LIVE VIDEO  I  LIVE AUDIO  I  LIVE STATS  I  GAME NOTES

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State RiverHawks (0-3, 0-3 MIAA) return home for the first time since the season opener when the team plays host to the Emporia State Hornets (3-0, 3-0 MIAA).
 
The undefeated Hornets are receiving votes in the latest AFCA Division II Coaches' Poll following a perfect start to the season. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. (CT) Sept. 22 at Doc Wadley Stadium (8,300) in Tahlequah, Okla.
 
The game can be heard live on KTLQ 1350 AM in Tahlequah with Scott Pettus and Sean Rowley providing commentary. A free audio broadcast can be found at goriverhawksgo.com. The game will also be streamed live on America One (b2tv.com, subscription based).
 
Pregame Notes
THE MATCHUP  .  .  .  Northeastern State has dropped its first three contests of the 2012 campaign . . . the team has lost to Pittsburg State (41-20), Missouri Southern State (27-21) and Washburn (24-20) . . . the Hornets have received votes in the latest national polls after opening the season with an unblemished 3-0 mark . . . the team has defeated Fort Hays State (41-18), Nebraska-Kearney (58-35) and Central Oklahoma (42-14) . . . NSU was selected ninth in the preseason MIAA coaches poll, while ESU was picked seventh.
 
THE TWO SCHEDULES  .  .  .  The RiverHawks are in the midst of a daunting first seven games to the 2012 campaign . . . NSU's first four opponents are all 3-0 so far this season, and the team's first seven opponents currently have a combined record of 19-2 . . . four of those teams are currently nationally ranked (Pittsburg State, Washburn, Northwest Missouri State, Missouri Western State), while two others are receiving votes (Emporia State, Central Missouri) . . . Emporia State's path has been much easier so far this year . . . the Hornets' first six opponents currently have a combined record of 0-18.
 
THE HEAD COACHES  .  .  .  NSU's KENNY EVANS (Northeastern State, '82) is in his fifth season as the RiverHawks head coach . . . he collected his first career collegiate coaching victory on Oct. 18, 2008, with a 45-20 triumph over Southwest Baptist . . . he recorded a 3-19 record in his first two years at the school, but he has begun to turn around the program with a combined 13-13 mark over the last two+ years . . . he led NSU to a 6-5 mark in 2010 and a 7-5 record last season, giving the RiverHawks their first back-to-back winning seasons since 1998-00 . . . Evans currently owns a career 16-31 record at NSU, his first stop as a head coach.
            He has coached or recruited nine All-Americans, 11 conference players of the year, more than a dozen players who have made it into the National Football League, as well as numerous all-conference selections at seven different colleges . . . before taking the job at NSU, Evans coached linebackers at Louisiana Tech for Derek Dooley in 2008 . . . he was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2005 by the Football Foundation while coaching at the University of North Texas on the staff of Darrell Dickey.
            The Warner, Okla., native and Northeastern State graduate began his coaching career at Miami (Okla.) High School in 1981 before joining the college ranks as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma for Barry Switzer and the Sooners . . . afterwards, he followed long-time Sooner offensive coordinator Galen Hall to the University of Florida where he coached wide receivers for the Gators for one year . . . he has also made stops at Southeastern Oklahoma and Missouri Southern as coordinators.
 
            ESU's Garin Higgins (Emporia State, '95) is in his sixth season with the Hornets . . . he was named the 21st head football coach at Emporia State on December 15, 2006 . . . Higgins compiled a 51-9 record (.857) as the head coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State University before becoming the co-offensive coordinator at NCAA Division II member Minnesota State in 2005 . . . prior to returning to ESU he was the offensive coordinator at Northeastern State University of the Lone Star Conference in the 2006 season . . . while at NWOSU, the Rangers qualified for the NAIA playoffs five consecutive seasons, had three national title game appearances and he was named the Central State Football League Coach of the Year five straight years from 2000 through 2004 . . . he also led the Rangers to five CSFL titles during that span . . .
 
JONES LEADS MIAA IN TACKLES, IS SIXTH IN THE NATION  .  .  .  Junior linebacker Langston Jones recorded a career-high-tying 16 tackles against Missouri Southern State Sept. 8 . . . seven of his tackles were of the solo variety, while the other nine were assisted . . . the mark equaled his total from the Mineral Water Bowl last season against Minnesota State Mankato, when he had six solo tackles and 10 assisted tackles . . . Jones is leading the MIAA in tackles per game (12.3), and he ranks sixth in the NCAA in that category.
 
SHERMAN GOES OFF FOR CAREER HIGH RECEIVING YARDS  .  .  .  Senior wide receiver Jermaine Sherman had a career-high 133 yards against Missouri Southern State Sept. 8 . . . he also tied his career-high with seven receptions, and he scored on a 69-yard slant pattern with 2:13 to play against the Lions . . . his previous career high for receiving yards in a game was 115 at Nebraska Kearney Sept. 10, 2011 . . . his other seven-reception game was Oct. 22, 2011 against Arkansas-Monticello . . . Sherman has scored touchdowns in all three games this season . . . he ranks fourth in the MIAA in both receptions per game (6.0) and receiving yards per game (98.0).
 
THE TALE OF TWO HALVES .  .  .  Northeastern State has outplayed its opponents in the second half of every contest this season despite owning an 0-3 mark . . . NSU has outscored its foes 38-26 in the second half this year, and the team has outgained its opponents in the final 30 minutes of every game in 2012 . . . below is a graphic of the numbers.
 
                                    NSU                 Opp
First Half Points        23                    66
Second Half Points    38                    26
First Half Yardage     (417) 139.0    (757) 252.3
Second Half Yardage            (731) 243.7    (451) 150.3
 
RUNNIN' THE ROCK .  .  . Sophomore running back Joel Rockmore ran for a career-high 176 yards and a touchdown on just 15 attempts Sept. 15 against Washburn (11.7 average) . . . his career-day included carries of 66 and 63 yards, and he was a big reason why the RiverHawks were able to record 251 rushing yards against the No. 9 team in the nation . . . Rockmore finished the day with 211 all-purpose yards, as he added 30 kick return yards and five receiving yards.
 
NSU'S OPPONENTS REMAIN PERFECT .  .  .  Northeastern State has lost all three of its games so far this season, but the RiverHawks opponents are a combined 9-0 in 2012 . . . NSU dropped a 41-20 affair to No. 1 Pittsburg State in the season opener, and the RiverHawks then lost 27-21 on the road against Missouri Southern State . . . this past weekend, Northeastern State fell 24-20 at Washburn despite outgaining the Ichabods 423-286 in total offense . . . NSU's first seven opponents are currently 19-2 this season.
 
DIXON THE SCORING MACHINE  .  .  .  After recording two touchdowns as a freshman in 2011, sophomore running back Terrance Dixon has already found the endzone four times through three games this season . . . his two scores against Pittsburg State Aug. 30 were on runs of 46 and 29 yards, respectively . . . he scored on an eight-yard reception and a three-yard run against Missouri Southern State Sept. 8.
 
-GoRiverHawksGo.com-