2023 Northwestern State Demons football team

2023 Northwestern State Demons football
Conference	Southland Conference
Record	0–6 (0–2 Southland)
Head coach	Brad Laird (6th season)
Offensive coordinator	Beau Blair (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Weston Glaser (2nd season)
Base defense	3–3–5
Home stadium	Harry Turpin Stadium
Seasons ←  2022 2024  →

2023 Southland Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Nicholls $^		7	–	0					6	–	5
No. 22 Incarnate Word		6	–	1					8	–	2
Lamar		5	–	2					6	–	5
Houston Christian		4	–	3					5	–	5
Southeastern Louisiana		3	–	4					3	–	8
Texas A&M–Commerce *		2	–	5					1	–	9
McNeese		1	–	6					0	–	10
Northwestern State **		0	–	2					0	–	6
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant * – Texas A&M–Commerce ineligible for FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II. ** – Northwestern State canceled its season on October 26. Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2023 Northwestern State Demons football team represented Northwestern State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Brad Laird, the Demons played their home games at Harry Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches, Louisiana. On October 26, Laird announced that he had resigned and the remainder of the season would be cancelled due to the death of Ronnie Caldwell.

Death of Ronnie Caldwell

On the morning of October 12, junior safety Ronnie Caldwell died after having been shot multiple times. ^[1] The Demons' following game, against Nicholls, was cancelled in response. ^[2] On October 26, the university announced that Laird had resigned and the remainder of the season would be cancelled. ^[3]

The day following the murder, Caldwell's roommate, John McIntosh, was arrested by Natchitoches police for possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance. At the time, police did not say if McIntosh was involved in Caldwell's death but did confirm that McIntosh had previously been arrested for attempted second-degree murder. ^[4] On October 20, defensive tackle Maurice Campbell was arrested in connection to Caldwell's death. Campbell was cited for obstruction of justice, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance. ^[5]

On November 5, Caldwell's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Quad Apartment Complex, where Caldwell lived and where the shooting occurred, and Laird. ^[6] According to the lawsuit, Caldwell was placed in an apartment with McIntosh, who was not attending college and had a history of legal trouble, after mold was found in Caldwell's original apartment. ^[7] The lawsuit also alleges that McIntosh pulled a gun on Caldwell three days before the shooting occurred. Caldwell then notified his father, Ronald, of the incident who then alerted Laird. Laird called Ronald, assuring him that he would immediately place Ronnie in a safe location. ^[8]

Preseason

Preseason poll

The Southland Conference released their preseason poll on July 24, 2023. The Demons were picked to finish fifth in the conference. ^[9]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Southeastern Louisiana	93 (9)
2	Incarnate Word	91 (7)
3	McNeese	65
4	Nicholls	62
5	Northwestern State	52
6	Texas A&M–Commerce	33
7	Lamar	28
8	Houston Christian	24

Preseason All–Southland Teams

The Southland Conference announced the 2023 preseason all-conference football team selections on July 21, 2023. NSU had a total of 6 players selected. ^[10]

Offense 1st Team Travon Jones – tight end/halfback, SO Zach Patterson – wide receiver, SR 2nd Team Scooter Adams – running back, RS-SR Ke'Nard King – wide receiver, JR D'Andre Richard – offensive lineman, JR

Defense 1st Team Kevin Davis – defensive back, JR

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	7:30 p.m.	at Louisiana *	Cajun Field Lafayette, LA	ESPN+	L 13–38	18,186
September 9	6:00 p.m.	at Louisiana Tech *	Joe Aillet Stadium Ruston, LA	ESPN+	L 21–51	19,152
September 16	6:00 p.m.	Stephen F. Austin *	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA (Chief Caddo)	ESPN+	L 7–41	6,486
September 30	6:00 p.m.	Eastern Illinois *	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	ESPN+	L 10–19	6,021
October 7	3:00 p.m.	at Lamar	Provost Umphrey Stadium Beaumont, TX	ESPN+	L 13–27	5,263
October 14	3:00 p.m.	at Nicholls	Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA (NSU Challenge)	ESPN+	Cancelled
October 19	7:00 p.m.	Southeastern Louisiana	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	ESPN+	L 20–37	2,237
October 28	7:00 p.m.	at McNeese	Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA (rivalry)	ESPN+	Cancelled
November 4	2:00 p.m.	Houston Christian	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	ESPN+	Cancelled
November 11	2:00 p.m.	at No. 16 Incarnate Word	Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium San Antonio, TX	ESPN+	Cancelled
November 18	2:00 p.m.	Texas A&M–Commerce	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	ESPN+	Cancelled
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^{[11] [12] [13] [14]}

