Week 7: Northeastern State (0-6) vs. #1 Northwest Missouri  (6-0) at 2 p.m.
Tahlequah, Okla. | Gable Field at Doc Wadley Stadium
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Against Ranked Teams
This Saturday's match up will be the second time this season that the RiverHawks will face against a team in the AFCA Top- 25 with Northwest Missouri coming as the top-ranked team in NCAA Division II. Â In the MIAA era (2012-P), the RiverHawks have faced the nation's top-ranked team twice prior with NSU hosting Pittsburg State in 2012, and traveling to Northwest Missouri last season. Â Earlier this year, the RiverHawks traveled to then ranked #18 Fort Hays State and fell 31-7. Â When facing the top-ranked team in the national poll, Northeastern State has averaged 24.5 points a game.
All-Time Series
Northeastern State and Northwest Missouri have met seven times in program history with each team visiting each others home turf three times. Â The first meeting between NSU and the Bearcats happened in 1939 with a home-and-home series, and was dormant until 2012 when the two schools aligned in the MIAA. Â All five of NSU's meetings since 2012 have been against a ranked Bearcat squad.
On this Date
Northeastern State has won five times in a row on Oct. 14 with its last loss coming in 1961 at Southwestern Oklahoma (13-7). Â In Tahlequah, NSU has yet to lose on Oct. 14 holding onto a 3-0-1 record; their lone draw came at the hands of the College of the Ozarks (Ark.) in 1949 (19-19). Â Overall, Northeastern State is 5-3-1 when playing on this date.
Coaching Matchup
Rob Robinson (5-34) is in his fourth season as head coach at Northeastern State. Â In three seasons at NSU, Robinson has 25 student-athletes who have been named All-MIAA, and 46 who where named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll. Â Robinson was named the 19th head football coach in school history on Dec. 19, 2013 and spending previous 12 years under Craig Schurig as a member of the Washburn Ichabod coaching staff, serving as the offensive coordinator for his last four seasons at WU.Â
Richard Wright (6-0) was named head coach at Northwest Missouri on Dec. 19, 2016. He arrived at Northwest in 2004 as the defensive line coach and coordinator of special teams. In 2011, Wright was named defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. Â In 2016, Northwest's defense led the nation in total yards (240.9), rushing yards (67.7), scoring (12.0) and blocked kicks (13). Four Bearcats earned first-team All-MIAA honors and four earned All-America honors. On five occasions, the Northwest defense held opponents under 200 yards of total offense and 12 times held rushing attacks under 100 yards.
Being WiseÂ
La'More Wise is tied for the nation's lead with four forced fumbles through the first six weeks of the season. Â Mike Jones of Dixie State is tied with Wise for the nation's lead. Â Emporia State's Tre'Vaun Ammons and Missouri Western's Darrian Bass are next closest in the MIAA with a pair of forced fumbles.
Wise is fourth in the MIAA on the defensive side with 10.0 tackles per game. Â Nationally in NCAA Division II, he is tied for 31st in average take downs per game, with 40 solo tackles he is seveth in the nation.
Good Knight
Gary McKnight Jr. paces the MIAA in yards per reception at 23.39 and is seventh nationally. Â The NSU senior has three catches for over 60-yards, with his longest being a 75 catch on Sept. 16 against Pittsburg State.
The NSU senior  is eighth in the MIAA in average yardage per game with 70.2 and sixth in total reception yardage with 421.  In the NCAA Division II era, McKnight is the sixth receiver to catch for over 1,000 yards and he is fourth in the NSU record books with 1,238 yards in the air.
Season 20
The 2017 season is Northeastern State's 20th as a member of NCAA Division II and the 104th season overall. Â Northeastern State is in their sixth season of MIAA membership with one year as an independent, and 13 as a member of the Lone Star Conference.
