HOUSTON – While one of sports' biggest annual events is taking place 12 miles up the road on U.S. 59 Saturday night, World Series baseball is taking a back seat for the Northwestern State football team.
 
The Demons' focus is on their 6 p.m. Southland Conference contest at first-time foe Houston Baptist. While the Astros and Dodgers appear evenly matched going into their weekend series at Minutemaid Park beginning Friday night, down Hwy. 59 at Husky Stadium, NSU (1-6 overall, 1-4 in the Southland) and HBU (1-6, 0-5) have common ground and are each trying to mount a late-season climb up the conference standings.
 
NSU coach Jay Thomas is challenging his team to make a strong finish. To this point, the Demons have played the fifth-toughest schedule in the nation's FCS ranks, facing teams with a composite 73 percent (22-8) winning rate. The remaining four opponents have combined for an 11-14 (44 percent) record, spiked by McNeese (the Nov. 11 foe) at 6-1 overall.
 
The Demons have faced four teams currently ranked in the FCS Top 25 polls, three of them in the last three weeks. After narrowly missing upsets over No. 20 Nicholls (14-10) and No. 6 Sam Houston (40-36), NSU was tied 10-10 last week four minutes before halftime with No. 4 Central Arkansas before the Bears rang up 28 points in the next 12 minutes in an eventual 45-17 defeat.
 
Emerging from the most challenging stretch of the season, the Demons can't begin to relax, however.
 
"The challenge is the same, to play 60 minutes and overtime if that's what it takes, and walk off the field winners," said Thomas. "Houston Baptist has a very good defense, an offense that has us very concerned, and like us they are very hungry to win. They're at home, in a stadium that has a different feel for visiting teams, so we have to be a lot better than we were last week."
 
The game can be seen on the Southland Digital Network free of charge at http://southland.org/live and is also accessible on the Southland Conference apps, available for iPhone, Android, Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
 
NSU's radio coverage is on the Demon Sports Network, flagshipped by 100.7 FM KZBL in Natchitoches. Affiliates are News Radio 710 KEEL AM in Shreveport, 105.5 KBUCK FM in Alexandria and KWLA 103.1 FM serving Many and Leesville. Patrick Netherton and Tony Taglavore will call the action.
 
The Huskies fell 27-10 last week at Stephen F. Austin. They feature the country's third-leading tackler, senior linebacker Garrett Dolan, who averages 12.6 tackles and has 483 in his career.
 
He is one of 13 HBU players who are fifth-year seniors. The Huskies program launched in 2013 and played its first year as a developmental program before joining the Southland in 2014, with the players on the first team granted an extra season in college by NCAA rules benefiting start-up programs.
 
The Demons will have some Houston-area players as key figures in their lineup. Five starters, four on offense, will play near their homes: quarterback Clay Holgorsen (Katy), receiver Bobby Chan-Chan (Cypress), left guard Chris Zirkle (League City), kicker Eric Piccione (League City) and defensive end Zak Krolkzyk (Conroe).
 
Linebacker Nick Pierotti leads the Purple Swarm defense with 59 tackles, while cornerback Ike Warren has three interceptions and 10 pass breakups. Other top tacklers are safety Austin Balthazor (42), linebacker Chrishard Buhl (41), safety Ryan Reed (38) and linebacker Peyton Guidry (36).
 
Chan-Chan tops NSU in receiving yards (313) and has 21 catches, one behind Marquisian Chapman (22-184). Cameron Lazare (21-175) and Jaylen Watson (averaging 18.2 yards on 15 catches, 29^th nationally in yards per catch) are the top targets for Holgorsen (46-89-3, 445 yards, 3 TDs), who gets his third straight start.
 
Chris Jones (470 yards, 108 carries) and Jared West (47-244) each have rushed for three touchowns.
 
For live updates throughout the game, follow @NSUDemonsFB on Twitter.
 
The Demons come home next Saturday for a 6 p.m. meeting with Abilene Christian, then visit McNeese Nov. 11 before wrapping up 2017 on Nov. 18 in Turpin Stadium against Stephen F. Austin.