Battle For The Chief Saturday At 2:00
11/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 19, 2004
FINAL GAME OF 2004: The Lumberjacks close out the 2004 season this Saturday as the Demons of Northwestern State visit Homer Bryce Stadium. SFA enters the game trying to match last season's 7-4 mark and close the year by winning its final two games. The Demons come into the game having won two straight and have put themselves in position to share the Southland Conference title with a win over the Lumberjacks. Northwestern State enters the game in a three way tie for the top spot in the conference standings with Sam Houston and Texas State. Those two teams meet Saturday in Huntsville. Northwestern State will be the fifth ranked opponent SFA has faced this season. The 'Jacks have posted a 3-1 record so far against ranked competition with the only loss coming three weeks ago to Sam Houston, 31-28.
vs NORTHWESTERN STATE: Northwestern State holds a 38-19-3 edge in the overall series. Since 1961 when the two teams began playing "The Battle For Chief Caddo", Northwestern State holds a 24-13-1 edge. The 'Jacks are 6-5 in the last 11 meetings between the two teams. Since 1990, SFA is only 2-5 at home against Northwestern State. Here's a look at those games:
1990 Northwestern State 20 SFA 3
1992 Northwestern State 24 SFA 10
1994 SFA 34 Northwestern State 13
1996 Northwestern State 17 SFA 10
1998 Northwestern State 35 SFA 21
2000 SFA 17 Northwestern State 3
2002 Northwestern State 42 SFA 35
THE OPPONENT: Northwestern State enters this afternoon's game at 7-3 overall and 3-1 in the Southland Conference. The Demons knocked off Sam Houston last Saturday, 45-27 and can clinch a share of the conference title with a win over the Lumberjacks. Northwestern State dropped two straight games in late October and was in danger of seeing its season slip away before two straight home wins over Texas State and Sam Houston put them back on track. The Demons are only 1-3 away from Turpin Stadium this season. Northwestern State features one of the nation's top defenses holding opponents to only 234.5 yards per game of total offense.
THE COACHES: SFA is coached by Mike Santiago (Southern Utah, 1977) now in his sixth season at SFA. Santiago has posted a 39-26 record as a college head coach, all with SFA. In his first season, he led the Lumberjacks to a share of the Southland title (1999). The 'Jacks have won at least six games each season under Santiago, the longest such streak in SFA history. Northwestern State is coached by Scott Stoker (Northwestern State, 1991), in his third season with the Demons. A former Demon quarterback, Stoker has posted a 22-13 record in three seasons at his alma mater and took the Demons to the I-AA playoffs in 2002. ™
