Week 9: Northeastern State (0-8) vs. Â Missouri Southern (0-8) at 2 p.m.
Tahlequah, Okla. | Gable Field at Doc Wadley Stadium
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All-Time Series
Northeastern State won 31-21 in their last meeting with the Lions at Doc Wadley Stadium back in the 2015 season and they are 7-3 at home since 1968 when the series started.  In the overall series, the RiverHawks lead 13-8 and won 10 of the first 11 meetings.  Northeastern State owns four of the five shutouts  in the series. Missouri Southern is the current closest MIAA opponent at around 115 miles between communities.Â
On this Date
Northeastern State has played eight times on Oct. 28 with its last being a 16-13 overtime win at home over Midwestern State in 2000. Â The RiverHawks are 2-1 all-time in Tahlequah on this date and in their second-to-last contest on Oct. 28 they won a tight 10-7 battle over East Central in 1995. Â
Coaching Matchup
Rob Robinson 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 were 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
Denver Johnson is in his third season with MSSU after serving four seasons at the University of Tulsa as the Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator.  While Johnson was with the Golden Hurricane four of his offensive linemen earned first-team all-league accolades.  Johnson was an eighth-round draft choice by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1981 and spent two years (1981-82) with the Bucs and three seasons in the USFL, playing two years (1983-84) with the Los Angeles Express and the 1985 season with the Houston Gamblers.  Johnson's USFL tenure included playing stints with NFL Hall of Fame quarterbacks Jim Kelly and Steve Young.
Being WiseÂ
NSU senior
La'More Wise is second in the MIAA and third in the nation on the defensive side with 11.1 tackles per game. Â Wise has 60 solo tackles which is only five off from the national lead this season, on Oct. 21 he had 12 at Nebraska-Kearney which was tied for fourth highest performance this season in NCAA Division II football. Â Against the Lopers Wise broke his career mark by four with 19 total tackles which was tied for the MIAA high this season. Â
Wise is third in the nation and leads the MIAA with five forced fumbles through the first eight weeks of the season. Â In solo tackles per game, he is averaging 7.5 per game which is a MIAA high and third best in the nation.
Good Knight
NSU senior
Gary McKnight Jr. is fifth in the MIAA in average yardage per game with 81.3 and fourth in total reception yardage with 650. Â 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 1,467 yards in the air.
McKnight paces the MIAA in yards per reception at 22.4 and is 12th nationally. Â The NSU senior has four catches for over 60-yards, with his longest being a 75 catch on Sept. 16 against Pittsburg State.
The Long Ball
Rashawn Eubanks had his longest career reception in Week 7 against No. 1 Northwest Missouri with a 80-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. Â The reception by Eubanks was the longest given up by the Bearcats since the 2008 season.
Strength of Schedule
Through the first seven weeks of the season no other team in NCAA Division II football has had a tougher schedule than the RiverHawks in 2017 according to Massey Ratings. Â Northeastern State has faced two teams that are inside the top-10 in this week's AFCA Coaches Poll with Fort Hays State coming in at No. 8 and Northwest Missouri at No. 1.Â
Road Trip
Heading into week-nine, Northeastern State has racked up over 1,600 miles on the road one-way; a trip from Tahlequah to Los Angeles is just under 1,500 miles.
