Eyeing 1st win: Northwestern State, McNeese rivalry will be renewed Oct. 28

NATCHITOCHES, La. (KALB) - As Week 9 of college football approaches, Northwestern State is still eyeing their first win of the season, and so is their opponent, McNeese.

The two schools did not meet last year due to changes in the Southland Conference, but the long time rivalry will be renewed.

Last week against Southeastern, Demons’ quarterback Tyler Vander Waal was sent to the hospital after being injured in the second half, NSU trainers said he had a broken femur, but the conclusion of his injury came to being a quadriceps contusion.

“If that was it for me, it was it for me,” said Vander Waal. “Luckily, I am healthy, and I get another week to go out there. Hopefully, I will stay healthy. It is another opportunity.”

Northwestern State’s offense has not been consistent throughout the nine weeks of the season. The Demons have not had many problems finding the redzone, they have trouble finding the endzone.

Vander Waal said the weapons and talent on the Demons’ roster is incredible, but they have not found the missing piece of the offense that is needed.

“We can never play a complete game, to put it simply, that is just how it is,” said Vander Waal. “We can play three quarters, but when it comes to the fourth quarter, you do not know what you are going to get.”

A bright spot for the Demons’ is their defense, the Purple Swarm. Northwestern State is not only the best in the conference in not giving up scores in the redzone, but they rank number two in the FCS.

“When we are able to go out there and execute it, it means a lot to us know that we bow up in the redzone and stop offenses,” said Demons’ defensive lineman Donovan Green. “In the redzone it is very hard to stop offenses from scoring.”

In 2021 against McNeese, the Purple Swarm had 11 sacks, which was one shy from tying the school single-game record.

The Demons will travel to Lake Charles to face McNeese on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m.

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