Game Notes  I Live Stats  I  Live Video  I  Free Audio  I  Tickets

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State RiverHawks (0-2, 0-2 MIAA) will look to avoid an 0-3 start to the 2013 campaign when they entertain the No. 22-ranked Washburn University Ichabods (2-0, 2-0 MIAA) . . . kickoff is set for 6 p.m. (CT) Sept. 21 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).
 
THE MATCHUP  .  .  .  Northeastern State and Washburn have met just three times in the history of the two programs . . . the two squads played a home-and-home series in 1987-88, and both teams picked up home triumphs . . . Washburn earned a 23-21 win in 1987, but the Redmen were victorious in the return match 35-30 . . . the only other meeting between NSU and WU came last season, when the green and white joined the MIAA and fell 24-20 to Washburn in Topeka.
 
THE HEAD COACHES  .  .  .  NSU's KENNY EVANS (Northeastern State, '82) is in his sixth season as the RiverHawks head coach . . . he was named head coach in 2008 after 28 years as an assistant coach at six other universities . . . during that span, Evans coached in six bowl games, two national playoffs and was part of a coaching staff that won eight conference championships . . . his ninth conference championship was added in 2010 as the RiverHawks posted their first winning season in 10 years. He owns a 17-18 record in his last four seasons after starting 3-19 in his first two campaigns . . . in 2012, Evans guided Northeastern State through its first season as members of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association . . . the RiverHawks started slow against the premier competition, but they finished strong by winning their last four games to end the year at 4-6 . . . the 2011 team was one of the most successful in school history, as the RiverHawks recorded 30 team and individual school records . . . Evans has coached or recruited nine All-Americans, 11 conference players of the year, more than a dozen who have made it into the National Football League, as well as numerous All-Conference players at seven different colleges.
            WU's CRAIG SCHURIG (Colorado Mines, '87) is in his 11th season with the Ichabods . . . he has compiled an 81-48 record during his tenure . . . in 11 seasons as the Ichabods' head coach, Craig Schurig has built one of the most respected programs in the MIAA with three NCAA playoff appearances as well as the 2005 MIAA title coming on the heel's of a 2007, 2009 and 2011 runner-up finish in the conference race . . . through his first 11, in addition to three NCAA playoffs and a conference title, Schurig has led the Washburn football program to the 2004 Mineral Water Bowl Championship and the 2010 Kanza Bowl Championship . . . in 2011, the Ichabods reached their third NCAA playoffs in school history, finishing with a school-record 10 wins to just three losses . . . Washburn also recorded its first playoff victory in school history with a 52-49 win over Abilene Christian . . . the 2010 season saw the Ichabods go 8-4 with the Kanza Bowl appearance in front of a Topeka crowd topping a No. 24-ranked Midwestern State team.
 
JONES PICKS UP FIRST WEEKLY HONOR .  .  . NSU's Langston Jones was named the MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week on Sept. 16 . . . Northeastern State fell to Missouri Southern State 17-14, but Jones recorded a career-high 21 tackles and helped NSU's defense shut out the Lions in the entire second half . . . the senior linebacker from Whitesboro, Texas, Jones was all over the field, as the RiverHawks completely halted the Lions wishbone offense . . . MSSU punted on all six second-half possessions and finished with just 17 points, a week after posting 52 against Central Oklahoma . . . the number of tackles for Jones was five more than his previous career high, and it was also the first time a member of the RiverHawks hit the 20-tackle mark since the school joined the NCAA (1996) . . . the preseason All-American now leads the MIAA – just as he did a year ago – and is second in the nation at 16.5 tackles per game . . . this was the was the first time since the RiverHawks joined the MIAA in 2012 that a member of the team has earned a weekly honor.
 
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE  .  .  . The NSU Athletics Department announced its season ticket packages for the six-game home portion of the upcoming football schedule . . . prices begin as low as $50 per person for an adult general admission ticket. Season chair back seats begin at $100 each, and additional seats after purchasing four are $90 each . . . season ticket holders receive the benefit of sitting in comfortable chair back seats. They also receive first option to purchase playoff tickets, premier seating for NSU's six home games (five MIAA games and one non-conference), excellent view of the playing surface and an optimal view of the halftime show featuring the NSU Band . . . new for 2013 is the $25 single-game Family 4-Pack, which includes two general admission adult tickets and two general admission student tickets (ages 4 through high school) . . . the Family 4-Pack may be purchased at any time and used at any regular season home game . . . all Northeastern State football home games are contested at Doc Wadley Stadium.
 
ID'S REQUIRED FOR ENTRY IN 2013 .  .  . All fans wishing to attend an NSU home football or basketball contest this season will be required to show a ticket prior to entering the facilities . . . NSU students and faculty/staff will still be allowed free admittance, but NSU ID's will no longer be accepted as a form of entry . . . tickets can be purchased at NSU's new ticketing Web site, goriverhawkstickets.com . . . NSU students and faculty/staff can access goriverhawkstickets.com and secure their free tickets (either printable or downloaded to your smart phone) through their goNSU accounts . . . for questions regarding ticket options, please contact Brynn Hamner at 918.444.3901.
 
DEJA VU .  .  . NSU lost its season opener to Pittsburg State for the second-straight year, this time a 45-6 decision in Kansas . . . the RiverHawks were nearly shutout, but they were able to get on the board midway through the fourth quarter . . . the green and white conceded 582 yards of total offense, while only managing 244 . . . PSU scored touchdowns on six of its first nine possessions, with a field goal and two failed fourth-down conversions sprinkled in . . . Northeastern State has now dropped its season opener in nine of the last 11 years . . . the RiverHawks also lost a narrow 17-14 contest to Missouri Southern State on Sept. 14, a year following a slim 27-21 setback in Joplin . . . NSU dropped its game against Washburn 24-20 last season and will be looking to buck the trend this week against the Ichabods.
 
