Box Score NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State's Andy Wickman, who had the best game in his two seasons as the Demons' punter on Saturday night contributing to a 49-12 rout of Southland Conference foe Incarnate Word, was voted the Louisiana Sports Writers Association's state Special Teams Player of the Week Monday afternoon.

The Demons (3-3 overall, 1-1 in the Southland Conference) scored a lopsided Homecoming victory, rolling to a 42-6 lead after three quarters. NSU will play at home Saturday afternoon at 3 against Sam Houston State (3-3, 2-0), which climbed back into the FCS Top 25 polls Monday at No. 24 in the Sports Network's media poll and 25^th in the coaches' poll on the heels of a 38-22 home win Saturday over McNeese, which fell seven slots to No. 11.
 
LSU running back Leonard Fournette was the state Offensive Player of the Week while Nicholls linebacker Davin Bovie won the defensive award from a statewide panel of LSWA voters.
 
Wickman's punting has been a prime factor in NSU leading the nation's FCS ranks in punt return defense. None of his 28 punts this season have been returned for positive yardage. Opponents have a minus 0.3 return average.
 
Against UIW, Wickman, a junior from Houston-Cypress Ridge, averaged 46.2 yards, a career best, on four punts. All four were downed inside the 20, with two inside the 5, at the 1 and 4.
 
His first punt rolled dead at the 4. Three snaps later, NSU recovered a fumble in the end zone for its first score.
 
Wickman boomed a career-best 58-yarder in the game. He is averaging 35.5 yards per punt this season.