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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State football team earned the first MIAA victory in school history Saturday afternoon after defeating Central Missouri 24-23 at Doc Wadley Stadium.
 
The RiverHawks (1-6, 1-6 MIAA) shutout the Mules (5-3, 5-3 MIAA) in the second half and outgained UCM 400-250. Central Missouri was receiving votes in the AFCA Division II Coaches' Poll and was ranked No. 21 in the nation by D2Football.com.
 
The 250 yards of offense for UCM was a season low and the lowest allowed by Northeastern State since Sept. 24, 2011 (Oklahoma Panhandle State). NSU also moved to 8-0 all-time against the Mules in the first meeting between the schools since 1986.
 
“Our goal after the open week was to take it one game at a time. We wanted to make it a four game season, and we want to go 4-0,” NSU head coach Kenny Evans said. “This win really hasn't sunk in yet. Some of the things that happened during the course of the game could have changed the outcome, but I'm so proud with how we fought back today.”
 
Sophomore running back Joel Rockmore had a career-high 25 carries for 121 yards and the game-winning 19-yard TD rush with 1:54 to play in the contest. Rockmore has now rushed for at least 100 yards in four of his last five games.
 
Senior wide receiver Jermaine Sherman had six catches for 102 yards, including a 64-yard reception on the game-winning drive on a 4th-and-10 at NSU's own 12-yard line. Sherman recorded his third-career 100-yard receiving game and the second of the season.
 
Both Rockmore (1,082) and Sherman (1,054) eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau in the contest for career rushing and receiving yards, respectively. This also marked the first time in 2012 that NSU had a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver in the same game.
 
Junior linebacker Jack Gray led the defense with a career-high 13 tackles.
 
Northeastern State scored first for the fourth time in the last five games after sophomore quarterback Johnny Deaton took a designed QB keeper 34 yards to the house midway through the opening quarter.
 
After a kickoff return that put the Mules near midfield, UCM would respond when Colter Smith found Sean Gorman for a six-yard score. Kicker Aaron Jamieson missed the extra point, and that error would prove costly later in the contest.
 
Deaton lost a fumble three plays later, giving the visitors excellent field position. Four plays following the turnover, Smith hit Ronrei Lloyd for a 19-yard strike to give his team the 13-7 edge.
 
Senior wide receiver Chucky Bryant muffed a punt on the second play of the second quarter, and three plays later Jamieson nailed a 31-yard field goal to put Central Missouri on top 16-7.
 
Senior quarterback Dallas McCutcheon lost a fumble following a 14-yard rush with 5:24 to play in the half, and Gorman gave UCM the 23-7 halftime lead after he scored on a one-yard carry just two plays later.
 
The rout looked to be on for the visitors, but Northeastern State's defense clamped down, holding its opponent to just 105 yards of offense and no points in the second half.
 
That defense sparked the comeback midway through the third quarter when sophomore defensive back Cayle Shambaugh scored on a fumble recovery in the endzone. A high snap from the Mules center rolled into the endzone, and Shambaugh came out of the pile with the ball to get the RiverHawks to within nine points.
 
The score was the first defensive touchdown for NSU of the season, and it was also the first fumble recovery returned for TD since Oct. 15, 2011.
 
Jamieson missed a 36-yard field goal on UCM's next possession, and NSU capitalized by using an 11-play, 77-yard drive to cut the lead to 23-17 with 13:35 to play in the contest. Junior kicker Drew Patton capped the drive with a 20-yard field goal.
 
NSU forced the Mules to punt on each of its next three possessions, and the home team found itself with the ball at its own 12-yard line with just 2:51 to play.
 
Deaton threw three-consecutive incompletions, and the RiverHawks were faced with a 4th and 10 on its own 12-yard line.
 
The team called a timeout to discuss the critical play, and the strategy would work as Deaton found a streaking Sherman wide open down the right sideline for 64 yards. Following an offside call on UCM, Rockmore took the ball on a trap play up the middle for 19 yards and the game-tying score at the 1:54 mark. Patton calmly drilled the PAT, and Central Missouri was stopped on its final possession as NSU picked up its first MIAA win of the year.
 
Junior safety Victor Johnson recorded his first-career interception, while junior cornerback Vernon Jones picked off his fifth pass of the year. He now has nine for his career, tying him for the school's Division II record.
 
NSU turned the ball over four times in the first half and five times overall, while the team forced UCM into three turnovers.
 
The RiverHawks won the time of possession battle for the first time this season (31:16-28:44), and they also held Central Missouri to just 24 yards rushing on 22 carries. The amount was the least allowed by NSU since the team gave up just 10 yards on the ground to Bacone College on Aug. 27, 2011. The total was also the second fewest allowed by any MIAA opponent all season (Missouri Southern State held Lincoln to 17 yards rushing on Sept. 15).
 
Northeastern State will next be on the road at Southwest Baptist. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Oct. 27 in Bolivar, Mo.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
Qtr.         Time       Team         Play                                                                               Score
1             6:21         NSU           Johnny Deaton 34 run (Drew Patton kick)                            7-0
               4:40         UCM          Colter Smith 6 pass to Sean Gorman (kick failed)                 7-6
               1:44         UCM          Smith 19 pass to Ronrei Lloyd (Aaron Jamieson kick)           7-13
2             12:18       UCM          Jamieson 31 FG                                                                 7-16
               4:41         UCM          Gorman 1 run (Jamieson kick)                                             7-23
3             8:11         NSU           Cayle Shambaugh 0 yd fumble return                                   14-23
4             13:38       NSU           Patton 20 FG                                                                     17-23
               1:54         NSU           Joel Rockmore 19 run (Patton kick)                                     24-23
 
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