FRISCO – After 1,027 days and 20 straight losses, the Northwestern State Demons finally broke through, defeating Alcorn on Thursday night, 20-10, to return to the win column and give Blaine McCorkle his first career victory as head football coach to open his second season. Here is the full Thursday night rundown from Week 1.
Northwestern State 20, Alcorn 10
The Demons exploded out of the gates in their 2025 season opener against Alcorn State, only to have their momentum stalled by a lightning delay lasting more than an hour. Still, Northwestern State delivered the tough-minded performance second-year head coach Blaine McCorkle had sought, doubling up the visiting Braves, 20-10, to snap a 20-game losing streak. Ty Moore scored twice — once on a reception and again on a special teams fumble recovery. His score was part of a three-takeaway first half for Northwestern, which ended consecutive Alcorn drives with end-zone interceptions. The first came when Christian Williams capitalized on a carom off an Antonio Hall breakup, followed by a highlight-reel, one-handed pick from sophomore safety Kaden Mackey in nearly the same spot.
HCU 69, Arkansas Baptist 0
HCU rushed for more than 400 yards and rolled to a 69-0 win over Arkansas Baptist in the 2025 season opener, the first Thursday night game on campus in program history. The Huskies (1-0) piled up 401 rushing yards on 56 carries, the second-highest single-game total in program history. Redshirt freshman Xai'Shaun Edwards had a breakout performance, rushing 17 times for 177 yards and four touchdowns — setting a new program record for single-game rushing scores while posting the fourth-most rushing yards in a game at HCU. Senior Darryle Evans added 88 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries, moving into third place in program history for career rushing touchdowns with eight.
Houston 27, #24/23 Stephen F. Austin 0
Stephen F. Austin dropped its season opener at Houston, falling 27-0 to the Big 12 opponent in the first meeting between the schools since 1948. The all-time series is now tied at 2-2. Senior linebacker Jaydon Southard recorded a career-high 10 tackles — five solo — along with 1.5 tackles for loss. The Lumberjack defense forced five Cougar punts against Houston’s top offensive unit, held UH to two missed field goal attempts from beyond 40 yards, and came up with a fourth-down stop just before halftime.