HAMMOND – The progress for Northwestern State is there week-over-week. It's in the tape, in the huddle, in the way it keeps pushing a little closer each week. The next step — the hardest one — is turning that progress into a breakthrough.

The Demons (1-5, 0-2) have grown through the grind, with the latest step forward coming in last week's narrow loss at HCU, a game that saw them dominate the final 23 minutes, allowing just 52 yards of offense and putting themselves in position to pick up a road win.

"We're making tremendous progress and we are getting better," head coach Blaine McCorkle said. "It's frustrating that we're not getting over the hump yet, but at the same time it's encouraging with where we've been to see where we're going. I thought Saturday was probably as good as we've played in the year and a half that we've been here."

That performance — gritty, balanced, and physical — set a tone the Demons hope to carry into this weekend's trip to No. 22 Southeastern (4-2, 2-0). 

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. at Strawberry Stadium and can be seen on ESPN+. Live audio will also be available in Natchitoches on 100.7 FM KZBL as well as on www.nsudemons.com.

"You've just got to find those little moments to put ourselves over the edge," McCorkle said. "Our margin is razor thin, and we recognize that. You have to continually learn and grow from them."

The Demons' growth was on full display in the run game against HCU. Northwestern State rolled up 206 rushing yards against the Huskies — the most in McCorkle's tenure and the program's best total since 2021. Three different rushers carried the ball 10 or more times, each topping 50 yards, a rare feat that speaks to the offensive line's continued development.

"We want to run the football," McCorkle said. "Our offensive line is getting better all the time. They're still really young and really small compared to other teams we play. We don't have a 300-pounder in the starting five while most people don't have anyone under 300. But they're growing, they're working, and when you have several guys being productive running the ball, that's when you know you're doing something right."

That commitment to balance extended through the air, where eight different Demons caught passes — the sixth time this season that seven or more players have done so. Tight end Joseph Moreland led his position group and all receivers with two catches for 37 yards.

"I think it keeps the defense guessing," Moreland said. "You don't really know who the ball is going to, and it gives all of us a chance to prove ourselves and show what we can do. It's a lot of fun to be a part of."

The tight end group of Moreland, Tyler Siddons and Luke Carter combined for six grabs for 68 yards in the game.

For Moreland, the next step is about momentum — stacking good weeks on top of one another and trusting that the work being done behind the scenes will translate to Saturdays.

"They're a great team, and we're going to do everything we can to prepare," he said of Southeastern. "But really, we just have to piggyback off of last week and the success we had at HCU. Stay physical in the run game. Stay sharp in the pass game. Know our assignments and what to do. If we can do that, we're going to keep getting better each week."

Defensively, the Demons saw steady strides of their own. The secondary has forced timely stops, and the front continues to learn how to handle  blocking schemes allowing the ability to make plays around the line of scrimmage. For linebacker Danny Sears, success this week starts with discipline on all levels.

"They can work up to you in a snap," Sears said of Southeastern's offensive front. "They move gaps around when they're pulling and it can be tough on a defense. If we can stick with our jobs, at the end of the day, a defensive win as a whole is better than one guy having 20 tackles."

Southeastern, McCorkle said, is as complete a team as Northwestern State has faced since he arrived, a perennial favorite in the Southland and the "godfather" of the league in eighth-year head coach Frank Scelfo.

"In all three phases, this Southeastern team might be the best FCS team we've played since we've been here," McCorkle said. "They are big. They are fast. They are physical. They have great schemes and are really well coached. It's going to be a great challenge — and another great opportunity to show more of that improvement."