Personnel

2023 Northwestern State Demons football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class TE 0 Travon Jones So WR 1 Zach Patterson Sr RB 2 Kennieth Lacy Jr WR 3 Jaheim Walters So WR 4 Ke'Nard King Jr WR 5 Jaren Mitchell Sr RB 6 Scooter Adams Sr QB 7 Kareame Cotton Jr. So QB 8 Tyler Vander Waal Sr WR 9 Kobe Stewart So QB 10 Quaterius Hawkins Sr WR 11 Twon Hines Jr WR 13 Myles Kent-Denton Jr QB 14 J. T. Fayard Fr TE 15 Sylvester Campbell III Sr TE 17 Chance Newman Sr WR 18 Dennis Smith Sr WR 20 Hogan Wasson Fr RB 21 Kolbe Burrell So RB 22 Duce Hart Fr RB 25 Darius Boone Jr. Jr WR 30 Micah Jernigan Jr RB 35 SirMichael Veasley So RB 40 Brian Banks Fr TE 42 Gage Ridgel Jr OL 50 Cameron Vaughn Jr OL 51 Ta'Von Burrows Jr C 53 Quentin Ross Jr OL 56 Matt Mabry Jr OL 57 Riley Birdwell So OL 58 Coby James So OL 62 Chris Allen Fr OL 65 Brayden Staggs So OL 67 Jordan Cooper Jr OL 68 Cole LaFleur Fr OL 69 Nicholas Soileau Fr OL 70 Hanzlah Rana Fr OL 71 Stevie Ballard Jr OL 72 Jay Stroble So OL 73 Tyrone Butler Fr OL 74 Ryan Larson Fr OL 75 Jordan McClaine So OL 77 Tyler McMillan So WR 81 T. J. Johnson Fr WR 82 Jarien Brown Fr WR 84 Devin Thierry So WR 86 Amaaz Eugene Fr WR 88 Stanley King Jr WR 89 Dane Wallace Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class S 1 Peyton Woulard Sr LB 2 Justice Galloway-Velazquez Sr LB 6 Jordan Banks So CB 7 Anthony Richard So LB 8 Jaeden Ward Sr S 9 Cam Hardy So S 10 Isaiah Robinson So CB 11 Reggie Strong Jr DE 13 Jeremiah Bodwin So S 14 Cadillac Rhone So CB 15 Ty Hall So S 16 William White So S 17 D. J. Johnson Fr CB 18 Justus Johnson Fr CB 19 Emanuel Brown So S 20 Kevin Davis Jr. Jr LB 21 Jared Pedrazza Jr S 23 Ronnie Caldwell Jr DE 24 Trevion Sneed So CB 26 Perry Taylor Jr S 27 Antwon Fegans So CB 28 Antonio Hall Fr CB 30 Troy Santa Marina Jr. Fr LB 31 Matthew Broad So S 32 Ara Rauls III Jr DE 33 Ty Ely So LB 35 Ja'Quel Mack Fr DE 36 Christian Thomas Fr CB 37 Keelan Preston Fr CB 38 Daniel Dufour Fr CB 39 Ja'Marion Bonner Fr LB 40 Tory Morgan Fr S 42 Jeremiah Keppard Fr LB 43 Kyren Brown Jr LB 45 Danny Sears Fr CB 48 Justin Aaron Fr S 48 Brian Young Fr DE 49 Christian Hawkins So LB 50 Brendon Harris Fr LB 51 Chad Gooden Jr. Fr LB 52 Connor Norcross So DE 54 Kendal Harmon So DT 59 Maurice Campbell II (S) Sr DE 90 Chancellor Owens Fr DT 91 Christian Davis Fr DT 92 Keshawn Reed Fr DT 93 Ray Gibson Jr DL 94 Peyton Beckley Sr DL 95 Johnny Mitchell So DT 97 Nazir Sy Sr DE 98 Jordon Williams Fr DT 99 Donovan Green Jr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 29 Brett Money So K, P 43 Reed Honshtein So K, P 46 Scotty Roblow Jr LS 47 Andrew Barnhill So LS 55 Sawyer Benson Fr K, P 82 Evan Kern Fr P 83 Kentrell Molette Fr	Head coach Brad Laird Coordinators/assistant coaches Beau Blair Offensive coordinator/Running backs/Tight ends Weston Glaser Assistant head coach/Defensive coordinator/Safeties Jeremy Atwell Linebackers Perry Carter Cornerbacks Boone Feldt Offensive line Chris Gistorb Defensive line Armani Lonardo Wide receivers Kyle Washington Quarterbacks Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: November 28, 2023

