Northwestern State Demons football, 1970–1979

The Northwestern State Demons football program, 1970–1979 represented Northwestern State University during the 1970s in college football. During this time, the Demons were led by three head coaches and had an overall record of 48–54–1. During this decade, Northwestern State competed in a pair of conferences and as independent and played their home games at three separate stadiums.

Glenn Gossett served as head coach at Northwestern State for the 1970 and 1971 seasons and led the Demons to a record of 13–5–1. The 1970 season was the last Northwestern State competed as a member of the Gulf States Conference where they has been a member since 1948. Gossett resigned as head coach in May 1972 after the Demons competed as an independent for the season. From 1972 to 1974 Northwestern State competed as a member of the Gulf South Conference under the leadership of head coach George Doherty. During his tenure as head coach, Doherty led the Demons to an overall record of 15–17 and a conference championship in 1972. Northwestern State left the Gulf South Conference after the 1974 season and competed as an independent for the remainder of the decade under head coach A. L. Williams. Williams led the Demons to an overall record of 20–32 from 1975 to 1979 and through their transition from Division II to Division I.

From 1970 to 1974, Northwestern played their home games on-camous at Demon Stadium in Natchitoches, Louisiana. After the 1974 season, Demon Stadium was demolished and Harry Turpin Stadium was built at the same location in its place and opened for their 1976 season. While under construction, Northwestern State played their home games off-campus at State Fair Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana for their 1975 season.

1970

1970 Northwestern State Demons football
Conference	Gulf States Conference
Record	7–3 (3–2 GSC)
Head coach	Glenn Gossett (4th season)
Home stadium	Demon Stadium
Seasons ← 1969 1971 →

1970 Gulf States Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Southwestern Louisiana $	5	–	0	–	0			9	–	2	–	0
Northwestern State	3	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Northeast Louisiana	3	–	2	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
McNeese State	2	–	3	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Southeastern Louisiana	2	–	3	–	0			4	–	6	–	0
Louisiana Tech	0	–	5	–	0			2	–	8	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The 1970 Northwestern State Demons football team was an American football team that represented Northwestern State University as a member of the Gulf States Conference (GSC) during the 1970 NCAA College Division football season. In their fourth year under head coach Glenn Gossett, the team compiled an overall record of 7–3 with a mark of 3–2 in conference play, and finished tied for second in the GSC. Northwestern State played their home games on campus at Demon Stadium in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 12	7:30 p.m.	Florence State*	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 42–21
September 19		at Stephen F. Austin*	Lumberjack Stadium Nacogdoches, TX (rivalry)	W 9–7	13,000
September 26		at Southwestern State (OK)*	Milam Stadium Weatherford, OK	W 22–14
October 3		at Northeast Louisiana	Brown Stadium Monroe, LA	L 17–21	8,100
October 17		Pensacola Navy*	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 21–6
October 24		vs. Louisiana Tech	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA (rivalry)	W 20–17	25,000
October 31		at Jacksonville State*	Paul Snow Stadium Jacksonville, AL	L 6–35
November 7		at McNeese State	Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA (rivalry)	W 15–7	12,300
November 14		No. 17 Southwestern Louisiana	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA	L 21–24	7,800
November 21		Southeastern Louisiana	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 22–14	5,500
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

1971

1971 Northwestern State Demons football
Conference	Independent
Record	6–2–1
Head coach	Glenn Gossett (5th season)
Home stadium	Demon Stadium
Seasons ← 1970 1972 →

