1998 Northwestern State Demons football team

American college football season

1998 Northwestern State Demons football

Southland champion

NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal, L 31–41 vs. UMass

Conference| Southland Conference
Ranking
Sports Network| No. 3
Record| 11–3 (6–1 Southland)
Head coach|

* Sam Goodwin (16th season)

Defensive coordinator| Bradley Dale Peveto (3rd season)
Home stadium| Harry Turpin Stadium

Seasons

<- 1997

1999 ->

1998 Southland Football League standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf |  |  | Overall

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|
|
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Team |  | W |  | L |  |  |  |  | W |  | L |
No. 3 Northwestern State $^  |  | 6  | - | 1  |  |  |  |  | 11  | - | 3  |
No. 8 McNeese State ^  |  | 5  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 9  | - | 3  |
No. 13 Troy State ^  |  | 5  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 8  | - | 4  |
Jacksonville State |  | 4  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 4  |
Nicholls State |  | 3  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 7  |
Southwest Texas State |  | 2  | - | 5  |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 7  |
Stephen F. Austin |  | 2  | - | 5  |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 8  |
Sam Houston State |  | 1  | - | 6  |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 8  |

* $ - Conference champion
* ^ - NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant

Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 1998 Northwestern State Demons football team represented Northwestern State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 1998 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 16th-year head coach Sam Goodwin, the Demons compiled an overall record of 11–3 with a mark of 6–1 in conference play, winning the Southland title. Northwestern State advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where the Demons beat Illinois State in the first round and Appalachian State in the quarterfinals before losing to the eventual national champion, UMass in the semifinals. The team played home games at Harry Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Time| Opponent| Rank| Site| Result| Attendance| Source

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

September 5| | No. 12 Southern*| No. 16|

* Harry Turpin Stadium
* Natchitoches, LA

| W 28–7| 16,706| [1][2]
September 12| | at Southwestern Louisiana*| No. 14|

* Cajun Field
* Lafayette, LA

| W 24–22| | [3][4]
September 19| | Henderson State*| No. 10|

* Harry Turpin Stadium
* Natchitoches, LA

| W 53–7| | [5]
September 26| | at Southwest Texas State| No. 8|

* Bobcat Stadium
* San Marcos, TX

| W 34–10| | [6]
October 3| 1:00 p.m.| at No. 25 (I-A) Missouri*| No. 7|

* Faurot Field
* Columbia, MO

| L 14–35| 48,298| [7][8]
October 15| | No. 1 McNeese State| No. 8|

* Harry Turpin Stadium
* Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)

| W 14–10| 14,247| [9]
October 24| | at Nicholls State| No. 4|

* Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium
* Thibodaux, LA (NSU Challenge)

| W 28–26| | [10]
October 31| | No. 15 Troy State| No. 4|

* Harry Turpin Stadium
* Natchitoches, LA

| L 13–14| 10,362| [11]
November 7| 2:00 p.m.| No. 22 Jacksonville State| No. 9|

* Harry Turpin Stadium
* Natchitoches, LA

| W 53–36| 12,779| [12]
November 14| | Sam Houston State| No. 7|

* Harry Turpin Stadium
* Natchitoches, LA

| W 59–3| 5,117| [13]
November 21| | at Stephen F. Austin| No. 5|

* Homer Bryce Stadium
* Nacogdoches, TX (Chief Caddo)

| W 35–21| | [14]
November 28| | No. 21 Illinois State*| No. 2|

* Harry Turpin Stadium
* Natchitoches, LA (NCAA Division I-AA First Round)

| W 48–28| 8,118| [15]
December 5| | No. 7 Appalachian State*| No. 2|

* Harry Turpin Stadium
* Natchitoches, LA (NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal)

| W 31–20| 10,817| [16]
December 12| | No. 12 UMass*| No. 2|

* Harry Turpin Stadium
* Natchitoches, LA (NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal)

| L 31–41| 10,424| [17][18]

* *Non-conference game
* Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game
* All times are in Central time