Game summaries

At Louisiana

See also: 2023 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team

Northwestern State Demons at Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Demons	3	3	0	7	13
Ragin' Cajuns	7	14	7	10	38

at Cajun Field, Lafayette, Louisiana

• Date: September 2
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 85 °F (29 °C)
• Game attendance: 18,186
• Referee: Scott Broadway
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Dan McDonald and Eric Mouton
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter UL – Dre'lyn Washington 62-yard run (Kenneth Almendares kick), 11:55. Ragin' Cajuns 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 67 yards, 0:53. NWST – Brett Money 37-yard field goal, 4:49. Ragin' Cajuns 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, -6 yards, 1:47. Second quarter UL – Ben Wooldridge 24-yard run (Kenneth Almendares kick), 11:39. Ragin' Cajuns 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, 41 yards, 1:19. UL – Robert Williams 32-yard pass from Ben Wooldridge (Kenneth Almendares kick), 9:09. Ragin' Cajuns 21–3. Drive: 4 plays, 42 yards, 1:37. NWST – Brett Money 41-yard field goal, 2:17. Ragin' Cajuns 21–6. Drive: 8 plays, 17 yards, 3:10. Third quarter UL – Peter LeBlanc 50-yard pass from Ben Wooldridge (Kenneth Almendares kick), 9:28. Ragin' Cajuns 28–6. Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 1:48. Fourth quarter UL – Kenneth Almendares 33-yard field goal, 14:55. Ragin' Cajuns 31–6. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:15. UL – Tavion Smith 21-yard pass from Ben Wooldridge (Kenneth Almendares kick), 4:59. Ragin' Cajuns 38–6. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 5:23. NWST – Scooter Adams 47-yard pass from Tyler Vander Waal (Brett Money kick), 2:01. Ragin' Cajuns 38–13. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:58.

Statistics	NWST	UL
First downs	8	20
Total yards	187	429
Rushing yards	77	206
Passing yards	110	223
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	32:58	27:02

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northwestern State	Passing	Tyler Vander Waal	12/28, 110 yards, TD
	Rushing	Scooter Adams	8 rushes, 33 yards
	Receiving	Scooter Adams	2 receptions, 48 yards, TD
Louisiana	Passing	Ben Wooldridge	14/32, 223 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	Drelyn Washington	8 rushes, 88 yards, TD
	Receiving	Peter LeBlanc	2 receptions, 58 yards, TD

