against an HCU defense that ranks among the Southland Conference’s best in several categories.
The Huskies rank third in the league in passing defense, allowing just over 200 yards per game through the air, and lead the conference in red-zone defense. Opponents have scored 22 touchdowns on 38 trips inside the 20-yard line this year, while HCU has allowed just one red-zone touchdown over the past two weeks.
Linebacker Jayven Anderson headlines the defense, leading the Southland with 15.5 tackles for loss, including 3.5 sacks. His 80 total tackles rank fourth in the conference.
“They’ve got a lot to play for,” McCorkle said of HCU who is looking for its first six-win season in program history. “Their defense is salty. They play hard and fast and give you a lot to look at. You have to communicate and do an incredible job with their schemes.”
The Demons have a disruptive linebacker of their own in KB Anderson-Dale, who has recorded at least one tackle for loss in four consecutive games. His 8.5 tackles for loss on the yar are tied for fifth in the Southland and rank second among true linebackers, behind HCU’s Anderson.
While the Huskies have been strong defensively, their offense enters the matchup searching for a spark. HCU was shut out by McNeese a week ago in a rainstorm and has not scored an offensive touchdown since its fourth-quarter comeback victory against East Texas A&M on Oct. 17.
The Huskies have averaged just 219.0 yards of total offense over their past three games against Lamar, Stephen F. Austin and McNeese.
HCU also ranks among the conference’s most disciplined teams, averaging just 5.4 penalties and 47.9 penalty yards per game, both league bests. Northwestern ranks third in the Southland in fewest penalties called against it, averaging 6.1 per game.
The Demons will look to build on contributions from several players who have stepped into larger roles as injuries have created opportunities throughout the lineup.
Graduate receiver Dane Wallace made the most of his first significant action of the season last week, catching four passes and moving the chains. Freshman tight end Vincent Canzano also recorded the first four receptions of his career, while NSU tight ends combined for 11 catches and 108 yards.
Tight end Joseph Moreland led the receiving group with six catches for 60 yards. His 30 receptions and 295 receiving yards rank second among tight ends in the Southland.
“Last week there were a lot of new faces on the field, especially on defense,” McCorkle said. “Dane really stepped up for us last week. He’s been in and out of rotations and hasn’t played a ton, but just steadies the boat, shows up to work every day and when his number was called he was ready. I give him a lot of credit for that.
“But it’s next man up. That’s the mindset you’ve got to have and we’ve got guys that are willing and ready to do that. Dane is a great example to our younger guys of how you stay ready all the time.”
As the Demons prepare for their final home appearance, the message remains centered on preparation, trust and doing the job required on every play. For the seniors being recognized Saturday, it is also one more chance to represent the program and the teammates they’ve spent years working alongside.