1971 NCAA College Division independents football records

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 Delaware			–					10	–	1	–	0
No. 5 Tennessee State			–					9	–	1	–	0
No. 2 McNeese State			–					9	–	1	–	1
Samford			–					8	–	1	–	0
Colorado College			–					7	–	1	–	0
No. 8 Akron			–					8	–	2	–	0
No. 3 Eastern Michigan			–					7	–	1	–	2
Arkansas AM&N			–					7	–	2	–	0
Indiana (PA)			–					7	–	2	–	0
Kentucky State			–					8	–	3	–	0
Appalachian State			–					7	–	3	–	1
Northern Michigan			–					7	–	3	–	0
Hawaii			–					7	–	4	–	0
Ashland			–					6	–	4	–	0
Santa Clara			–					6	–	4	–	0
Southern Illinois			–					6	–	4	–	0
Tampa			–					6	–	5	–	0
UNLV			–					5	–	4	–	1
Bucknell			–					5	–	5	–	0
Central Michigan			–					5	–	5	–	0
Milwaukee			–					5	–	5	–	0
Nevada			–					5	–	5	–	0
St. Norbert			–					5	–	5	–	0
Wayne State (MI)			–					4	–	4	–	0
Hofstra			–					5	–	6	–	0
Cortland			–					4	–	5	–	0
Northeastern			–					4	–	5	–	0
Portland State			–					4	–	5	–	0
Ball State			–					4	–	5	–	1
Chicago			–					3	–	4	–	0
Northeast Louisiana			–					4	–	6	–	1
Eastern Illinois			–					4	–	6	–	0
Indiana State			–					4	–	6	–	0
Saint Mary's			–					3	–	5	–	0
Rose-Hulman			–					3	–	6	–	0
Boston University			–					3	–	7	–	0
Drexel			–					2	–	6	–	0
Chattanooga			–					2	–	9	–	0
Rankings from AP small college poll

The 1971 Northwestern State Demons football team was an American football team that represented Northwestern State University as an independent during the 1971 NCAA College Division football season. In their fifth year under head coach Glenn Gossett, the team compiled a 6–2–1 record. Northwestern State played their home games on campus at Demon Stadium in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Northwestern State competed as an independent for the 1971 season after the dissolution of the Gulf States Conference. This was also the final season for Gossett as head coach as he resigned from the position in May 1972.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 11	vs. Gustavus Adolphus	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA	W 24–10	3,000
September 18	at Stephen F. Austin	Lumberjack Stadium Nacogdoches, TX (rivalry)	W 18–7	4,800
September 25	Southwestern State (OK)	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 17–10	7,500
October 2	Northeast Louisiana	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA	L 14–15	5,000
October 16	at Delta State	Delta Field Cleveland, MS	W 9–7	6,000
October 23	vs. No. 10 Louisiana Tech	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA (rivalry)	L 21–33	27,000
November 6	No. 1 McNeese State	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	T 3–3	7,000
November 13	at Southwestern Louisiana	Cajun Field Lafayette, LA	W 27–19	10,600
November 20	at Southeastern Louisiana	Strawberry Field Hammond, LA	W 14–6	5,000
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

1972

1972 Northwestern State Demons football
GSC champion
Conference	Gulf South Conference
Record	8–2 (6–0 GSC)
Head coach	George Doherty (1st season)
Home stadium	Demon Stadium
Seasons ← 1971 1973 →

1972 Gulf South Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 5 Northwestern State $	6	–	0	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
No. 3 Livingston ^	5	–	1	–	0			8	–	1	–	2
No. 19 Jacksonville State	4	–	1	–	1			7	–	2	–	1
Delta State	5	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	1
Troy State	2	–	3	–	1			4	–	5	–	1
Southeastern Louisiana	2	–	4	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Nicholls State	1	–	5	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Florence State	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
Tennessee–Martin	1	–	5	–	0			1	–	9	–	0
Mississippi College *	0	–	0	–	0			4	–	5	–	1
$ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant * – Did not compete for conference title Rankings from NAIA Division I poll

The 1972 Northwestern State Demons football team was an American football team that represented Northwestern State University as a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) during the 1972 NCAA College Division football season. In their first year under head coach George Doherty, the team compiled an overall record of 8–2 with a mark of 6–0 in conference play, and finished as GSC champion. Northwestern State played their home games on campus at Demon Stadium in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

This season marked the first Northwestern State played as a member of the GSC after a single season played as an independent. Their games against Stephen F. Austin, Northeast Louisiana, and McNeese State were all designated as conference games and counted in the Gulf South standings.

