By Jason Pugh, Northwestern State Associate Athletic Director for External Relations; featured photo by Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services
NATCHITOCHES – A turnover helped the Northwestern State football team secure the fast start it wanted Saturday afternoon against Southland Conference foe Texas A&M-Commerce.
From that point, the youth-laden Demons saw things snowball in the opposite direction as the visiting Lions answered Northwestern’s opening touchdown with an avalanche of tackles for loss and an efficient offense to post a 42-21 victory at Turpin Stadium.
“We started a true freshman quarterback behind a true freshman center, a redshirt freshman left guard and a redshirt freshman tight end,” first-year head coach Blaine McCorkle said. “It was the same on the defensive side of the ball. We started four freshmen as well as two linebackers who are Division III walk-ons. I love ’em to death. Those are two tough kids. One I love like a son, and the other has become one of us in a hurry, and I couldn’t be prouder of those kids, but that’s what we played with today. When you play in the Southland Conference, it’s tough to play with that type of youth, but I’m proud of the way our kids fought.”
Things could not have begun better for the Demons (0-7, 0-2) and true freshman quarterback Abram Johnston, who made his first career start in place of injured starter JT Fayard and top backup Quaterius Hawkins.
Johnston’s first pass of the day came on the opening play from scrimmage and turned into a 40-yard connection with Twon Hines. Although the Lions (1-5, 1-1) scuttled the drive with two of their 11 first-half tackles for loss, Texas A&M-Commerce’s season-long turnover problems gave the Demons a second chance.
Dayan Bilbo fumbled Reed Honshtein’s punt at the 7-yard line before hard-charging Ty Moore recovered at the 5 to put Northwestern on the doorstep. On the next step, junior running back Kennieth Lacy scored the first of his two touchdowns on the day to give the Demons an early lead.
The lead stood for less than three minutes as Lion quarterback Ron Peace began his ultra-efficient afternoon by connecting on all three of his passes on a six-play, 80-yard scoring drive that ended with Peace finding a wide-open Christian Jourdain for a 30-yard touchdown pass.
A drive later, the game of inches began to shift away from Northwestern.
With the Lions driving, cornerback Caesar Magee III nearly picked off a crossing route from Peace but could not corral the interception. Three plays later, BK Jackson gave the Lions the lead for good with a 1-yard touchdown plunge.
“Caesar had that one slip through his hands,” McCorkle said. “It would have been nice to have it. He’s another kid I’m awful proud of. He played really hard today, really hard in the run game. He made some nice tackles on the edge and did some good things. It truly is a matter of inches.”
Northwestern’s offense, helmed by a first-time starter for the second time this season, often found itself behind the sticks in the first half as Texas A&M-Commerce picked up the lion’s share of its negative plays in the first 30 minutes. For the game, the Lions recorded 16 tackles for loss – a key reason the Demons were held to 29 yards rushing.
The Northwestern defense gave its offense a chance when Chancellor Owens forced Peace to fumble on a strip sack at the Commerce 39-yard line.
Thanks in large part to a 34-yard screen pass from Johnston to Zay Davis, the Demons moved into the red zone where Johnston’s third-down pass was intercepted, keeping the Lions’ lead at seven points.
Another successful screen pass – this one a 51-yarder to Davis – put Northwestern in position to answer Peace’s 34-yard scoring run before halftime. After a holding penalty negated Johnston’s 5-yard touchdown pass, Reed Honshtein’s 32-yard field attempt was wide left, leaving the Demons’ halftime deficit at 14.
“We have no margin for error,” McCorkle said. “None. You convert both of those and it’s 21-21 at halftime. Then, who knows what happens? Again, that’s youth and inexperience. We talk to the guys about how hard you have to play to win and how long you have to play that hard. That’s something you have to learn.”
What the Turpin Stadium crowd learned about Johnston in his first career start has been apparent to McCorkle for some time.
A freshman from Baton Rouge’s Parkview Baptist High School, Johnston shook off a pair of interceptions to throw for 301 yards and a touchdown in his first career start. He commanded a six-play, 92-yard scoring drive late in the fourth quarter that he capped with a 27-yard scoring pass to redshirt freshman Amaaz Eugene, who stretched the ball across the goal line for his first career score.
“Abram’s special,” McCorkle said. “I don’t know how to put into words what he did. People can see the grit, the toughness and the type of competitor he is. I’ve been fortunate to watch Abram Johnston through his high school career through circumstances. I’ve been watching him a long time. He’s special. He’s unique, and we have a whole class of kids just like that. That’s what’s really encouraging. This is a high level of football, and for a true freshman to go in and do what he did today is impressive.
“He’s one tough nut, because he didn’t have a whole lot of help around him, and he made things happen. That’s just who he is.”
The Demons return to action in a week when they travel to face Nicholls. Kickoff in Thibodaux is set for 11 a.m.