A fourth-down stop at the 19. Now can the Demons chew up some clock and get up by 2 scores?
That's the first non-conversion on a fourth down this year for Nicholls.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Maybe the last to touch it wins?
The Demons' Purple Swarm has faced a ton of short fields tonight and is holding up well. Here's another in the fourth quarter, with Nicholls at the 30 after a short punt. Demons up 33-28 and hanging tough.
Weeks 2 away
After his latest field goal, Robert Weeks is 2 away from tying Keith Hodnett's career record of 37 field goals.
Branch in
Drew Branch is quarterbacking this series. Fourth-and-1 at Nicholls 21. Tim Henderson jumps and the Demons will probably settle for a Weeks FG.
Lawrence notches another 100
With a 10-yard run, Byron Lawrence has his 12th career 100-yard rushing output. That ties Clarence Matthews for the second-best career total in school history, with Tony Taylor's 20 topping the charts.
Weeks passes Tolar
Robert Weeks drilled a 48-yard field goal, a career best, and climbed into seventh place all-time in scoring at NSU, with 184 points. That passes Charlie Tolar, the All-America running back who had 182 points from 1956-58.
Tolar was the school record holder until Joe Delaney scored 188 from 1977-80.
Tolar was the school record holder until Joe Delaney scored 188 from 1977-80.
Small world
NSU alumnus James Perry, father of Demon defenders and last game's touchdown makers Justin and Kevin Perry, was the halftime guest on the Demon Sports Network broadcast.
That brought James up to the press box to visit with announcer Patrick Netherton.
And reunited him with his first boss. James is an accountant at an oil firm in Houston. He first worked in Beaumont and his first boss was Harold Lafosse, the genial gent who is the Southland Conference officials observer and a frequent visitor with his charming wife Ida to our press box.
That brought James up to the press box to visit with announcer Patrick Netherton.
And reunited him with his first boss. James is an accountant at an oil firm in Houston. He first worked in Beaumont and his first boss was Harold Lafosse, the genial gent who is the Southland Conference officials observer and a frequent visitor with his charming wife Ida to our press box.
Stoker registers his disagreement
For the first time in his seven seasons, Demon coach Scott Stoker went to the officiating crew instead of Demon sideline reporter Britt Brittain. He registered his opinion with the crew before stepping back to tell Britt that Nicholls' special teams play is the difference in the Colonels' 22-21 halftime edge.
Strange scoring play, or was it?
It counted but there's a big question whether it should have been a Nicholls touchdown.
On fourth-and-goal from the 1, a quick underhand toss to the left halfback, A.J. Williams, was fumbled at the 5 and batted around. Nicholls' Isa Hines picked it up back about the 8 and knifed forward, diving for the pylon at the goalline and getting across.
However, on a fourth-down fumble, only the player who fumbled can advance the ball.
But the officials ruled it a "backwards pass" and said that allows any offensive player to advance the ball.
Semantics matter.
On fourth-and-goal from the 1, a quick underhand toss to the left halfback, A.J. Williams, was fumbled at the 5 and batted around. Nicholls' Isa Hines picked it up back about the 8 and knifed forward, diving for the pylon at the goalline and getting across.
However, on a fourth-down fumble, only the player who fumbled can advance the ball.
But the officials ruled it a "backwards pass" and said that allows any offensive player to advance the ball.
Semantics matter.
You wouldn't think this
That TD pass was only the third touchdown offensively so far this season (this is the third game for Nicholls due to Hurricane Gustav) and their second passing touchdown. You wouldn't expect Nicholls to have more passing touchdowns than rushing scores.
Fullback dive not there for Nicholls
The fundamental step to attacking the triple option is to deny the fullback dive, and the Demons have done that. Nicholls has not found any room inside the tackles.
But the Colonels have dusted off a tried and true weapon, going up top for a long touchdown pass to draw within 21-16 midway through the second quarter.
But the Colonels have dusted off a tried and true weapon, going up top for a long touchdown pass to draw within 21-16 midway through the second quarter.
Purple Swarm stiff in the red zone
Nicholls has had two long KO returns and a run down to the 6 yard line and only 9 points on three field goals to show for it.
Great work by the Purple Swarm defense when it matters most.
Great work by the Purple Swarm defense when it matters most.
Welcome back Kedrin and Dudley
The time off was pretty well used by Dudley Guice and Kedrin Seastrunk. Both have spent most of the season idled with injuries, and both have big catches as Northwestern is roaring off to a 21-6 lead 11:46 before halftime.
Guice caught the first touchdown pass, a 46-yarder.
