Jerry Byrd Jr.

Special to The Times

NATCHITOCHES -- The Northwestern State Demons sent 13 Demon seniors out on in style Saturday night at Turpin Stadium beating in-state rival No. 18 McNeese State 37-34 in double overtime after overcoming an 11-point fourth quarter deficit. It was a game that will not soon be forgotten by those who braved the chilly conditions or those watched the telecast.

The Demons (4-6, 3-5) ended a 13-game losing streak to the Cowboys (6-4, 5-3).

It included a 19-yard touchdown pass from Shelton Eppler to Jaylen Watson with 27 seconds remaining in regulation. The Demons had to have a 2-point conversion to take the game into overtime. And that’s exactly what they got as Eppler threw a fade to Jazz Ferguson.

“It was a great back shoulder throw by Shelton and execution on the line holding their blocks and another great catch that happened,” Ferguson said.

A missed field goal by NSU and a blocked field goal by Demon Hayden Bourgeois forced a second overtime.

McNeese State only managed a field goal in the second overtime. That wasn’t enough as Eppler found Ferguson on back-to-back plays, capped by a walk-off back shoulder fade for the win.

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“I’m proud for the guys,” Northwestern State coach Brad Laird said. “We’ve been on the other end of those. For our guys to keep fighting and keep their composure…we talked about doing it for the 13 seniors that we knew were going to run through that tunnel for the last time.”

“Defensive battle”

McNeese State head coach Lance Guidry referred to the game as a defensive battle as he was interviewed on the way to the locker room at halftime.

Indeed, most of the offense in the first half came on a 52-yard punt return by McNeese State’s Cyron Sutton late in the second quarter. That set up the Cowboys at the NSU 10. Three plays later, McNeese State’s James Tabary found Trevor Begue for a 3-yard touchdown pass. The touchdown gave the Cowboys a 7-0 lead at intermission.

The NSU defense limited the Cowboys to 104 total yards in the first half. Demon defensive coordinator Mike Lucas dialed up outside pressure on third down situations which suffocated McNeese State, which did not convert a third down on three attempts in the first quarter. The first two Cowboys third downs ended with a sack.

“We came out bringing pressure on their quarterback,” Bourgeois said. “We knew pressure would get him rattled.”

Bourgeois finished the game seven tackles including four solos and a crucial blocked field goal in the first overtime.

“What a great plan he (Lucas) put together,” Laird said. “And our guys executed.''

McNeese State’s defense was equally effective at keeping the Demons out of the end zone.

First half skill position woes

With both defenses dialed in, it made for a long night for quarterbacks on both sides, especially McNeese State starter Cody Orgeron. Orgeron was pulled out of the game with a little over 8 minutes to go in the half. It wasn’t Orgeron’s inability to find open receivers. He completed seven of 11 passes in the first half. The main issue was converting third downs and four sacks.

It wasn’t much better for NSU’s Shelton Eppler, who completed nine of 22 passes in the first half for 84 yards, 67 of which were credited to star receiver Jazz Ferguson.

The only group which had a tougher go than the quarterbacks in the first half was the running backs. McNeese State’s David Hamm was the game’s leading rusher at the half with five carries for 28 yards.

That all changed in the second half.

Third quarter wake-up call

NSU’s Jared West, with the help of the NSU offensive line changed things around on the Demons’ first drive in the second half. West found a crease in the middle of the Cowboy defensive front and gashed the Cowboys for a 19-yard touchdown run.

While the Demons went to the ground to get their offense going, the Cowboys delivered an air strike from Tabary to Sutton, who was able to get behind the NSU secondary for a 61-yard touchdown pass. The play helped Sutton surpass the 100-yard mark, the first Cowboy to do so since last year’s game against NSU.

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Fireworks aplenty

The Southland Conference’s version of the Hatfield and McCoys was not without fireworks early.

First, the normal variety provided by NSU game management. And then, by the players, as Demons ran onto the field and to the North end zone—a team ritual to take a knee and pray. The Cowboys were waiting just off the the field. Words were exchanged and players jawed and clapped at each other before coaches intervened.

Captains for the two teams did shake hands at midfield during the coin flip. The pregame antics seemed to carry over to the opening kickoff when NSU was called for a personal foul. All of it was a prelude for things to come.

NSU passing records are made to be broken

NSU’s sports information department will be busy updating the Demon record books. Ferguson began the revisions on the first play from scrimmage—catching a pass from Eppler for 15 yards to break the single season reception yardage record, set by Nathan Black in 2001. After the play, Ferguson had 949 yards on the season.

It was another Ferguson reception on NSU’s third possession which broke the NSU offense passing yardage record. After Ferguson’s 22-yard reception, the Demons had 2,995 yards on the season.