By: Doug Ireland/Sports Information Director
Box Score NATCHITOCHES – Playing No. 2-ranked LSU in Tiger Stadium was a tall order for Northwestern State, but the experience was one that in many ways validated Bradley Dale Peveto's assessment of his Demons football team, he said Sunday.
“We started fast, and we competed very, very hard. We called and played an aggressive game. Looking at the tape, the emotion, the physical brand of football, we were equal to the task,” said Peveto.
“A couple of years ago, when we went to Houston and Baylor, we didn't look like we belonged. Saturday night, make no bones about it, we got beat 49-3. But there were times when we looked like we belonged. It was 7-3 in the second quarter, and with making a play here and there, the game could have been a lot closer for a lot longer. We played tough from start to finish.”
Peveto, an LSU assistant from 2005-08, said even he didn't fully grasp the magnitude of the challenge facing the Demons entering the game – but he got an eyeful during the contest.
“They're the number two team in the country, and if they're not number one, I want to see those guys – on tape, not on the other sideline,” he said. “LSU is big, fast and physical. They have great ability and they are so well coached. I knew that watching them on TV and on tape, but seeing it in front of me, they were even more impressive than I expected.”
Defensive coordinator Brad Laird had profuse praise for the effort by the Demons (1-1), and bemoaned costly breakdowns which LSU (2-0) exploited.
“Whether it's being in the right gap, (on) the right man, having the eyes in the right place, if you don't execute, they will expose you. That's true against any good team but it's magnified against a great team like LSU.
“We didn't get them behind the sticks, early on, when we had some pressures and missed some chances to make tackles in the backfield. On the first play (a 43-yard Jarrett Lee bomb down the LSU sideline to Rueben Randle, setting up LSU's first touchdown) we were in cover two, expecting them to throw deep, and yet we had a breakdown and hesitated and their receiver ran past us,” said Laird. “Once we show it to our guys on tape Monday night, we'll get it corrected and go forward to SMU.”
Laird singled out junior safety Brashard Booker, who has moved to strong safety. Saturday night, he made 14 tackles, including nine solos and half a tackle for lost yards.
“I'm real proud of Brashard. He's overcome an injury in preseason, moved to a new position for him, and had a great game for us Saturday night,” said Laird.
Offensive coordinator Todd Cooley said his players competed extremely hard and had moments good and unfortunate.
“I was pleased with how we protected our quarterback,” he said, noting LSU sacked Brad Henderson only once. “We had a couple of bad snaps and a false start that cost us opportunities for big plays. We had only one turnover but that was a costly one.”
An acrobatic, diving interception by LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers on a NSU screen pass set up the Tigers at the Demons' 15, and two plays later, LSU led 21-3.
“The interception, if we had thrown it three feet outside, there's an opportunity for us to break loose, but give that young man and their defense credit, that was an awesome play, one of the best I've ever seen,” said Cooley.
“We handled the environment well, we competed well, we cut down on the foolish penalties (five for 40 yards), and took care of the ball for the most part. I was proud of those things and most of all our effort and competitiveness.”
NSU did lose three key offensive players with knee injuries, senior linemen Zach Case (starting center, and a four-year starter) and Jesse Hernandez (second-team guard) and sophomore tight end Trevor Eickman. Case, a Preseason All-Southland Conference choice, was hurt 11 plays into the game. They are out indefinitely.
“We hate those injuries for the young men involved, who are top caliber people and as competitive as you can ever hope to have. It's not fair,” said Cooley. “But it is part of our game and we have guys who now need to step up and be the players we believe they will be, and we have to get ready for a very quality opponent at SMU.”
After getting Sunday off, Northwestern's players will watch tape of the LSU contest Monday evening before a night practice in Turpin Stadium. They will face SMU (1-1) Saturday night at 7 in Dallas.