[19]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Sweet revenge; Demon defense keys 28–7 win over Jaguars". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. September 6, 1998. Retrieved April 16, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
2. ^ "The Town Talk 06 Sep 1998, page Page 13".
3. ^ "The Town Talk 13 Sep 1998, page Page 16".
4. ^ "Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Football History vs Northwestern State University".
5. ^ "The Town Talk 20 Sep 1998, page Page 15".
6. ^ "Demons give Goodwin 100th win". The Shreveport Times. September 27, 1998. Retrieved March 15, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "The Town Talk 04 Oct 1998, page Page 14".
8. ^ "Football History vs Northwestern State University".
9. ^ "Cowboys 'swarmed' under". The Shreveport Times. October 16, 1998. Retrieved March 5, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ "The Town Talk 25 Oct 1998, page Page 14".
11. ^ "The Town Talk 01 Nov 1998, page Page 14".
12. ^ "The Times 08 Nov 1998, page Page 45".
13. ^ "Roadkill, Demons slaughter Bearkats, 59–3". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. November 15, 1998. Retrieved December 18, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
14. ^ "The Town Talk 22 Nov 1998, page Page 16".
15. ^ Dubois, Carl (November 29, 1998). "NSU Bombs Way Past Illinois State". The Times. p. 1D. Retrieved October 3, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
16. ^ "Big plays keep NSU rolling on". The Shreveport Times. December 6, 1998. Retrieved November 29, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
17. ^ "The Town Talk 06 Dec 1998, page Page 16".
18. ^ "Football vs Northwestern State on 12/12/1998 - Box Score".
19. ^ "1998 Demon Football Schedule".

* v
* t
* e

Northwestern State Demons football

Venues|

* Harry Turpin Stadium (1976–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Louisiana–Monroe
* Louisiana Tech
* McNeese
* Nicholls: NSU Challenge
* Southeastern Louisiana
* Stephen F. Austin: Chief Caddo

Culture & lore|

* Vic the Demon
* Spirit of Northwestern Marching Band

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees

Seasons|

* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

* v
* t
* e

Southland Conference football champions

College Division|

* Lamar Tech (1964)
* Lamar Tech (1965)
* Arlington State & Lamar Tech (1966)
* UT Arlington (1967)
* Arkansas State (1968)
* Arkansas State (1969)
* Arkansas State (1970)
* Lamar, Louisiana Tech, & Trinity (1971)
* Louisiana Tech (1972)

Division II|

* Louisiana Tech (1973)
* Louisiana Tech (1974)

Division I|

* Arkansas State (1975)
* McNeese State (1976)
* Louisiana Tech (1977)

Division I-A|

* Arkansas State & Louisiana Tech (1978)
* McNeese State (1979)
* McNeese State (1980)
* UT Arlington (1981)

Division I-AA/FCS|

* Louisiana Tech (1982)
* North Texas State & Northeast Louisiana (1983)
* Louisiana Tech (1984)
* Arkansas State (1985)
* Arkansas State (1986)
* Northeast Louisiana (1987)
* Northwestern State (1988)
* Stephen F. Austin (1989)
* Northeast Louisiana (1990)
* McNeese State & Sam Houston State (1991)
* Northeast Louisiana (1992)
* McNeese State (1993)
* North Texas (1994)
* McNeese State (1995)
* Troy State (1996)
* McNeese State & Northwestern State (1997)
* Northwestern State (1998)
* Stephen F. Austin & Troy State (1999)
* Troy State (2000)
* McNeese State & Sam Houston State (2001)
* McNeese State (2002)
* McNeese State (2003)
* Northwestern State & Sam Houston State (2004)
* Nicholls State & Texas State (2005)
* McNeese State (2006)
* McNeese State (2007)
* Central Arkansas (2008)
* McNeese State & Stephen F. Austin (2009)
* Stephen F. Austin (2010)
* Sam Houston State (2011)
* Central Arkansas & Sam Houston State (2012)
* Southeastern Louisiana (2013)
* Sam Houston State & Southeastern Louisiana (2014)
* McNeese State (2015)
* Sam Houston State (2016)
* Central Arkansas (2017)
* Incarnate Word & Nicholls (2018)
* Central Arkansas & Nicholls (2019)
* Sam Houston State (2020)
* Incarnate Word (2021)
* Incarnate Word & Southeastern Louisiana (2022)
* Nicholls (2023)
* Incarnate Word (2024)

National championships in bold
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[No.]: Number