# 2020 Northwestern State Demons football team

The 2020 Northwestern State Demons football team represented Northwestern State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by third-year head coach Brad Laird, the Demons compiled an overall record of 1–5 with an identical mark in conference play, placing last out of seven teams in the Southland. Northwestern State played home games at Harry Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

## Preseason
### Recruiting class

Reference(s):
US college sports recruiting information for 2020 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Scooter Adams Running Back | Hallettsville, TX | Hallettsville HS Kilgore College | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Marquise Bridges Wide Receiver | Brookhaven, MS | Petal HS Mississippi Gulf Coast CC | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 193 lb (88 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Logan Canerdy Offensive Line | Caledonia, MS | Caledonia HS Jones County JC | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 295 lb (134 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Malik Carey Cornerback | Shreveport, LA | Captain Shreve HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Natea "Tay" Coleman Safety | Beaumont, TX | West Brook HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Kevin Davis, Jr. Safety | Freeport, TX | Brazosport HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Cayden Dunn Running Back | Los Angeles, CA | Bishop Alemany HS College of the Canyons | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Logan Gabriel Running Back | Opelousas, LA | Lafayette Christian Academy | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Eddie Godina Kicker | Whitehouse, TX | Whitehouse HS Trinity Valley CC | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Kendal Harmon Defensive Line | Crowley, LA | Crowley HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 273 lb (124 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| PJ Herrington Defensive Back | Natchez, MS | Natchez HS East Mississippi CC | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Jewell Holmes, III Wide Receiver | New Orleans, LA | Warren Easton HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 188 lb (85 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Monte Johnson Tight End | Burleson, TX | Burleson Centennial HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Princeton Malbrue Outside Linebacker | Carencro, LA | Lafayette Christian Academy | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Jordan McClaine Offensive Line | Ruston, LA | Ruston HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Johnny Mitchell, Jr. Defensive Line | Stonewall, LA | North DeSoto HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 310 lb (140 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Jalen Momerelle offensive Line | Houston, TX | Manvel HS Navarro College/Texas State | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 305 lb (138 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Andy Pierre-Antoine Wide Receiver | North Miami, FL | North Miami Sr. HS Reedley College | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Isaiah Robinson Defensive Back | Bossier City, LA | Parkway HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Brayden Staggs Offensive Line | Cypress, TX | Langham Creek HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 285 lb (129 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Dante Thomas Defensive Back | Hammond, LA | John Curtis HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Jaheim Walters Wide Receiver | New Orleans, LA | St. Augustine HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 184 lb (83 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Malik Williams Linebacker | Gilmer, TX | Gilmer HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||

### Preseason poll

The Southland Conference released their spring preseason poll in January 2021. The Demons were picked to finish sixth in the conference. In addition, two Demons were chosen to the Preseason All-Southland Team
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Nicholls | 67 (7) |
| 2 | Sam Houston State | 65 (6) |
| 3 | Southeastern Louisiana | 48 |
| 4 | McNeese State | 45 (1) |
| 5 | Incarnate Word | 32 |
| 6 | Northwestern State | 20 |
| 7 | Lamar | 17 |

### Preseason All–Southland Teams
## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| March 6 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 7 Nicholls | Harry Turpin StadiumNatchitoches, LA (NSU Challenge) | ESPN+ | L 24–31 | 4,305 |
| March 13 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 18 Southeastern Louisiana | Strawberry StadiumHammond, LA (rivalry) | ESPN+ | L 24–27 | 3,016 |
| March 20 | 4:00 p.m. | McNeese State | Harry Turpin StadiumNatchitoches, LA (rivalry) | CST | L 7–21 | 6,577 |
| March 27 | 3:00 p.m. | at Lamar | Provost Umphrey StadiumBeaumont, TX | ESPN+ | L 23–31 | 3,833 |
| April 1 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 5 Sam Houston State | Harry Turpin StadiumNatchitoches, LA | ESPN+ | L 16–24 | 1,221 |
| April 10 | 7:00 p.m. | at No. 19 Incarnate Word | Gayle and Tom Benson StadiumSan Antonio, TX | ESPN+ | W 49–47 | 1,055 |
| Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time |||||||

## Game summaries
### Nicholls

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 7 Colonels | 14 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
| Demons | 7 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| NICH −49.0 | 60 |
| Statistics | Nicholls | Northwestern State |
| First downs | 29 | 12 |
| Total yards | 545 | 304 |
| Rushing yards | 246 | 237 |
| Passing yards | 299 | 67 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 39:31 | 20:29 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Nicholls | Passing | Lindsey Scott Jr. | 21/33, 229 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT |
| Nicholls | Rushing | Julien Gums | 36 carries, 156 yards, 1 TD |
| Nicholls | Receiving | Dai'Jean Dixon | 7 receptions, 115 yards, 2 TDs |
| Northwestern State | Passing | Kaleb Fletcher | 8/17, 49 yards, 1 TD |
| Northwestern State | Rushing | Aubrey Scott | 9 carries, 119 yards, 1 TD |
| Northwestern State | Receiving | Gavin Landry | 2 receptions, 19 yards, 1 TD |

