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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State football team defeated Southwest Baptist 31-3 Saturday afternoon at Doc Wadley Stadium to earn its first victory of the season.
 
The RiverHawks improved to 1-8 overall and 1-7 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, while the Bearcats now sport the same record in the league and overall.
 
Sophomore running back Steven Hopper put the offense on his back, achieving a feat not seen at NSU since the turn of the century. He rushed for a career-high 228 yards, while scoring the first three rushing touchdowns of his career. His previous career high for rushing yards in a single game was 86, which he accomplished earlier this season.
 
The performance marked the first time since 1999 that an NSU player ran for more than 200 yards in a single game (Carlton Booe), and the last time an NSU player recorded three rushing touchdowns in a single game was Joel Rockmore last year against these same Bearcats.
 
Senior linebacker Langston Jones, NSU's most prolific tackler in the modern era, added 16 stops to his resume as he continues to lead the MIAA in that category. He also contributed 4.0 tackles for loss, a half sack, two quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, and one forced fumble.
 
The RiverHawks outgained the Bearcats by a 406-371 margin. NSU won the rushing battle 305-205, while SBU won the passing battle 166-101. The rushing yardage and total offense numbers were both season highs for the green and white.
 
Northeastern State took an early 3-0 lead on a 37-yard field goal from senior Drew Patton and never looked back. The score would hold up after the first quarter, marking the second time this season the team has led after the first 15 minutes.
 
SBU's Joey Dominguez was intercepted by freshman safety Darrain Winston early in the second quarter, and Hopper scampered down the right sideline for 49 yards on the next play to put the RiverHawks up 10-0.
 
John Colliver cut the lead to 10-3 with a 31-yard field goal at the 4:19 mark of the second, and NSU would take that same cushion into the locker room. Northeastern State also led 10-3 over SBU at halftime last season.
 
The two teams exchanged failed fourth-down attempts, missed field goals and punts to open the second half, and it was the RiverHawks who were able to punch in the first score of the third quarter. Hopper finished a quick 70-yard drive with a seven-yard run.
 
He completed the hat trick on NSU's next possession, and junior running back Terrance Dixon capped the scoring with a touchdown midway through the fourth.
 
NSU forced three turnovers on the afternoon, while only committing one. The home team also won the time of possession, 35:36-24:24. The RiverHawks defense kept Southwest Baptist out of the endzone, marking the first time since Aug. 27, 2011, that NSU held its opponent without a touchdown.
 
Southwest Baptist finished 2 of 16 on third-down attempts and 0-for-4 on fourth-down tries. The Bearcats ventured inside NSU's 35-yard line on seven occasions but could only muster three points (one lost fumble, one missed field goal, one punt, three turnovers on downs).
 
Northeastern State will next travel to Jefferson City, Mo., to face Lincoln University at 2 p.m. Nov. 9.
 
SCORING SUMMARY

Qtr.	Time	Team	Play	Score
1	9:57	NSU	Drew Patton 37 FG	3-0
2	8:10	NSU	Steven Hopper 49 run (Patton kick)	10-0
	4:19	SBU	John Colliver 31 FG	10-3
3	1:08	NSU	Hopper 7 run (Patton kick)	17-3
4	10:46	NSU	Hopper 1 run (Patton kick)	24-3
	5:10	NSU	Terrance Dixon 2 run (Patton kick)	31-3

 
NORTHEASTERN STATE COACH KENNY EVANS
Statement…
"It feels great to be able to get a win. We've waited a long time for this to happen. We were a little slow to get started offensively, but once we got going we were able to control the ball. Of course, Steven Hopper had an unbelievable day. The defense had a great day. All the experience the younger players have been getting is finally starting to come together. This is what we hoped we would start to see from the young players, and they came through."
 
On Steven Hopper's performance…
"Steven has got great vision, which is the No. 1 quality a running back must possess. He was able to find some holes when there wasn't much there. That was a great game. I wish he would have got that fourth touchdown."
 
-GoRiverHawksGo.com-