Photograph: Northwestern State’s Jared Pedraza (left) and Jomard Valsin Jr. (0) try to run down SEMO quarterback Paxton DeLaurent on Saturday. (Courtesy of Chris Reich Northwestern State University Photographic Services)
NATCHITOCHES – At times, the Northwestern State football team has overcome its turnover struggles in 2022.
The Demons’ matchup Saturday against No. 16/18 Southeast Missouri State was not one of those days.
Northwestern State committed two first-quarter turnovers and SEMO recovered an onside kick in the stanza, allowing the Redhawks to build a big early lead and spoil NSU’s Homecoming with a 51-16 non-conference victory at Turpin Stadium.
“The unfortunate thing is I don’t think we gave ourselves the best opportunity to win,” fifth-year head coach Brad Laird said. “The way you do that is by doing everything you’re supposed to do throughout the week to prepare yourself to be successful. When your football team does not do that, these types of outcomes happen.
“It’s one thing to say we did everything we were supposed to do during the week, and we just got beat. The tough part about it is when you know you didn’t, and this is the outcome.”
While the Demons (3-5) were charged with two turnovers in the first half, the visiting Redhawks (6-1) created two additional first-half possessions in the kicking game and extended another on special teams.
After the Redhawks took a 13-3 lead on Geno Hess’ 29-yard touchdown run, SEMO recovered an onside kick at the NSU 36. Two plays later, Hess scooted in from 4 yards out to make it 20-3 with 6:33 to play in the first quarter.
It appeared the teams had settled into more of a defensive battle in the second quarter before the Redhawks used a fake punt on fourth-and-3 from the Demon 44 to extend what became an eight-play, 51-yard touchdown drive.
Upback Will Weidemann barreled his way through a tackle near the line of scrimmage and eventually rumbled 22 yards to the Demon 22. Three plays later, Paxton DeLaurent found Damoriea Vick for a 3-yard touchdown pass.
SEMO capped its first half of breaks by recovering a sky kick that was knocked down by the wind at the NSU 24-yard line. DeLaurent cashed in on that Demon miscue with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Johnny King with 1:41 to play in the half, building a 37-3 lead for the Redhawks.
“We had situations in all three phases that led to us being down the way we were at halftime,” Laird said. “We didn’t start fast. We turned the ball over. We weren’t able to create takeaways, and we had some issues on special teams. It was a complete team effort as far as not doing what we were supposed to do to win the game.”
SEMO put up 303 first-half yards en route to its 34-point lead at the break. Northwestern State gained 170 but saw its longest drive of the season in terms of plays go for naught.