### At Southeastern Louisiana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Demons | 14 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| • No. 18 Lions | 0 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 27 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| SELA −15.5 | 62 |
| Statistics | Northwestern State | Southeastern Louisiana |
| First downs | 23 | 23 |
| Total yards | 422 | 477 |
| Rushing yards | 249 | 131 |
| Passing yards | 173 | 346 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 30:46 | 29:14 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Northwestern State | Passing | Kaleb Fletcher | 7/15, 96 yards, 1 INT |
| Northwestern State | Rushing | Scooter Adams | 19 carries, 100 yards, 1 TD |
| Northwestern State | Receiving | Marquise Bridges | 1 reception, 40 yards |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Passing | Cole Kelley | 28/39, 338 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Rushing | Morgan Ellison | 10 carries, 81 yards |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Receiving | CJ Turner | 9 receptions, 72 yards |

### McNeese State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Cowboys | 7 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 21 |
| Demons | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| NSU −3.5 | 48 |
| Statistics | McNeese State | Northwestern State |
| First downs | 20 | 21 |
| Total yards | 416 | 394 |
| Rushing yards | 110 | 33 |
| Passing yards | 306 | 361 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 30:36 | 29:24 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| McNeese State | Passing | Cody Orgeron | 17/22, 306 yards, 2 TDs |
| McNeese State | Rushing | Josh Parker | 16 carries, 77 yards |
| McNeese State | Receiving | Trevor Begue | 8 receptions, 165 yards, 1 TD |
| Northwestern State | Passing | Kaleb Fletcher | 13/18, 171 yards, 1 TD |
| Northwestern State | Rushing | Scooter Adams | 8 carries, 37 yards |
| Northwestern State | Receiving | Javon Antonio | 6 receptions, 103 yards |

### At Lamar

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Demons | 0 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 23 |
| • Cardinals | 14 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 31 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| NSU −7.0 | 50 |
| Statistics | Northwestern State | Lamar |
| First downs | 17 | 19 |
| Total yards | 409 | 358 |
| Rushing yards | 215 | 239 |
| Passing yards | 194 | 119 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 19:46 | 40:14 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Northwestern State | Passing | Bryce Rivers | 7/19, 136 yards, 1 TD |
| Northwestern State | Rushing | Scooter Adams | 18 carries, 212 yards, 2 TDs |
| Northwestern State | Receiving | Marquise Bridges | 1 reception, 45 yards |
| Lamar | Passing | Jalen Dummett | 6/12, 94 yards, 1 TD |
| Lamar | Rushing | Jalen Dummett | 13 carries, 84 yards, 1 TD |
| Lamar | Receiving | Kirkland Banks | 2 receptions, 43 yards |

### Sam Houston State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 5 Bearkats | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| Demons | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 16 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| SHSU −27.5 | 67 |
| Statistics | Sam Houston State | Northwestern State |
| First downs | 23 | 24 |
| Total yards | 445 | 453 |
| Rushing yards | 133 | 43 |
| Passing yards | 312 | 410 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 32:30 | 27:30 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Eric Schmid | 22/41, 312 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs |
| Sam Houston State | Rushing | Ramon Jefferson | 18 carries, 107 yards |
| Sam Houston State | Receiving | Ife Adeyi | 6 receptions, 134 yards, 1 TD |
| Northwestern State | Passing | Bryce Rivers | 29/51, 410 yards, 2 TDs |
| Northwestern State | Rushing | Scooter Adams | 13 carries, 34 yards |
| Northwestern State | Receiving | Javon Antonio | 10 receptions, 190 yards, 1 TD |

### At Incarnate Word

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Demons | 17 | 0 | 9 | 23 | 49 |
| No. 19 Cardinals | 10 | 13 | 7 | 17 | 47 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| UIW −10.0 | 67 |
| Statistics | Northwestern State | Incarnate Word |
| First downs | 36 | 29 |
| Total yards | 707 | 627 |
| Rushing yards | 230 | 196 |
| Passing yards | 477 | 431 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 30:20 | 29:40 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Northwestern State | Passing | Bryce Rivers | 34/61, 477 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT |
| Northwestern State | Rushing | Scooter Adams | 20 carries, 208 yards, 3 TDs |
| Northwestern State | Receiving | Javon Antonio | 11 receptions, 192 yards, 2 TDs |
| Incarnate Word | Passing | Cam Ward | 33/59, 431 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT |
| Incarnate Word | Rushing | Kevin Brown | 19 carries, 160 yards, 3 TDs |
| Incarnate Word | Receiving | Robert Ferrel | 7 receptions, 144 yards, 1 TD |