Doherty was promoted from an assistant to head coach in May 1972 after the resignation of Glenn Gossett.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 9	at Southwestern State (OK)*	Milam Stadium Weatherford, OK	L 3–7	4,000
September 16	Stephen F. Austin	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	W 20–7	7,500
September 23	Bishop*	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 32–12	8,000
September 30	at Northeast Louisiana	Brown Stadium Monroe, LA	W 17–7	8,300
October 7	Delta State	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 12–0	8,000
October 14	at Florence State	Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL	W 14–7	6,000
October 21	vs. No. 1 Louisiana Tech*	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA (rivalry)	L 16–20	27,000
November 4	at No. 7 McNeese State	Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA (rivalry)	W 25–10	14,000
November 11	Southwestern Louisiana*	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 24–8	7,100
November 18	Southeastern Louisiana	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 6–3	900
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

1973

1973 Northwestern State Demons football
Conference	Gulf South Conference
Record	6–5 (3–4 GSC)
Head coach	George Doherty (2nd season)
Home stadium	Demon Stadium
Seasons ← 1972 1974 →

1973 Gulf South Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. T–17 Troy State $	6	–	1	–	0			7	–	2	–	1
No. 4 Jacksonville State	5	–	2	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
Delta State	6	–	3	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
Livingston	4	–	3	–	1			6	–	3	–	1
Northwestern State	3	–	4	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Mississippi College	3	–	4	–	0			4	–	6	–	0
Southeastern Louisiana	3	–	4	–	0			4	–	6	–	0
Florence State	3	–	6	–	0			4	–	6	–	0
Nicholls State	2	–	7	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
Tennessee–Martin	1	–	5	–	1			2	–	8	–	1
$ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division I poll

The 1973 Northwestern State Demons football team was an American football team that represented Northwestern State University as a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) during the 1973 NCAA Division II football season. In their second year under head coach George Doherty, the team compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 3–4 in conference play, and finished tied for fifth in the GSC. Northwestern State played their home games on campus at Demon Stadium in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Their games against Southwestern State (OK), Northeast Louisiana, and McNeese State were all designated as conference games and counted in the Gulf South standings.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 8		vs. East Texas State*	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA	W 24–0	7,000
September 15		Southwestern State (OK)	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 23–7	8,000
September 12		at Bishop*	Tiger Stadium Dallas, TX	W 28–7	2,500
September 29		Northeast Louisiana	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA	L 13–16	9,500
October 6		at Nicholls State	John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA (rivalry)	L 0–3	9,000
October 13	7:30 p.m.	Florence State	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 27–14	6,000
October 20		vs. No. 8 Louisiana Tech*	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA (rivalry)	L 7–26	33,000
November 3		McNeese State	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	L 0–14	9,800
November 10		at Southwestern Louisiana*	Cajun Field Lafayette, LA	W 20–10	16,000
November 17		at Southeastern Louisiana	Strawberry Field Hammond, LA	W 21–14	5,000
November 22		at Delta State	Delta Field Cleveland, MS	L 6–31
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

1974

1974 Northwestern State Demons football
Conference	Gulf South Conference
Record	1–10 (1–6 GSC)
Head coach	George Doherty (3rd season)
Home stadium	Demon Stadium
Seasons ← 1973 1975 →

1974 Gulf South Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 7 Jacksonville State $	7	–	1	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
Delta State	7	–	2	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
No. 8 Livingston	5	–	3	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
Southeastern Louisiana	5	–	3	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Troy State	4	–	4	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
North Alabama	4	–	4	–	0			4	–	6	–	0
Nicholls State	4	–	5	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Northwestern State	1	–	6	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
Tennessee–Martin	1	–	7	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
Mississippi College	0	–	7	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division I poll

The 1974 Northwestern State Demons football team was an American football team that represented Northwestern State University as a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) during the 1974 NCAA Division II football season. In their third year under head coach George Doherty, the team compiled an overall record of 1–10 with a mark of 1–6 in conference play, and finished eighth in the GSC. Northwestern State played their home games on campus at Demon Stadium in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Their games against Stephen F. Austin and McNeese State were designated as conference games and counted in the Gulf South standings.

