Life on the road hasn’t been kind for the Demons thus far in 2011.

They have dropped consecutive games to Football Bowl Subdivision teams LSU and SMU in the last two weeks.

The early on-field results, however, have not dampened NSU coach Bradley Dale Peveto’s enjoyment of playing on the road.

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“You get a chance to leave a little earlier and get your kids in a hotel and have your hands on them,” Peveto said on the Southland Conference weekly teleconference. “They get ready to play at home games and they’re scattered out. I like that aspect of it. You get to the hotel, get plenty of rest, nice meetings, nice hotel, good food. Being all together under the same roof goes a long way.”

The Demons’ three-week road trip continues Saturday at Nicholls State, a team that walked into Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches last year and dealt the Demons a costly 37-7 loss.

If there was a positive to come out of Northwestern State’s 40-7 loss to SMU last Saturday, it was the Demons walked out of Dallas in better physical shape than they did the previous week when tight end Trevor Eickman and offensive lineman Jesse Hernandez suffered season-ending injuries against LSU.

“We came out much healthier,” said Peveto, whose team saw All-American linebacker Derek Rose play only a few snaps before suffering a leg injury. “We got very banged up against LSU and had another physical team last week. It was a different style of physical and we came out much healthier.”

The Demons also received some good off-the-field news Tuesday as linebacker Yaser Elqutub was named to the American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team.

Elqutub became the first Southland player named to the team, which honors players for their work off the field, since 1998.

“Yaser’s a pretty unique individual,” Peveto said. “I’m a little partial because I’m his position coach. He’s won all kind of civic awards and academic awards. He’s going to be a doctor. He promised me he would take care of me when he makes his first million. I’ll have to remind him of that. He’s a fabulous young man. I just wish we had him for four more years.”

by Jason Pugh, Shreveport Times
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20110921/SPORTS02/109210332/Demons-fine-starting-SLC-play-road