The Lions (4-3, 1-1 SLC), playing their first game under acting head coach Tommy Condell, improved to 3-0 at home this season in front of a season-high crowd of 7,162. Southeastern was playing in its first game without head coach Mike Lucas, who will miss the remainder of the 2008 season due to a heart valve procedure. Southeastern forced Northwestern State into four turnovers, while committing one, as the Demons had their two-game winning streak snapped, falling to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in SLC play.
“This was a win for Mike,” Condell commented. “We focused this week on staying together as a family and our young men did that. Our coaching staff did a great job in keeping the team together and we were able to stay focused with the task at hand.”
After struggling to get a rhythm in the early part of the season, Southeastern running back Jay Lucas returned to his 2007 form, amassing 221 total yards. The Baton Rouge native carried 19 times for a season-high 120 yards, while also catching four passes for 91 yards.
Southeastern quarterback Brian Babin had another solid day, connecting on 20-of-29 passes for 291 yards, two touchdowns with no interceptions. For the season, the St. Amant product has 14 touchdowns and only one interception, passing for 1,616 yards on the year.
The Lion defense was led by Connors, who also had a key fourth quarter blocked field goal. Marquis Powell forced a fumble and recovered a fumble for the Lions. Mark Newbill and Ryan Godare were the two top tacklers for the Lions, finishing with 12 and 11 tackles, respectively.
Northwestern State was led offensively by Byron Lawrence, who finished with 159 yards on 26 carries. Drew Branch, playing for injured starter John Hundley, completed 20 of 33 passes for 256 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Mack Dampier led the Demons with 11 tackles.
Southeastern led 9-0 at the end of the first half after forcing three first half Demon turnovers. The Lions' lone touchdown of the opening half came on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Babin to Chris Wilson in the first quarter.
Northwestern State cut into the Lion lead on the first drive of the second half. A 39-yard run by Lawrence fueled the drive, which the senior from Little Rock, Ark. capped with a 10-yard run to make it 9-7 with 11:56 left in the third quarter.
After the two teams exchanged punts, Southeastern answered with a score to push the lead back to nine. Babin hit Kory Theodore with a 53-yard pass to set up the score. The drive was capped with a five-yard strike from Babin to Cryer with 4:34 left in the third quarter.
Northwestern State pushed back with a methodical 12-play, 56-yard drive that pushed into the fourth quarter. Less than a minute into the quarter, Branch hit Darius Duffy with a nine-yard pass to cut the lead to 16-14 with 14:01 left in the game.
On the next Lion possession, Babin found Wilson with a 49-yard bomb and three plays later he snuck in from a yard out to put Southeastern back up, 23-14, with 10:34 left.
Northwestern State drove down to Southeastern eight-yard line, but the Lion defense stiffened, forcing a 26-yard field goal attempt by Robert Weeks. Connors came through and blocked the attempt. The Lions stretched the lead with 3:36 remaining on a Jeff Turner field goal, improving the lead to 26-14.
Northwestern State would not go away quietly, however. The Demons cruised 61 yards in just a 1:20, cutting the lead to five with a 18-yard pass from Branch to Duffy with 2:08 remaining.
The Demons had one more chance when Adam Varnado recovered an onside kick by Weeks. A sack by Nathan Clophus forced Branch into a third-and-13. Branch's pass skipped off the hands of Guice and into the waiting hands of Connors, sealing the win for the Lions, who have already surpassed their 2007 win total.
Southeastern returns to action on Saturday when it visits Central Arkansas, a 31-24 winner at Texas State, in a 6 p.m. contest in Conway, Ark.