The 1974 season also marked the final one Northwestern State competed as a member of the GSC. The school withdrew from the conference in July 1975 in order to start the transition to Division I as the GSC remained as a Division II conference.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 7	at Troy State	Rip Hewes Stadium Dothan, AL	L 6–28	7,500
September 14	vs. Grambling State*	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA	L 13–14	25,000
September 21	Stephen F. Austin	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	L 13–14	8,500
September 28	Delta State	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA	L 7–35	6,000
October 5	at Northeast Louisiana*	Brown Stadium Monroe, LA	L 8–14	8,400
October 12	Nicholls State	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	L 0–7	5,000
October 19	vs. No. 1 Louisiana Tech*	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA (rivalry)	L 0–34	26,000
October 26	at Jacksonville State	Paul Snow Stadium Jacksonville, AL	L 13–36	10,125
November 9	at No. 12 McNeese State	Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA (rivalry)	L 7–17	8,750
November 16	Southwestern Louisiana*	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA	L 10–14	4,000
November 23	Southeastern Louisiana	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 40–3	2,000
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

1975

1975 Northwestern State Demons football
Conference	Independent
Record	1–10
Head coach	A. L. Williams (1st season)
Home stadium	State Fair Stadium
Seasons ← 1974 1976 →

1975 NCAA Division II independents football records

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 2 Northern Michigan ^			–					13	–	1	–	0
American International			–					8	–	1	–	0
Lehigh ^			–					9	–	3	–	0
Delaware			–					8	–	3	–	0
Portland State			–					8	–	3	–	0
Akron			–					7	–	4	–	0
Kentucky State			–					7	–	4	–	0
UNLV			–					7	–	4	–	0
Santa Clara			–					6	–	5	–	0
Tennessee State			–					5	–	4	–	0
Youngstown State			–					5	–	4	–	0
Chattanooga			–					5	–	5	–	1
Bucknell			–					5	–	5	–	0
Indiana State			–					5	–	5	–	0
Lafayette			–					5	–	5	–	0
Southern Connecticut State			–					5	–	5	–	0
Central Connecticut			–					4	–	5	–	0
Central State (OH)			–					4	–	6	–	0
Eastern Michigan			–					4	–	6	–	0
Eastern Illinois			–					3	–	5	–	2
Northeastern			–					3	–	6	–	0
Western Carolina			–					3	–	7	–	0
Nevada			–					3	–	8	–	0
Nebraska–Omaha			–					2	–	9	–	0
Arkansas–Pine Bluff			–					0	–	11	–	0
^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 1975 Northwestern State Demons football team was an American football team that represented Northwestern State University as an independent during the 1975 NCAA Division II football season. In their first year under head coach A. L. Williams, the team compiled an overall record of 1–10. Due to the demolition of Demon Stadium, and construction of a new stadium on the same site, Northwestern State played their home games off-campus at State Fair Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. This was the first season the Demons competed as an independent after they withdrew from the Gulf South Conference in July 1975.

In November 1974, Williams was promoted to head coach after a single season as an offensive assistant coach for the Demons. He was promoted as the successor to George Doherty who resigned as head coach to and remained at Northwestern State as its athletic director after having served in both positions.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 6	at Arkansas State	Indian Stadium Jonesboro, AR	L 0–42	13,513
September 20	at Stephen F. Austin	Lumberjack Stadium Nacogdoches, TX (rivalry)	L 13–17	10,500
September 27	at Delta State	Delta Field Cleveland, MS	W 14–12	5,420
October 4	Northeast Louisiana	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA	L 20–34	5,060
October 11	at Nicholls State	John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA (rivalry)	L 10–23	11,000
October 18	Louisiana Tech	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA (rivalry)	L 14–41	26,496
October 25	Jacksonville State	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA	L 0–21	382
November 1	Troy State	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA	L 0–24	792
November 8	at McNeese State	Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA (rivalry)	L 14–31	12,000
November 15	at Southwestern Louisiana	Cajun Field Lafayette, LA	L 17–40	15,175
November 22	at Southeastern Louisiana	Strawberry Field Hammond, LA	L 6–31	2,500

1976

1976 Northwestern State Demons football
Conference	Independent
Record	5–5
Head coach	A. L. Williams (2nd season)
Home stadium	Harry Turpin Stadium
Seasons ← 1975 1977 →

