NATCHITOCHES – The  Northwestern State Demon football team is happy to be home at Turpin Stadium Saturday night when Langston's Lions visit for a 6 p.m. non-conference matchup.
 
The Demons (2-2) are eager to rekindle memories of their only other homefield appearance, a 55-14 shelling of Southern on Sept. 7. Since then, they absorbed a 66-9 whipping at powerhouse Cincinnati and were outscored 52-28 last Saturday at UAB in Birmingham. Folding in the season-opening 23-17 win at Missouri State and NSU has logged over 3,800 miles and 173 hours of travel in its road games.
 
Saturday, they line up against an 0-3 Langston team that has fallen to three FCS teams, Northern Colorado (31-10), Incarnate Word (24-0) and last week, Nicholls (44-22), all on the road. The Lions are an NAIA school with an enrollment of 2,300 located 45 miles north of Oklahoma City with plans to move into the FCS Division I level, same as NSU.
 
Demons' coach Jay Thomas says his team has too much to improve upon to relax against a lower-division opponent.  At the same time, despite the last two losses, he is confident in the direction his team is heading.
 
“I think our guys are having fun. The train is not off the tracks. We have a good football team,” he said. “We need to focus on the fundamentals. We need to focus on the Demons, let's get the Demons better. Doesn't matter who we play this week, let's play all three phases at a high rate of speed, and play our best game yet.
 
“It could be a trap game if you let it be. We talked about it to the team. We haven't won a game in two weeks, so we have no reason to overlook anybody. We have to get into the mode of playing our game, at a faster pace than they are used to, and take advantage of it,” said Thomas.
 
The best football player in the Langston travel party is undeniably their athletic director, 1965 Heisman Trophy-winning running back Mike Garrett. But the Lions have some roots in Louisiana.
 
“There's a lot of Louisiana connections there. (New Orleans native) Mickey Joseph was head coach there, (McNeese graduate and New Orleans native) Dwone Sanders is now, and they have some Louisiana people on their staff including one (offensive coordinator Darryl Mason) who was here on the coaching staff for several years.  They've recruited the New Orleans area heavily,” said Thomas.  “They led Nicholls for a lot of the first half. They're very competitive, they have some big play capability on offense and they will be highly motivated.”
 
The Demon players are happy to have their longest road trips behind them, and pleased to be preparing for a Saturday night under the lights on the turf at Turpin Stadium.
 
“It's great to come back home to try to get a victory for the campus, for the community,” said junior cornerback Imoan Claiborne. “Everybody is looking forward to having that chance to play in front of family and friends here Saturday night.”
 
“It's good to be home and play with our fans and our band in the stand,” said senior center Warren Jones. “We need to be meticulous about the small things, the fundamentals, and play a more consistent level of football for 60 minutes. If we go out and execute, then the chance for a letdown is eliminated.
 
“We're pretty good but we need to fix everything that can be fixed and capitalize on the opportunities that come our way,” he said.
 
Stadium gates open at 4:30 Saturday. Tickets will be on sale throughout the day at the NSU ticket office located in the Athletic Fieldhouse just south of Turpin Stadium, and can also be purchased online until 2 p.m. Saturday at the NSUDemons.com website.
 
Tailgating begins earlier Saturday in and around Demon Alley, located next to Layne Miller Lane south of the fieldhouse.  Doubtlessly, most of the TVs in the tailgating area including the flat screens at the Collins Family Pavillion will be tuned to the 2:30 LSU-Georgia contest.
 
NSU will host two annual events, Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day and Family Day, on Saturday.  NSU faculty and staff are eligible for a 50-percent discount on general admission tickets with their IDs.
 
The 2013 Excellence in Teaching Awards recipients will be introduced during halftime.
 
Parents of students can enjoy a full day of activities on campus including tailgating and the game.  For more information parents should contact the First Year Experience Office at 318-357-5559. 
 
Fans in the stands will also be entertained by the participants of this year's cheer clinic and the Spirit of Northwestern Marching Band's high school band and choir day.  For information on being a participant in the cheer clinic, which includes a performance during the game, contact Amy Dodson at 318-357-4618.