TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State RiverHawks (0-4, 0-4 MIAA) return home to face the No. 3-ranked Northwest Missouri State Bearcats (4-0, 4-0 MIAA). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Oct. 3 at Doc Wadley Stadium (8,300).

The game can be heard live on KEOK 102.1 FM in Tahlequah with Bill Huddleston (play-by-play) and Sean Rowley (color) providing commentary. A free audio broadcast can be found at goriverhawksgo.com. The game will be streamed live on Stretch Internet (http://portal.stretchinternet.com/nsu/, subscription based). A football-only season pass is available for $69.95, and a day pass can be purchased for $9.95.

GAME NOTES
THE MATCHUP  .  .  .  Northeastern State and Northwest Missouri State have met five times in the respective history of the two programs, with three of those meetings coming in the last three years . . . the Bearcats have taken all five contests by a combined score of 209-32 . . . NWMSU captured the first game in 1939 by a slim 7-0 margin, but the team earned big victories over NSU in each of the next four meetings, starting with a 47-7 triumph in 1940 . . . the Bearcats defeated NSU 66-6 on the MIAA Network in Maryville three years ago and earned a 40-12 victory in Tahlequah two years ago . . . the meeting in 2012 was the first for the two programs as members of the same conference.
 
Series History (NWMSU Leads 4-0)
Date    Winner    Score
2014    NWMSU    49-7
2013    NWMSU    40-12
2012    NWMSU    66-6
1940    NWMSU    47-7
1939    NWMSU    7-0

THE HEAD COACHES  .  .  .  NSU's ROB ROBINSON (William Jewell, '00) is in his second season as the RiverHawks head coach . . . he was named the 19th head football coach in school history on Dec. 19, 2013 . . . he owns a 0-15 all-time record . . . Robinson spent the previous 12 years under Craig Schurig as a member of the Washburn Ichabod coaching staff, serving as the offensive coordinator for the last four seasons . . . he also directed the running backs from 2007-13 and coached the wide receivers from 2002-06 . . . he served as the recruiting coordinator from 2002-10 and was the academic coordinator from 2010-13 . . . Robinson was an integral member of a Washburn staff that completely turned around the Ichabod program . . . Washburn averaged 3.3 wins from 1989-03 and had just one winning season, but the Ichabods averaged 7.9 wins from 2004-13 and posted 10 straight winning campaigns . . . Robinson is the second former coordinator under Schurig's tutelage to become the head coach of another program, joining Fort Hays State's Chris Brown . . . Robinson spent the 2001 season at Pittsburg State as a graduate assistant, coaching the defensive backs with Ichabod head coach Craig Schurig . . . the Gorillas won the MIAA Championship that year.
            NWMSU's ADAM DORRELL (Northwest Missouri State, '97) is in his fifth season with the Bearcats . . . he has compiled a 50-8 record during his tenure . . . he led his alma mater to the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2013 with a 15-0 record . . . it was just the second time in Northwest history that the Bearcats went undefeated, matching the 1998 championship team's mark . . . Dorrel was named the 2013 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coach of the Year and also garnered MIAA Coach of the Year honors, winning the program's 25th MIAA title after a 10-0 season . . . Northwest has advanced to 10 consecutive playoff appearances, which is tied for the longest streak in NCAA history . . . nationally, the 2013 Bearcats ranked among the nation's best in blocked kicks (first), completion percentage (second), fumbles recovered (second), team pass efficiency (second), first downs (second), scoring offense (fifth), turnovers gained (fifth) and total defense (ninth) . . . Northwest also led the MIAA in completion percentage, first downs, blocked kicks, third-down conversion defense, passing yards allowed, scoring defense, sacks, pass efficiency, pass defense, total defense and turnovers gained . . . prior to being named head coach, Dorrel was the offensive coordinator at Northwest from 2007 to 2010, helping the Bearcats to an unprecedented five consecutive NCAA Division II championship appearances and their third national title in 2009 . . . in Dorrel's 10 seasons with the Bearcats since returning in 2004, they have a 122-21 record and added six MIAA championships.
 
VIDEOBOARD UPGRADE SCHEDULED FOR OCT. 3 UNVEILING .  .  . Northeastern State University Director of Athletics Tony Duckworth has announced that a new videoboard will be installed at Doc Wadley Stadium . . . funded completely through private dollars, the new project is estimated to cost $100,000 . . . the 16' x 9' videoboard with 32' branded top banner and 8' x 9' backlit advertising panels is scheduled to debut at NSU's Oct. 3 home football game against Northwest Missouri State . . . Duckworth said the project cost was greatly reduced because there is already a current structure in place . . . one of the major difference fans will notice right away will be a larger videoboard that goes from standard definition to high definition . . . with the recent turf installation project completed this past summer, NSU has now invested approximately $500,000 in upgrades to Doc Wadley Stadium this year.
 