1976 NCAA Division II independents football records

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 2 Northern Michigan ^			–					11	–	2	–	0
No. 3 Akron ^			–					10	–	3	–	0
No. 7 UNLV ^			–					9	–	3	–	0
No. 4 Delaware ^			–					8	–	3	–	1
Nevada			–					8	–	3	–	0
Portland State			–					8	–	3	–	0
Tennessee State			–					7	–	2	–	1
American International			–					6	–	3	–	0
Northern Colorado			–					6	–	3	–	0
Madison			–					7	–	4	–	0
Santa Clara			–					7	–	4	–	0
Western Carolina			–					6	–	4	–	0
Chattanooga			–					6	–	4	–	1
Southern Connecticut State			–					5	–	4	–	0
Central State (OH)			–					6	–	5	–	0
Lehigh			–					6	–	5	–	0
Arkansas–Pine Bluff			–					5	–	5	–	0
Central Connecticut			–					5	–	5	–	0
Lafayette			–					5	–	5	–	0
Eastern Illinois			–					5	–	6	–	0
Bucknell			–					4	–	5	–	0
Youngstown State			–					4	–	6	–	0
Kentucky State			–					3	–	7	–	1
Nebraska–Omaha			–					3	–	8	–	0
Northeastern			–					2	–	7	–	0
^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from Associated Press poll

The 1976 Northwestern State Demons football team was an American football team that represented Northwestern State University as an independent during the 1976 NCAA Division II football season. In their second year under head coach A. L. Williams, the team compiled an overall record of 5–5.

The 1976 season marked the first Northwestern State played their home games on campus at Harry Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The stadium was constructed at the same location of the previous Demon Stadium that has served as the home field for Northwestern State since 1939. While Turpin Stadium was under construction, the Demons played their home games off campus at State Fair Stadium for their 1975 season.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 11	at Lamar	Cardinal Stadium Beaumont, TX	L 6–17
September 18	Stephen F. Austin	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	W 47–0	9,000
September 25	Delta State	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 17–7	18,000
October 2	at Arkansas State	Indian Stadium Jonesboro, AR	L 24–44	12,715
October 9	Nicholls State	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	W 20–8	9,000
October 23	vs. Louisiana Tech	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA (rivalry)	L 6–35	24,200
October 30	at Northeast Louisiana	Brown Stadium Monroe, LA	W 21–9
November 6	at McNeese State	Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA (rivalry)	L 15–24	12,000
November 13	Southwestern Louisiana	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 7–3	1,500
November 20	Southeastern Louisiana	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	L 27–34	4,000

1977

1977 Northwestern State Demons football
Conference	Independent
Record	6–5
Head coach	A. L. Williams (3rd season)
Home stadium	Harry Turpin Stadium
Seasons ← 1976 1978 →

1977 NCAA Division I independents football records

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 Notre Dame		–		–				11	–	1	–	0
No. 5 Penn State		–		–				11	–	1	–	0
Colgate		–		–				10	–	1	–	0
North Texas State *		–		–				10	–	1	–	0
No. 16 San Diego State		–		–				10	–	1	–	0
Tennessee State		–		–				8	–	1	–	1
No. 14 Florida State		–		–				10	–	2	–	0
No. 8 Pittsburgh		–		–				9	–	2	–	1
East Carolina		–		–				8	–	3	–	0
Rutgers		–		–				8	–	3	–	0
Army		–		–				7	–	4	–	0
Louisville		–		–				7	–	4	–	1
Boston College		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
Cincinnati		–		–				5	–	4	–	2
Georgia Tech		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
Memphis State		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
Northwestern State		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
Syracuse		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
William & Mary		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
Southern Miss		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
Temple		–		–				5	–	5	–	1
Hawaii		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Navy		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
West Virginia		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
South Carolina		–		–				5	–	7	–	0
Utah State		–		–				4	–	7	–	0
Villanova		–		–				4	–	7	–	0
Illinois State		–		–				3	–	7	–	1
Virginia Tech		–		–				3	–	7	–	1
Miami (FL)		–		–				3	–	8	–	0
Richmond		–		–				3	–	8	–	0
Tulane		–		–				3	–	8	–	0
Air Force		–		–				2	–	8	–	1
Holy Cross		–		–				2	–	8	–	0
Northeast Louisiana		–		–				2	–	9	–	0
North Texas State (originally 9–2) awarded a forfeit win after Mississippi State was found to be using an ineligible player. Rankings from AP Poll

