Northwestern State University of Louisiana held its first home football game as the Demons took on the University of Tennessee at Martin Skyhawks. Despite the Demons taking a 35-10 loss against the Skyhawks, NSU students embraced the excitement that came with the annual Inferno Run.

Before the kickoff of the first Demon home football game, freshman students from NSU attend the annual pregame tradition of running onto the field and creating a tunnel for the Demon football team to run out of.

“It was sort of a last second thing I wanted to do,” said Cyrus Blount, freshman electrical engineering major. “My roommates and my friends in the band were hyping me up for it, so after I performed the pregame show in the band, I lent my stuff to a friend and I took off to the in zone where the other freshmen were.”

Blount said he was already feeling fatigue from performing with the Spirit of Northwestern Marching Band during the day, but was still more than excited to run in the Inferno.

“It was very inclusive and everyone was really nice,” Abby Dauzat, freshman social work major, said. “The whole experience was fun and I am very glad I got to be a part of it.”

Even with a new season starting in a world of COVID-19 restrictions, students enjoyed a good time with friends and family at NSU’s first home game. While Blount, Dauzat and others were excited about the run, older students wished there were more participants willing to run in the future.

“The inferno run used to have so many new freshmen running on the field for the first home game of the season, but now not many new freshmen participate,” Caroline Bland, senior sports media communications major, said. “The run was a highlight of my freshman experience and I wish I could do it every year.”

Needless to say, the Inferno Run is always a tradition students can get behind. Students can find pictures of the Inferno Run and more from last Saturday’s game here.