TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State football team dropped a 34-7 decision to Nebraska-Kearney Saturday afternoon at Doc Wadley Stadium.
 
The RiverHawks fell to 0-6 on the season and 0-6 in the MIAA, while the Lopers (1-5, 1-5 MIAA) picked up their first win of the year.
 
UNK quarterback Bronson Marsh rushed for a career-high 242 yards (205 in the first half) and four touchdowns, while finishing 9-of-18 passing for 105 yards. The Loper signal caller started early by scoring on the second and fourth plays from scrimmage.
 
He put Nebraska-Kearney on the board first on a 59-yard scamper, and, after an NSU punt, he galloped 87 yards for a second score as UNK took a quick 14-0 lead. Both touchdowns were on the same option play. He then plunged in from one yard out at the end of the second quarter and early in the third as the Lopers increased their lead to 27-0.
 
Devontay LeFlore had a pick-6 late in the third to add insult to injury, and the RiverHawks were only able to avoid the shutout when freshman running back Derrick Moore had a 72-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter.
 
Nebraska-Kearney outgained NSU 487-264. The Lopers led in rushing 382-105 and the RiverHawks led in passing 159-105.
 
Sophomore quarterback Kevin Pantastico finished 19 of 30 for 159 yards through the air. He threw two interceptions and now has an MIAA-leading 10 INT's this season.
 
Moore led NSU in rushing with 75 yards on just two carries. Junior Joel Rockmore had 46 yards on 16 carries. He also led the RiverHawks' passing attack with 38 yards receiving on a career-high six receptions.
 
Northeastern State returns to action at 2:07 p.m. Oct. 18 at Missouri Southern State. The Joplin, Missouri, contest will be the MIAA TV Game of the Week.

NORTHEASTERN STATE COACH ROB ROBINSON
Opening statement…
 "We just didn't show up and they did. Credit to them. They're 0-5 and we're 0-5 and they came out ready to play and we did not. That's obvious. Their quarterback rushed for almost 300 yards on option keepers."
 
On the opposing quarterback play…
"He's a dangerous quarterback. I recruited him in high school knowing he was a heck of a player. He's got speed. You want to make sure you've got him stopped because of what he can do. We had a few missed assignments and a few missed tackles and he was in the open. He's a threat."
 
On potentially changing up things…
"It would be nice, but we're playing with 18 on defense right now and about six O-linemen. So we have the hand we were dealt and we have to do a better job of coaching them up and getting them ready to play."
 
On the game plan…
"We wanted to put pressure on the quarterback and see if we could force his hand a little bit. Their offensive line did a heck of a job and we couldn't get a push on them. They play high and have a big line and they took it to us."
 
On moving past this game…
"You've got to take it day by day. We've got to get better tomorrow. We're going to show up for work tomorrow and we're going to figure it out one way or another."
 
On Derrick Moore's play…
"He's playing his butt off. I'm just trying to get his pass protection better. That's the only thing that scares you. We've got to do a better job of getting him more week-by-week. Rock [Joel Rockmore] had a great week of practice and Derrick was dinged up. He had a red jersey on all week, so we didn't know where he was at. Obviously, he was ready to play and we need to get him more carries."

GAME NOTES

• Nebraska-Kearney now leads the series 3-2.
• James Renfrow made his team-leading 26th career start.
• The RiverHawks have used six different starting offensive lines this season. NSU began the game with Jonathan Brown (LT), Trevon Lawson (LG), Chance Douthit (C), Brian West (RG), and Tyler Easter (RT).
• Bronson Marsh rushed for 242 yards. This was the first 100-yard rushing game by an opposing quarterback since Jacob Morris of Lincoln rushed for 102 yards Nov. 9, 2013. It was also the first 200-yard rushing game for an opponent since Derrick Ross of Tarleton State rushed for 206 yards on Sept. 17, 2005.
• Marsh's 242 yards were a season high of rush yards against the RiverHawks.
• Marsh had four rushing touchdowns. This was the first time one player scored four touchdowns in a game against NSU since Ryan Gallimore of Central Oklahoma caught four touchdowns on Nov. 7, 2009.
• Joel Rockmore had 84 total offensive yards which puts him at 1,912 total career offensive yards and 7th in NSU history.
• Dylan Beers attempted a field goal in the second quarter that was blocked. It was the first attempted field goal in 2014 for the RiverHawks. NSU entered the contest as one of only two schools in the entire nation (Malone University) to have not attempted at least one field goal this year.
• Beers' field goal attempt was the first blocked field goal since Ashton Dandy blocked an attempt for Central Oklahoma on Nov. 10, 2012.
• Tony Newman had his first career interception in the second quarter.
• Derrick Moore had a 72-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. It was his first career touchdown.
• Moore's 72-yard touchdown was the longest play for the RiverHawks in 2014. The previous longest rush of the season by NSU was a 16-yard carry by quarterback Kevin Pantastico.
• This was the first game since a victory over Southwest Baptist on Nov. 2, 2013 that a passing touchdown was not recorded.
• The RiverHawks had a season low six penalties. 

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