Stephen F. Austin
Northwestern State
Lumberjacks Fall in 50th Chief Caddo Battle, 33-17
11/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
NATCHITOCHES, La. – Stephen F. Austin struck first in the 50th Battle for Chief Caddo, but 17 unanswered points over a span of 2:17 in the second quarter gave Northwestern State the momentum it needed as the Demons hand the Lumberjacks a 33-17 loss at Turpin Stadium.
SFA closes out the 2015 season at 4-7 overall and 4-5 in Southland Conference play.
SFA struggled offensively all day in Natchitoches, accumulating the second-lowest offensive output of the season as the Lumberjacks managed just 298 total yards on the night – 130 on the ground and 168 through the air – while generating just 105 total yards in the second half. Defensively, the ‘Jacks allowed 459 total yards, giving up 307 through the air and 152 on the ground to the NSU offensive attack.
SFA managed just 15 first downs on the night, including just four in the second half as the offense never found its footing. After starting the game four-for-four on third downs, the ‘Jacks ended the game converting just one of its final nine third down opportunities, holding the ball for just 22:41 on the night – a season-low.
Quarterback Zach Conque struggled all night against the Demon defensive unit, completing just nine of his 26 pass attempts for 168 yards and a touchdown, throwing two interceptions on the night including the pick-six that turned the tide. Conque also rushed 12 times for 48 yards and a touchdown.
Loren Easly rushed for a team-best 55 yards on 12 carries while Joshawa West rushed seven times for 27 yards on the night. Aaron Piper was the top SFA receiver with four catches for 60 yards, followed by De’Quann Ruffin’s three catches for 43 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, Justin Owens finished his Lumberjack career with 14 tackles, the fifth double-digit tackle total of the season. Patrick Martin added seven tackles while Allen Stewart finished with six stops on the afternoon.
SFA struck first in the 50th Chief Caddo battle as the Lumberjacks used a seven-play, 75-yard drive on the game’s first possession, capped by 40-yard touchdown catch and run by Piper from Conque, giving the Lumberjacks the early 7-0 lead.
After a three-and-out on the Demon’s first possession of the game, SFA was looking to put some distance between the two early as the ‘Jacks tried a pass off a reverse, but Liggins’ throw was long and intercepted in the endzone by NSU, ending the threat.
The interception seemed to spark the Demons as Northwestern State reeled off 17 unanswered points over a span of 2:17, comprised of a 32-yard field goal, an 18-yard pick-six and a 45-yard touchdown rush. The three scores came on just four plays for NSU as the Demons broke open a 17-7 lead with just under seven minutes to go in the opening half.
SFA managed to regain some of its momentum in the final minute of the opening half. After forcing a three and out deep in NSU territory, the Lumberjacks went 49 yards over 36 seconds, benefitting from a couple of Demon penalties and a nice connection from Conque to Ruffin to get SFA inside the 10. Conque then punched it in from two yards out, trimming the deficit to 17-14 at the half.
The Lumberjacks opened up the second half with a big defensive stop, followed by an efficient drive by the offense deep into Demon territory. But a missed 40-yard field goal by Mason Juhl was quickly turned into a scoring drive by NSU, connecting off a 55-yard touchdown strike three plays later to push the lead back to 10 at 24-14 early in the third.
The teams exchanged field goals through the remainder of the third and early in the fourth as Juhl connected on a 34-yard attempt and SFA’s defense kept NSU out of the endzone as the Demons pushed through a pair of 32-yarders, extending their lead to 30-17 with 11:13 to play.
With a pair of chances in the fourth quarter, SFA’s offense couldn’t come up with the plays it needed to while the Demons chewed 6:45 off the clock late in the fourth quarter, capped by a 37-yard field goal with 3:02 to go. SFA’s rally attempt was quickly thwarted by a Demon interception on the first play of the ensuing drive, sealing the victory for NSU.
Not only did the loss give the Demons bragging rights and Chief Caddo for the next year, it also brought to end an impressive Lumberjack streak. SFA finishes the season averaging 28.7 points per game, ending its seven-season streak of averaging 30 points per game, which was the longest in the nation.
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