THE TREACHEROUS SLATE CONTINUES .  .  . NSU once again is in the midst of one of the most difficult schedules of any team in the country . . . all of Northeastern State's first six opponents are currently 2-0, while the team's seventh MIAA game is against a Central Missouri squad that has lost to No. 3 Northwest Missouri State and No. 6 Missouri Western State by a combined seven points . . . of the six opponents, four are currently ranked in the AFCA Coaches' Poll (NWMSU, MWSU, No. 14 Pittsburg State, No. 22 Washburn), while two others are receiving votes (Emporia State, Missouri Southern State) . . . NSU is competing against the same 10 teams from a year ago.
 
DOWN AND OUT CAPTAINS .  .  .  Northeastern State lost two of its senior captains in the first game of the season . . . quarterback Johnny Deaton suffered a fractured fibula against Pittsburg State and will miss the rest of the season . . . he was injured in the second quarter and was 1-for-3 passing for 24 yards prior to his injury . . . sophomore Thor Long took over at QB . . . middle linebacker Jack Gray registered five tackles against the Gorillas, but he will miss at least three games due to a broken hand he suffered in the preseason . . . junior walk-on Eddie General is penciled in as the replacement for the time being.
 
SHUTTING DOWN THE WISHBONE  .  .  .  A week after blitzing Central Oklahoma for 52 points in the season opener, Missouri Southern State was completely baffled by the RiverHawk defense . . . despite scoring 17 points in the first half, the Lions were forced to punt on all six second-half possessions (three three-and-outs, one failed fourth-down conversion) as NSU shutout the visitors from Joplin . . . MSSU mustered just 15 first downs and only 281 yards of offense against Northeastern State.
 
SECOND-HALF SHUTOUTS  .  .  .  The RiverHawk defense held three opponents scoreless in the final 30 minutes of action last season . . . the first occurrence was Sept. 15 against Washburn, when NSU dropped a narrow 24-20 decision in Topeka, Kan. . . . Northeastern State blanked Central Missouri in the second half Oct. 20 in a 24-23 NSU victory, and the defense also held Lincoln scoreless in the second half on Nov. 3 . . . the Blue Tigers were able to record a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but it was an interception return for TD . . . NSU blanked Missouri Southern State in the second half on Sept. 14.
 
2013 CAPTAINS  .  .  .  The NSU football team will have five captains this season, and they are all in their final collegiate campaign . . . those seniors slated to lead the program in Year Two of the MIAA era are quarterback Johnny Deaton, linebacker Jack Gray, safety Victor Johnson, cornerback Vernon Jones, and fullback Nick Whitlow . . . Gray and Johnson are serving as captains for the second-straight year . . . the five captains have played in a combined 119 career games and have made 79 career starts.
 
NO LONGER NEWBIES  .  .  .  The RiverHawks are entering their second year as members of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association . . . since joining the NCAA in 1996, NSU has been a member of the Lone Star Conference (1996-2011), an independent (2011-12), and now the MIAA (2012-P) . . . the MIAA is one of the strongest football conferences in the country, as it boasts multiple national champions and squads that routinely make deep runs in the NCAA Championship playoffs.
 
NSU SELECTED 10TH/11TH IN PRESEASON MIAA POLLS  .  .  .  The Northeastern State University football team was selected to finish 10th in the MIAA by the media and 11th by the league's coaches . . . the RiverHawks finished 4-6 in their inaugural MIAA campaign a year ago. The team returns six offensive starters and nine defensive starters from last season . . . NSU tied for ninth in its inaugural season with a 4-6 record after winning its last four games of the season . . . Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri State lead the way in the coaches poll, as they tied for first place with 159 points and six first-place votes . . . Pittsburg State is projected to finish third with 145 points and the other two first-place votes . . . Central Missouri (119) and Lindenwood (117) round out the top five. The remainder of the top 10 are Washburn (116), Emporia State (113), Fort Hays State (70), Missouri Southern (68), and Central Oklahoma (57) . . . NSU (56) just outside the top 10, one point behind the Bronchos . . . the RiverHawks leapfrogged UCO in the media poll, with a 10th-place projection at 125 points . . . NWMSU led the way with 300 points and 10 first-place votes. Missouri Western also received 10 first-place votes and is second with 294 points. Pittsburg State (276, 2 first-place votes), Washburn (231) and Lindenwood (221) round out the top five . . . Central Missouri (205), Emporia State (197, 1 first-place vote), Missouri Southern (138) and Fort Hays State (138) are also ahead of Northeastern State.
 
GO RIVERHAWKS GEAR .  .  . Northeastern State University Athletics has partnered with Advanced-Online and has launced its new, one-of-a-kind online shopping site, goriverhawksgear.com . . . NSU fans have another avenue for acquiring Northeastern State apparel and accessories . . . the store is loaded with options for fans of all ages, ranging from T-shirts, polos and sweatshirts, to home office supplies, drinkware and kitchen essentials . . . every item is branded with official Northeastern State athletics and university logos, and select RiverHawks gear and accessories are customizable . . . the new online store can be accessed by simply visiting www.goriverhawksgear.com . . . the shop can also be viewed by clicking on the shopping cart at the top right of www.goriverhawksgo.com, the static graphic underneath the main picture or the rotating horizontal carousel just above the video player.
 
-GoRiverHawksGo.com-