NATCHITOCHES – Teeing it up Saturday evening at 6 in Turpin Stadium for the second time this season in Southland Conference play, old rivals Northwestern State and nationally-ranked McNeese State will be striving for a 2-0 start in the league race.

            The Demons are 2-2 overall, while the Cowboys (No. 15 in coaches' poll, No. 18 in Sports Network media poll) are 2-1. McNeese won at home in its conference opener last Saturday night 48-27 over Southeastern Louisiana, while Northwestern dominated 34-0 last Saturday afternoon at Nicholls State.

            Saturday's game is “Orange Out” for all NSU fans who are asked to wear orange gear. It's also Band Alumni Day with a big turnout expected of former members of the Spirit of Northwestern, which is celebrating its centennial season this fall.

            Tailgating in Demon Commons begins early Saturday morning with lots of fans expected to arrive early to watch the 11:20 a.m. LSU game against Kentucky on the cable hookups available to those fans who have reserved slots in the tailgating area around the Collins Pavillion. It will also be on TVs under the Collins Pavillion, which is open to all fans.

            It will be the first home game in a month for Northwestern, which has won nearly 70 percent of its games all-time in Turpin Stadium.

            Beginning with this contest, the Demons have four of their final six Southland games at home.   
  
            The Demons and Cowboys will collide for the 61^st consecutive year dating back to 1951, with the visitors leading the rivalry 39-20-1. McNeese owns a six-game win streak in the series and visits NSU for the second consecutive year, following a 24-7 Cowboys victory last year in a game that opened league play for both sides.

            The last Northwestern win came in 2004, 47-17 in Turpin Stadium.

            Thursday, the Demons wrapped up their most intense preparations for the Cowboys after thunderstorms and the potential for lightning curtailed their Wednesday practice about 45 minutes early.

            “Our guys were having a great practice when we had to go in,” said Demons' coach Bradley Dale Peveto. “They understand we need to be at our very best come Saturday night. It's a great rivalry and it's well known that to win the Southland Conference championship, you've got to deal with McNeese year in and year out.

            “This is the best McNeese team I've seen, by far, in my three years,” he said. “We're excited about the challenge.”