Football Team Preview: Northwestern State
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There is plenty of experience, including with the new coaching staff, on hand for the 2013 Northwestern State football team, but for the Demons to break back into the winning ranks, they must replace some productive players with a blend of veterans stepping up and newcomers stepping in.
New coach Jay Thomas is not new to the Southland, having guided Nicholls to national rankings, Top 25 and FBS wins, a Southland title and the FCS playoffs in six seasons in charge of the Colonels. His staff is filled with coaches who have worked together before with success.
The Demons have 58 letterwinners and 16 starters, evenly split between offense and defense, back from a 4-7 team that was close to breaking a three-year losing skid in 2012. But gone is two-thirds of the offensive production, most by quarterback Brad Henderson; four of the top six tacklers, including two-time All-America linebacker Derek Rose; and all of the specialists. The building block: Thomas believes his best assets are up front on both lines.
Northwestern State’s new offense has its conceptual roots in the rapid-fire, pass-happy scheme shaped by Cal offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, but Demons’ offensive coordinator Robby Brown, who steered Valdosta State’s offense in a Division II national championship season in 2012, will aim for a run-pass balance using an ensemble group of ball-handlers.
“You want a defensive coordinator to have to defend seven, eight, nine guys who can potentially touch the ball and scare you,” Thomas said. “As an old defensive coordinator, I know that makes it tough. It puts a lot of stress to have to decide which guys you really must defend. Coach Brown is a product of Tony Franklin and his system, but has his own spin. Ours will be more a 50-50 offense with the up-tempo approach.”
Veteran linemen Blayne Cole and Warren Jones anchor the offense. To their outside is a formidable group of tight ends – Chris Dever, Tucker Nims and Corey Simmons – and a receiving corps topped by explosive senior Louis Hollier (team-best 28 receptions, 384 yards last year). Dynamic Daniel Taylor led Northwestern in touchdowns (five) and rushing (304 yards, 6.8 per carry)
Replacing Henderson at quarterback is the biggest question to answer in preseason camp. Redshirt freshman Daniel Hazlewood had a fine spring practice. Junior college transfer Zach Adkins and freshmen J.D. Almond and T.J. Fleeton will contend to run the show. Junior Don Canyon is on the shelf until midseason after a shoulder injury.
The Demons’ defensive scheme under coordinator Chris Boone is based in a 3-4 look but will also blend in four-man fronts in a system that emulates those used by the New England Patriots and Alabama Crimson Tide. The pivotal figure should be senior tackle Lesley Deamer, who had 42 stops last year fighting constant double-teams after making All-Southland as a sophomore.
Linebacker Pat Black (88 tackles, three fumble recoveries) and safety Bert White (59 stops) are the top returning tacklers. Young but experienced corners Rico Albert, Imoan Claiborne and Fred Thomas could be problematic for opposing passers.
The one game-tested special teams figure is sophomore Ed Eagan, who took a kickoff back 82 yards for a touchdown against Sam Houston last fall and averaged 10.4 on punt runbacks in limited return duty behind school record-holder Phil Harvey, who graduated. A cornerback, Eagan emerged as a two-way player in spring ball, making a 49-yard touchdown snag at receiver in the 24th Annual Joe Delaney Bowl.
Cutting down penalties and turnovers are primary goals for Thomas’s first Demon team, and 15 spring practices provided a very positive trend.
“We’re really pleased first and foremost with eliminating the mistakes. We really improved in that area from the first scrimmage to the spring game,” he said. “Our guys responded to what we taught. Now we need to blend the veterans with a good group of new guys and get better day after day.”