At Louisiana Tech

See also: 2023 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team

Northwestern State Demons at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Demons	7	7	7	0	21
Bulldogs	10	21	20	0	51

at Joe Aillet Stadium, Ruston, Louisiana

• Date: September 9
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 85 °F (29 °C)
• Game attendance: 19,152
• Referee: Ed Ardito
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Lyn Rollins, Chris Mykoskie, and Madison Kaufman
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter LT – Tyre Shelton 41-yard run (Jacob Barnes kick), 10:28. Bulldogs 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 1:54. LT – Jacob Barnes 22-yard field goal, 5:57. Bulldogs 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 42 yards, 1:52. NWST – Scooter Adams 11-yard pass from Tyler Vander Waal (Brett Money kick), 0:32. Bulldogs 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 61 yards, 1:08. Second quarter LT – Keith Willis Jr. 65-yard run (Jacob Barnes kick), 11:41. Bulldogs 17–7. Drive: 1 play, 65 yards, 0:09. NWST – Tyler Vander Waal 9-yard run (Brett Money kick), 5:41. Bulldogs 17–14. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 4:34. LT – Koby Duru 11-yard pass from Hank Bachmeier (Jacob Barnes kick), 3:18. Bulldogs 24–14. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 2:21. LT – Charvis Thornton 30-yard run (Jacob Barnes kick), 1:17. Bulldogs 31–14. Drive: 1 play, 30 yards, 0:08. Third quarter NWST – Kolbe Burrell 2-yard run (Brett Money kick), 13:37. Bulldogs 31–21. Drive: 4 plays, 30 yards, 1:14. LT – Jacob Barnes 36-yard field goal, 9:45. Bulldogs 34–21. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 3:52. LT – Keith Willis Jr. 68-yard run (Jacob Barnes kick), 8:06. Bulldogs 41–21. Drive: 1 play, 68 yards, 0:11. LT – Cedric Woods 49-yard interception return (Jacob Barnes kick), 7:52. Bulldogs 48–21. LT – Jacob Barnes 32-yard field goal, 1:18. Bulldogs 51–21. Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 4:01. Fourth quarter No scoring plays

Statistics	NWST	LT
First downs	20	22
Total yards	324	478
Rushing yards	185	367
Passing yards	139	111
Turnovers	3	2
Time of possession	31:41	28:19

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northwestern State	Passing	Tyler Vander Waal	10/24, 134 yards, TD, 3 INT
	Rushing	Kolbe Burrell	11 rushes, 56 yards, TD
	Receiving	Jaren Mitchell	4 receptions, 60 yards
Louisiana Tech	Passing	Hank Bachmeier	9/18, 110 yards, TD
	Rushing	Keith Willis Jr.	13 rushes, 188 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Kyle Maxwell	1 reception, 42 yards

Stephen F. Austin

See also: 2023 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football team

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks at Northwestern State Demons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lumberjacks	21	13	7	0	41
Demons	0	0	0	7	7

at Harry Turpin Stadium, Natchitoches, Louisiana

• Date: September 16
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 88 °F (31 °C)
• Game attendance: 6,486
• Referee: James Brookhart
• TV: ESPN+
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter SFA – Brian Maurer 4-yard run (Chris Campos kick), 12:14. Lumberjacks 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:46. SFA – Amad Murray 25-yard fumble return (Chris Campos kick), 10:19. Lumberjacks 14–0. SFA – Kylon Harris 8-yard pass from Brian Maurer (Chris Campos kick), 8:49. Lumberjacks 21–0. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:41. Second quarter SFA – Anthony Williams 50-yard pass from Brian Maurer (Chris Campos kick), 10:38. Lumberjacks 28–0. Drive: 1 play, 50 yards, 0:09. SFA – Chris Campos 23-yard field goal, 2:33. Lumberjacks 31–0. Drive: 11 plays, 39 yards, 6:01. SFA – Chris Campos 30-yard field goal, 0:23. Lumberjacks 34–0. Drive: 9 plays, 22 yards, 1:18. Third quarter SFA – Anthony Williams 53-yard pass from Brian Maurer (Chris Campos kick), 8:29. Lumberjacks 41–0. Drive: 1 play, 53 yards, 0:08. Fourth quarter NWST – Jaren Mitchell 20-yard pass from Quaterius Hawkins (Brett Money kick), 14:37. Lumberjacks 41–7. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 1:36.