The 1977 Northwestern State Demons football team was an American football team that represented Northwestern State University as an independent during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. Led by third-year head coach A. L. Williams, the Demons compiled a 6–5 record. Northwestern State played their home games on campus at Harry Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 3	UT Arlington	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 28–24	12,100
September 10	at Cincinnati	Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	L 0–41	8,926
September 17	Arkansas State	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 30–7
September 24	at Stephen F. Austin	Lumberjack Stadium Nacogdoches, TX (rivalry)	W 20–6
October 1	Northeast Louisiana	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	W 13–0	11,655
October 8	at Nicholls State	John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA (rivalry)	L 6–10	6,379
October 15	Lamar	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 43–0
October 22	vs. Louisiana Tech	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA (rivalry)	L 8–30	32,000
November 5	McNeese State	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	L 7–14
November 12	at Southwestern Louisiana	Cajun Field Lafayette, LA	W 20–13	28,722
November 19	at Southeastern Louisiana	Strawberry Stadium Hammond, LA (rivalry)	L 21–38

1978

1978 Northwestern State Demons football
Conference	Independent
Record	5–6
Head coach	A. L. Williams (4th season)
Home stadium	Harry Turpin Stadium
Seasons ← 1977 1979 →

1978 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 Nevada ^			–					11	–	1	–	0
No. 9 Lehigh			–					8	–	3	–	0
Northeastern			–					6	–	5	–	0
Bucknell			–					5	–	5	–	0
Northwestern State			–					5	–	6	–	0
Portland State			–					5	–	6	–	0
Lafayette			–					4	–	7	–	0
^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from Associated Press poll

The 1978 Northwestern State Demons football team was an American football team that represented Northwestern State University as an independent during the 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by fourth-year head coach A. L. Williams, the Demons compiled a 5–6 record. Northwestern State played their home games on campus at Harry Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 9	Lamar	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	W 21–17	9,500
September 16	at Stephen F. Austin	Lumberjack Stadium Nacogdoches, TX (rivalry)	W 21–14
September 23	McNeese State	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	W 10–7
September 30	at Northeast Louisiana	Malone Stadium Monroe, LA (rivalry)	L 0–46	15,100
October 7	at Arkansas State	Indian Stadium Jonesboro, AR	L 14–23
October 14	at Louisville	Fairgrounds Stadium Louisville, KY	L 7–51	13,372
October 21	vs. Louisiana Tech	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA (rivalry)	L 20–45	21,000
October 28	Nicholls State	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	W 28–18	8,100
November 4	at UT Arlington	Cravens Field Arlington, TX	L 7–30	5,551
November 11	Southwestern Louisiana	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	L 17–19
November 18	Southeastern Louisiana	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	W 13–12

1979

1979 Northwestern State Demons football
Conference	Independent
Record	3–6
Head coach	A. L. Williams (5th season)
Home stadium	Harry Turpin Stadium
Seasons ← 1978 1980 →

1979 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 4 Lehigh ^			–					10	–	3	–	0
Florida A&M			–					7	–	4	–	0
Portland State			–					6	–	5	–	0
Lafayette			–					5	–	3	–	2
Bucknell			–					4	–	4	–	2
Northwestern State			–					3	–	6	–	0
Northeastern			–					3	–	7	–	0
^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from Associated Press poll

The 1979 Northwestern State Demons football team was an American football team that represented Northwestern State University as an independent during the 1979 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by fifth-year head coach A. L. Williams, the Demons compiled a 3–6 record. Northwestern State played their home games on campus at Harry Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 15	Stephen F. Austin	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	W 27–21
September 22	at UT Arlington	Cravens Field Arlington, TX	L 14–37	6,488
September 29	Northeast Louisiana	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	W 20–14	12,989
October 13	at Southeastern Louisiana	Strawberry Stadium Hammond, LA (rivalry)	L 7–33
October 20	vs. Louisiana Tech*	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA (rivalry)	W 25–21	19,212
October 27	at Nicholls State	John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA (rivalry)	L 24–27
November 3	at McNeese State	Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA (rivalry)	L 13–44	19,875
November 10	at Lamar	Cardinal Stadium Beaumont, TX	L 13–28
November 17	Central Michigan	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	L 0–28	6,700
*Non-conference game