TAHLEQUAH -- Northeastern State gave top-ranked Northwest Missouri nearly more than they could handle in the first half but miscues around the midway mark of the contest spoiled the afternoon with a 42-14 loss at Doc Wadley Stadium.
 
True freshman quarterback Cade Yeager threw for 238 yards which was the second most this season against the Bearcats and his 80-yard pass to Rashawn Eubanks was the largest reception given up by Northwest since week-3 three during the 2008 season.
 
Three plays changed the course of the afternoon for the RiverHawks and on the Bearcats' five-yard line NSU left points on the scoreboard with an interception in the end zone trailing 21-7 with under a minute left to the half.  On the opening drive out the half, NSU forced the Bearcats to punt, and on the return the ball hit a RiverHawks player which was recovered by Northwest on the Northeastern State 15-yard line.  Northwest needed only three plays to extend their lead to 28-7. 
 
In the returning drive, the RiverHawks fumbled the ball on a high snap with Northwest recovering on the NSU 20-yard line.  The Bearcats scored on the first play to push their advantage to 35-7 with 10:50 left in the third quarter.
 
"What can we do to get these young guys from making small mental mistakes and that's what you are seeing," said head coach Rob Robinson.  "What you are seeing is a young football team trying their butt off, I mean, they played their butt off but we gave them (Northwest) seven on the punt, then the snap over the head, and the interception in the end zone.  If you just look at those points and do the math."

"We'll watch that first half of film tomorrow and show them why they got there and then show them the second half on why it happened there...it's being able to overcome something bad happening and not putting your head down."
 
Northwest added their sixth touchdown early in the fourth quarter to go up 42-7 before Yeager's 80-yard pass with 6:17 left on the clock completing the scoring on either side of the ball.
 
All of the RiverHawks yards on Saturday came in the air with their rushing game getting held to -22-yards against a Bearcat squad the only allows 44-yards a game.   Northwest had 51 rushing attempts for 257 yards with three of the touchdowns coming on the ground.
 
Yeager was 16-for-38 in the air with a pair of touchdowns, he connected with Zac King from 20-yards out to tie the game in the first quarter.  Gary McKnight Jr. caught four passes for 75 yards with his longest coming at 42 in the third quarter.
 
On offensive movement down the field, the RiverHawks had 16 first downs which was tied for second most against the Bearcats this season.  On third down conversions, NSU was 5-for-16 which was tied for the most given up this season by Northwest.
 
La'More Wise headlined both teams on the defense with ten tackles, with eight of them coming as solo.  La'Vonte White had four takedowns and a pair of broken up passes and D'Kameron White had a big broken up pass in the end zone during the third quarter against Northwest.
 
Saturday's loss sends the RiverHawks to 0-7 in both MIAA play and their overall record, the Bearcats won their 37th game in a row and are 7-0 this season.
 
Northeastern State will be on the road next Saturday at Nebraska-Kearney for a 2 p.m. kickoff.