Week 10: Northeastern State (1-8) at #RV Central Missouri (6-3) | 1 p.m.
Warrensburg, Mo. | Walton Stadium at Vernon Kennedy Field
All-Time Series
Northeastern State is 9-4 overall when facing Central Missouri, winning the first nine contests in the series that started in 1962. There have been a pair of shutouts recorded in the series with NSU owning those in the first two match-ups. The Mules have won the last four games in the series following a 24-23 win in 2012 by the RiverHawks at Doc Wadley Stadium. Northeastern State holds the widest win margin between the two teams which was a 62-0 shutout in 1963.
On this Date
Playing on the road has been a common occurrence for Northeastern State on Nov. 4 with four of their five games being played away from Tahlequah. Northeastern State's last contest on this date was in 2006 where they traveled to Weatherford, Okla. to face Southwestern Oklahoma.
Coaching Matchup
Rob Robinson (6-36) is in his fourth season as head coach at Northeastern State. 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. 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.
Jim Svoboda has a record of 62-28 during his seven-plus seasons and led the Mules to three postseason appearances. Svoboda is third on UCM's career wins list and have set or tied 84 school offensive records and 21 MIAA offensive records during his tenure. The Mules appeared in the postseason in each of Svoboda's first two seasons. UCM made the NCAA-II Playoffs in year one under Svoboda and earned a bid to the Kanza Bowl in his second season. It is just the second time in school history that Mules Football has made back-to-back postseason appearances.
Against Ranked Teams
This Saturday's match up will be the third time this season that the RiverHawks will face against a team receiving votes in the AFCA National Poll with Central Missouri coming in as the second team outside of the Top-25. Earlier this year, the RiverHawks traveled to then ranked #18 Fort Hays State, and later hosted Northwest Missouri who was ranked #1 when they visit Tahlequah in week-7.
Give me the ball!
Gary McKnight Jr. carried the RiverHawks on his shoulders last week in the final minutes and in overtime in their 32-29 win over Missouri Southern. The NSU senior had a 51-yard touchdown reception with 1:36 left on the clock to tie the game at 23-23 to for overtime. McKnight later in the second overtime period broke through four missed tackles to find the end-zone for a 23-yard touchdown win the game for the RiverHawks.
Road Trip
Heading into week ten, Northeastern State has racked up over 1,600 miles on the road one-way; a trip from Houston to Los Angeles is 1,550 miles.
2020 Vision
The Class of 2020 and 2021 is littered throughout the Northeastern State is projected starting lineup in week nine with 11 who are either at freshman or sophomore classification against the Mules. On both sides of the ball, RiverHawks are projected to start only five seniors, with four coming on the offensive end.
Good Knight
NSU senior
Gary McKnight Jr. is fourth in the MIAA in average yardage per game with 81.3 and in total reception yardage with 777. 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 1,594 yards in the air.
McKnight paces the MIAA in yards per reception at 22.2 and is eighth nationally. 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. The reception by Eubanks was the longest given up by the Bearcats since the 2008 season.
A Wise Man
La'More Wise is third in the nation and leads the MIAA with five forced fumbles through the first eight weeks of the season. In solo tackles per game, he is averaging 7.3 per game which is a MIAA high and third best in the nation.
Season 20
The 2017 season is Northeastern State's 20th as a member of NCAA Division II and the 104th season overall. 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.
NFL Hall of Fame heritage
Freshman
Nick So'oto a two-time All-District, All-Parish, and All-City Selection at Parkway High School (Bossier City, La.) is the nephew of 10-time NFL All-Pro Junior Seau who was a member of the NFL Class of 2015 Hall of Fame, and had his number retired with Los Angeles (San Diego) Chargers. Additionally, So'oto has a cousin Vic (So'oto) who played in the NFL for four seasons and is presently a Defensive Line Coach at the University of Virginia.