CLOSE CALLS .  .  . Northeastern State has yet to win a game during the Rob Robinson era (0-15), but the RiverHawks have come close to breaking into the win column on multiple occasions since their last victory (Nov. 16, 2013) . . . two of those close calls came last season, when NSU lost to Emporia State 42-35 in double overtime on Sept. 27 and fell 35-16 to Lindenwood on Nov. 15 . . . against the Hornets, NSU tied the game with three minutes to play in regulation and scored first in OT, but ESU was able to convert a 3rd-and-15 with a 30-yard tying touchdown . . . NSU was able to drive down to the ESU four-yard line after the Hornets scored on their next drive, but the home team could not send the contest into a third OT . . . against the Lions, the RiverHawks were able to play to a 7-7 tie at halftime and they trailed just 21-16 heading into the final frame, but Lindenwood scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to take the season finale for both clubs . . . the other two close calls have both came this season, when NSU was tied or leading against a pair of teams that won seven games a year ago . . . NSU was tied 13-13 with Fort Hays State and drove deep into Tiger territory twice in the fourth quarter . . . the green and white had a field goal blocked on one possession and was sacked after reaching the FHSU 28 on the next . . . after a successful pooch punt, the Tigers then registered a 93-yard rushing touchdown with 2:19 left to play and added an insurance touchdown to escape with the 14-point victory . . . Northeastern State then led Missouri Western State 17-10 with less than six minutes to play in regulation, but the Griffons tied the game and scored the game-winning touchdown nine seconds apart, capped by an NSU fumble that was picked up by MWSU and returned for a touchdown.
 
BEND BUT DON'T BREAK D .  .  . The RiverHawks defense has been outstanding once opposing offenses reach NSU's 20-yard line . . . opponents have scored just 67 percent (16-for-24) of the time in NSU's redzone, and NSU ranks 39th in the nation in redzone defense . . . opposing offenses have scored touchdowns just 41.7 percent of the time when they reach NSU's redzone (10-for-24) . . . by comparison, the NSU defense conceded scores 83 percent (44-for-53) of the time last season once offenses entered the red zone . . . the RiverHawks allowed redzone touchdowns 74 percent of the time (39 total/3.5 per game) and five field goals.
 
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES .  .  . NSU has struggled in the kicking game since joining the MIAA, and more specifically over the past two seasons . . . the RiverHawks have converted just 20 of 39 (51.3 percent) field goals since the beginning of the 2012 season, and they are just 2-for-11 (18 percent) since 2014 . . . additionally, Northeastern State has converted 64 of 73 (89 percent) extra-point attempts over the last four years.
 
MIAA, NSU PARTNER WITH STRETCH INTERNET FOR 2015 .  .  . The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association is set to continue its partnership with Stretch Internet® to provide streaming of conference events . . . Stretch partners with the league and members institutions to broadcast all conference football and men's and women's basketball games, as well as selected other conference events . . . fans can view all conference football and basketball games live through almost any internet connected device, including Smart TV's, Apple TV and Google Chromecast . . . the GameCentral 2.0 platform will also allow fans to access live stats in the video stream . . . the new platform also features archived games and other video content.
 
2015 NSU TAILGATING GUIDELINES .  .  . Entrance will open three hours prior to kickoff and will close to incoming vehicles two hours prior kickoff . . . extreme caution must be taken when driving through the area . . . tailgating assignments consist of the equivalent of three parking spots . . . each group will get one assigned area . . . each assigned tailgate area will be allowed a maximum of one vehicle . . . areas will be assigned in sequence based on order of arrival . . . it is important to fill the tailgate areas in sequence in order to maximize space in an orderly, safe fashion . . . all participants are expected to respect fellow tailgaters . . . all participants are expected to follow local, state, and federal laws . . . participants who are currently enrolled NSU students are expected to abide by NSU Student Rules and Regulations . . . no tent stakes may be used on parking lot asphalt . . . vehicles will not be allowed to leave the tailgate area until kickoff.
 
TICKETS REQUIRED FOR ENTRY IN 2015-16 .  .  . 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 . . . this is the third-straight year ID's have been required at those events . . . NSU students and faculty/staff are allowed free admittance, but NSU ID's are not accepted as a form of entry . . . tickets can be purchased at NSU's ticketing website, 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.
 
GO RIVERHAWKS GEAR .  .  . Northeastern State University Athletics partners with Advanced-Online to bring fans a 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 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.