Statistics	SFA	NWST
First downs	18	11
Total yards	454	208
Rushing yards	186	84
Passing yards	268	124
Turnovers	1	6
Time of possession	35:00	25:00

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Stephen F. Austin	Passing	Brian Maurer	12/22, 199 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	Jerrell Wimbley	16 rushes, 115 yards
	Receiving	Anthony Williams	2 receptions, 103 yards, 2 TD
Northwestern State	Passing	Quaterius Hawkins	7/19, 62 yards, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Scooter Adams	9 rushes, 65 yards
	Receiving	Jaren Mitchell	3 receptions, 35 yards, TD

Eastern Illinois

See also: 2023 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team

Eastern Illinois Panthers at Northwestern State Demons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	3	7	6	3	19
Demons	3	7	0	0	10

at Harry Turpin Stadium, Natchitoches, Louisiana

• Date: September 30
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 91 °F (33 °C)
• Game attendance: 6,021
• Referee: Gary Leeper
• TV: ESPN+
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter NWST – Brett Money 23-yard field goal, 6:43. Demons 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 50 yards, 4:26. EIU – Julian Patino 23-yard field goal, 0:05. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 26 yards, 3:02. Second quarter EIU – Justin Bowick 52-yard pass from Pierce Holley (Julian Patino kick), 10:28. Panthers 10–3. Drive: 2 plays, 67 yards, 0:40. NWST – Chance Newman 1-yard run (Brett Money kick), 2:28. Tied 10–10. Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 3:08. Third quarter EIU – Kevin Daniels 6-yard run (kick failed), 11:54. Panthers 16–10. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:04. Fourth quarter EIU – Stone Galloway 22-yard field goal, 8:03. Panthers 19–10. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 2:52.

Statistics	EIU	NWST
First downs	18	19
Total yards	349	350
Rushing yards	75	69
Passing yards	274	281
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	28:25	31:35

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Eastern Illinois	Passing	Pierce Holley	19/37, 274 yards, TD
	Rushing	M. J. Flowers	15 rushes, 48 yards
	Receiving	Justin Bowick	4 receptions, 130 yards, TD
Northwestern State	Passing	Quaterius Hawkins	27/44, 281 yards, INT
	Rushing	Scooter Adams	9 rushes, 29 yards
	Receiving	Zach Patterson	7 receptions, 74 yards

At Lamar

See also: 2023 Lamar Cardinals football team

Northwestern State Demons at Lamar Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Demons	0	7	6	0	13
Cardinals	7	6	0	14	27

at Provost Umphrey Stadium, Beaumont, Texas

• Date: October 7
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 80 °F (27 °C)
• Game attendance: 5,263
• Referee: Matt Beck
• TV: ESPN+
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter LAM – Khalan Griffin 3-yard run (Chris Esqueda kick), 8:22. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:38. Second quarter NWST – Chance Newman 1-yard run (Brett Money kick), 11:17. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 3:34. LAM – Damashja Harris 95-yard kickoff return (kick failed), 11:03. Cardinals 13–7. Third quarter NWST – Brett Money 48-yard field goal, 9:55. Cardinals 13–10. Drive: 11 plays, 32 yards, 4:59. NWST – Brett Money 45-yard field goal, 0:08. Tied 13–13. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:56. Fourth quarter LAM – Andre Dennis 45-yard pass from Robert Coleman (Chris Esqueda kick), 13:58. Cardinals 20–13. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:10. LAM – R. J. Carver 3-yard run (Chris Esqueda kick), 4:18. Cardinals 27–13. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:16.

Statistics	NWST	LAM
First downs	16	15
Total yards	221	265
Rushing yards	81	122
Passing yards	140	143
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	29:52	30:08

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northwestern State	Passing	Quaterius Hawkins	20/33, 140 yards, INT
	Rushing	Kennieth Lacy	6 rushes, 28 yards
	Receiving	Zach Patterson	4 receptions, 42 yards
Lamar	Passing	Robert Coleman	9/20, 143 yards, TD
	Rushing	Khalan Griffin	18 rushes, 93 yards, TD
	Receiving	Andre Dennis	3 receptions, 78 yards, TD