Seastrunk caught a 22-yarder from John Hundley on a nifty throw and run play to get it to the 1, where Hundley fired a 1-yarder to tight end Gordon Freeman in the back of the end zone for the Demons' third touchdown.
The third score was set up by a fumble forced by Albert Smith, who grew up 17 miles from the Nicholls campus.
Guice caught the first touchdown pass, a 46-yarder.
Seastrunk caught a 22-yarder from John Hundley on a nifty throw and run play to get it to the 1, where Hundley fired a 1-yarder to tight end Gordon Freeman in the back of the end zone for the Demons' third touchdown.
The third score was set up by a fumble forced by Albert Smith, who grew up 17 miles from the Nicholls campus.
Demons have come to pass
After a 52-yard punt downed at the Nicholls 2, the Purple Swarm forced a 3-and-out. After Calvin Stoker's 9-yard punt return started Northwestern across midfield, a 33-yard John Hundley play action strike to a wide open Darius Duffy got the home team to the 1 and Byron Lawrence finished the deal on the next snap.
Demons 14-6.
Now can we survive the kickoff? Colonels have broken the first two for 52 and 54 yards.
Demons 14-6.
Now can we survive the kickoff? Colonels have broken the first two for 52 and 54 yards.
First score joy
After holding Nicholls to a field goal following a 52-yard kickoff return inside the 30, the Demons scored on a long pass from John Hundley to Dudley Guice.
It's the third time in six games this year, and 35th time in 75 games under Scott Stoker, NSU has scored on its first offensive series of the game. It's also the first Demon TD against Nicholls since 2005. Three Robert Weeks field goals in 2006 provided all the points in a Demon shutout win, and Nicholls shut out Northwestern last year.
It's the third time in six games this year, and 35th time in 75 games under Scott Stoker, NSU has scored on its first offensive series of the game. It's also the first Demon TD against Nicholls since 2005. Three Robert Weeks field goals in 2006 provided all the points in a Demon shutout win, and Nicholls shut out Northwestern last year.
What they're wearing
Demons are in the purple tops with white pants and the thick purple stripe up the side of their legs, with purple helmets.
Colonels have white jerseys, red letters and numerals, silver helmets and pants, and red stockings.
The Spirit of Northwestern is in full gear; no more shorts and polos this year!
It's also Spirit Day with a collection of cheerleaders from area schools set to participate in pregame and halftime activities.
Colonels have white jerseys, red letters and numerals, silver helmets and pants, and red stockings.
The Spirit of Northwestern is in full gear; no more shorts and polos this year!
It's also Spirit Day with a collection of cheerleaders from area schools set to participate in pregame and halftime activities.
Visitor to tailgating
It's one thing to welcome opposing fans to the Demon Alley Tailgating Zone -- that's standard practice.
But the visiting head coach?
Nicholls' Jay Thomas and a few red-clad companions made a tour of Demon Alley about 3:30-4 today, visiting with former players David and Stuart Wright and Demon Sports Network radio play by play man Patrick Netherton, among others.
Offered some delicious tailgate fare, Thomas declined, saying his stomach is too jumpy on game day to eat.
Let's hope that as good a guy as he is, his tummy is even more upset about 9 tonight and he can't stomach the postgame meal either!
But the visiting head coach?
Nicholls' Jay Thomas and a few red-clad companions made a tour of Demon Alley about 3:30-4 today, visiting with former players David and Stuart Wright and Demon Sports Network radio play by play man Patrick Netherton, among others.
Offered some delicious tailgate fare, Thomas declined, saying his stomach is too jumpy on game day to eat.
Let's hope that as good a guy as he is, his tummy is even more upset about 9 tonight and he can't stomach the postgame meal either!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Old friend/foe speaks to Demons Friday
Heading into the Southland Conference opener Saturday evening at 6 in Turpin Stadium, the Demon football team heard from an expert on SLC championships at the close of Friday afternoon's practice.
Retired coach Bobby Keasler, who steered McNeese to a fistful of SLC titles in the 1990s, probably rode his beloved Harley to Natchitoches to try to give one of his favorite former assistant coaches a hand.
Keasler came at the invitation of Demon head coach Scott Stoker, an assistant under Keasler at McNeese from 1994-98 before Keasler took the head job at Louisiana-Monroe.
Keasler also had Demons' assistant head coach Johnny Nagle on his McNeese staff.
Friday, the New Iberia native no doubt had some choice words of inspiration for the Demons.
Retired coach Bobby Keasler, who steered McNeese to a fistful of SLC titles in the 1990s, probably rode his beloved Harley to Natchitoches to try to give one of his favorite former assistant coaches a hand.
