# 2019 Northwestern State Demons football team

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.
| 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.

## Schedule

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

## 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 |
| 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+
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 |
| 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
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 |
| 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
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 |
| 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
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 |
| 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
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 |
| 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
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 |
| 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
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 |
| 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
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 |
| 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
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 |
| 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
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 |
| 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+
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 |
| 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
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 :