Southeastern Louisiana

See also: 2023 Southeastern Louisiana Lions football team

Southeastern Louisiana Lions at Northwestern State Demons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	14	7	13	3	37
Demons	10	7	0	3	20

at Harry Turpin Stadium, Natchitoches, Louisiana

• Date: October 19
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Clear, 76 °F (24 °C)
• Game attendance: 2,237
• Referee: Matt Back
• TV: ESPN+
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter SELA – Bauer Sharp 1-yard run (Riley Callaghan kick), 12:26. Lions 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:34. NWST – Tyler Vander Waal 2-yard run (Brett Money kick), 9:09. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:17. SELA – Da'shun Hugley 22-yard run (Riley Callaghan kick), 6:33. Lions 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 2:31. NWST – Brett Money 38-yard field goal, 0:12. Lions 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:12. Second quarter NWST – Stanley King 29-yard pass from Tyler Vander Waal (Brett Money kick), 13:16. Demons 17–14. Drive: 3 plays, 33 yards, 1:01. SELA – Zachary Clement 4-yard run (Riley Callaghan kick), 8:39. Lions 21–17. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 4:28. Third quarter SELA – Victor Tademy 58-yard interception return (Riley Callaghan kick), 13:33. Lions 28–17. SELA – Deantre Jackson 81-yard run (kick blocked), 7:50. Lions 34–17. Drive: 4 plays, 93 yards, 1:22. Fourth quarter NWST – Brett Money 22-yard field goal, 14:15. Lions 34–20. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 1:57. SELA – Riley Callaghan 30-yard field goal, 10:28. Lions 37–20. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:46.

Statistics	SELA	NWST
First downs	18	25
Total yards	539	396
Rushing yards	219	97
Passing yards	320	299
Turnovers	3	2
Time of possession	28:42	31:18

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Southeastern Louisiana	Passing	Zachary Clement	12/18, 192 yards, INT
	Rushing	Deantre Jackson	6 rushes, 119 yards, TD
	Receiving	Darius Lewis	6 receptions, 109 yards
Northwestern State	Passing	Tyler Vander Waal	27/43, 249 yards, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Kolbe Burrell	11 rushes, 49 yards
	Receiving	T. J. Johnson	3 receptions, 57 yards

References

1. "Northwestern State's Ronnie Caldwell dies in shooting". ESPN. October 12, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
2. Carroll, Metia (October 12, 2023). "Northwestern-Nicholls State game canceled after shooting that killed Northwestern State player". WDSU . Retrieved October 17, 2023.
3. Kasabian, Paul (October 26, 2023). "Northwestern State Cancels Football Season, HC Resigns After Ronnie Caldwell's Death". Bleacher Report . Retrieved October 26, 2023.
4. Domangue, Dylan (October 16, 2023). "New info revealed about roommate of NSU student killed in shooting". KALB-TV . Retrieved November 28, 2023.
5. "Police arrest NSU student in Ronnie Caldwell homicide case". KALB-TV. October 20, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
6. "Parents of killed Northwestern State player Ronnie Caldwell files lawsuit against former coach and Quad Apartment Complex". KTRK-TV. November 5, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
7. Desselle, Sherman (October 27, 2023). "Northwestern State University faces legal action after death of football player Ronnie Caldwell, Jr". KRIV . Retrieved November 28, 2023.
8. Henderson, Cydney (November 4, 2023). "Ronnie Caldwell Jr.: Parents of NSU player file wrongful death lawsuit". USA Today . Retrieved November 28, 2023.
9. "Southeastern Voted Top Spot in 2023 Southland Football Preseason Poll". www.southland.org. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
10. "Southland Announces 2023 All-Conference Team". www.southland.org. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
11. "2023 Northwestern State Demons Football Schedule". FBSchedules. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
12. "Northwestern State Demons Schedule 2023". ESPN Enterprises, Inc. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
13. "2023 Demon Football Schedule". Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
14. Pugh, Jason (October 16, 2023). "NSU-SLU football game moved to Thursday night". Northwestern State Demons . Retrieved October 17, 2023.