Keasler came at the invitation of Demon head coach Scott Stoker, an assistant under Keasler at McNeese from 1994-98 before Keasler took the head job at Louisiana-Monroe.
Keasler also had Demons' assistant head coach Johnny Nagle on his McNeese staff.
Friday, the New Iberia native no doubt had some choice words of inspiration for the Demons.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Changes coming in NCAA track
The path to becoming an All-American in track and field will be redefined in 2010.
Visiting with coaches Leon Johnson and Mike Heimerman this morning, it was fascinating to hear the NCAA will streamline the qualification process for the Outdoor Championships after this spring.
For years, athletes had to reach an automatic standard to qualify for the national meet, and the field was filled out by the highest ranking competitors who met an easier provisional standard that still wasn't duck soup. That system remains in place for NCAA Indoor qualification.
Only a few years ago, the NCAA adjusted the outdoor process. It established a system with four regional meets, and qualifying standards that were in most cases even less demanding than the old provisional standards, to assure enough competition at the regionals. There still were automatic qualifiers who would advance to nationals even if they didn't do well at regionals.
That won't happen after next year. There will be two regional qualifying meets, basically (except for Louisiana and Arkansas heading east) with the country divided along the Mississippi River.
The top performers at the two regional meets advance to the national meet. Nobody else does. Get the job done at the regional qualifiers, or be done with the season. Fair enough - it makes head to head competition the determining factor.
It doesn't really matter, but for some reason the NCAA won't call these the East Regional and the West Regional championships. They'll be called something else - why, I can't wait to hear.
But input from coaches and administrators, and lots of number crunching by the hard-working NCAA staff, determined this new format is improved and provides more fair selection of those competitors most deserving of a chance to become an All-American and win a national championship.
That's one wonderful aspect of track and field -- there is nothing subjective about earning All-America honors. Those go to the top eight overall finishers in each event at the national championships, as well as to the top eight American-born finishers in each event.
I'd imagine the new format will reduce the number of competitors advancing past conference championships, but just a cursory glance at results for the past few years indicated there were more athletes at the regional meets who had no chance to get to nationals than there were national-class athletes being left at home after the top five regional finishers advanced to nationals.
For example, out west, year after year there are, for whatever reason, very few national class sprinters. In the Midwest and Mideast Regions, there are far more than five good ones, and the East Region has also been much deeper than the West.
So the field of qualifiers at nationals wasn't really balanced. There were some qualifiers from out west, and sometimes also to the east, who weren't better than athletes from the midsection of the country left on the sideline after regionals.
This new system seems on track to fixing that.
Visiting with coaches Leon Johnson and Mike Heimerman this morning, it was fascinating to hear the NCAA will streamline the qualification process for the Outdoor Championships after this spring.
For years, athletes had to reach an automatic standard to qualify for the national meet, and the field was filled out by the highest ranking competitors who met an easier provisional standard that still wasn't duck soup. That system remains in place for NCAA Indoor qualification.
Only a few years ago, the NCAA adjusted the outdoor process. It established a system with four regional meets, and qualifying standards that were in most cases even less demanding than the old provisional standards, to assure enough competition at the regionals. There still were automatic qualifiers who would advance to nationals even if they didn't do well at regionals.
That won't happen after next year. There will be two regional qualifying meets, basically (except for Louisiana and Arkansas heading east) with the country divided along the Mississippi River.
The top performers at the two regional meets advance to the national meet. Nobody else does. Get the job done at the regional qualifiers, or be done with the season. Fair enough - it makes head to head competition the determining factor.
It doesn't really matter, but for some reason the NCAA won't call these the East Regional and the West Regional championships. They'll be called something else - why, I can't wait to hear.
But input from coaches and administrators, and lots of number crunching by the hard-working NCAA staff, determined this new format is improved and provides more fair selection of those competitors most deserving of a chance to become an All-American and win a national championship.
That's one wonderful aspect of track and field -- there is nothing subjective about earning All-America honors. Those go to the top eight overall finishers in each event at the national championships, as well as to the top eight American-born finishers in each event.
I'd imagine the new format will reduce the number of competitors advancing past conference championships, but just a cursory glance at results for the past few years indicated there were more athletes at the regional meets who had no chance to get to nationals than there were national-class athletes being left at home after the top five regional finishers advanced to nationals.
For example, out west, year after year there are, for whatever reason, very few national class sprinters. In the Midwest and Mideast Regions, there are far more than five good ones, and the East Region has also been much deeper than the West.
So the field of qualifiers at nationals wasn't really balanced. There were some qualifiers from out west, and sometimes also to the east, who weren't better than athletes from the midsection of the country left on the sideline after regionals.
This new system seems on track to fixing that.
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