SFA Travels to Northwestern State for Season Finale
11/14/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 14, 2007
The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack football team will travel to Natchitoches, La., Saturday for the 2007 season finale against Northwestern State. The annual battle for Chief Caddo is slated to kickoff at 2 p.m. from Turpin Stadium. The Lumberjacks enter the game 0-10 overall, and 0-6 in Southland Conference play after recording a 35-23 setback at Central Arkansas. Northwestern State (3-7/2-4 SLC) enters the game looking to put an end to skid of its own. The Demons have lost four straight, and seven of their last eight.
Saturday's game against Northwestern State marks the 64th meeting between the two schools on the gridiron. The Lumberjacks currently trail the all-time series 20-40-3 (.341). The Lumberjacks ended a two-game skid to Northwestern State last season with a 20-11 victory. The two schools have split the past four mettings. SFA is 7-9-1 (.441) versus the Demons in Natchitoches, La., since the 1971 season.
The Lumberjacks closed out the 2006 season on a positive note thumping their rivals to regain Chief Caddo. The Lumbjerjacks jumped out to a 20-0 first half lead behind 17 unanswered points in the second quarter. The Demons responded with 11 unanswered in the second half, but the Lumberjack defense prevented Northwestern State from mounting a serious rally. SFA rushed for 246 yards in the game, behind 124 from senior Jerome Brooks. SFA finished the game with 376 yards of total offense, while holding the Demons to 212 yards.
Saturday's game will pit a Northwestern State starting offensive line that averages 6-4, 302 pounds, against a young Lumberjack starting defensive line that averages 6-4, 248 pounds. The Lumberjacks' offensive line enters the game averaging 6-4, 300 pounds. The Demons' defensive line averages 6-2, 259 pounds.
J.C. Harper became the 18th head coach of the SFA Lumberjack football team in December, 2006. Harper spent the past two seasons as the 'Jacks' defensive coordinator, turning the SFA defense into one of the top units in the conference. He is currently 0-10 in his first season as head coach. Northwestern State head coach Scott Stoker is 35-33 (.515) in his sixth season in Natchitoches, La. During his time at Northwestern State, Stoker has led the Demons to two NCAA Division I FCS (fomerly I-AA) playoff appearances and one Southland Conference title. The Demons went 8-4 (.667) in 2004 and won a share of the conference title with a 4-1 (.800) mark before being bounced in the first round of the 2004 NCAA playoffs.
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