GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Nov. 16
Time: 2 p.m.
Video: TheMIAANetwork.com
Radio: Billy Country 96.3
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/nsuok/football/

RECORDS
Northeastern State: 0-10, 0-10 MIAA
Fort Hays State: 7-3, 7-3 MIAA

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE GAME NOTES - NSU VS. FORT HAYS STATE

NSU Notes

>> Sixth-year senior Ashton Antwine is a nominee for the 2019 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year, and he is one of four student-athletes in NCAA Division II football to be named (click here for story).

>> With it being the final game of the season, the RiverHawks will honor 14 seniors before Saturday's contest against the Tigers.

>> Saturday will be the latest regular season contest for the RiverHawks since 2013, where they beat Central Oklahoma (45-38) for the President's Cup on Gable Field.

>> Northeastern State is tied for second in the MIAA with four blocked kicks this season. Triumphant Olatunji blocked an extra point in two straight contests this season and is tenth nationally in blocked kicks. The RiverHawks' defense recorded three blocked kicks against Missouri Southern in week-eight.

>> Lincoln's 19 passing yards allowed in week-seven is tied for fifth-fewest in NSU's program history and least since Oct. 9, 2000, against Panhandle State (0 passing yards). This was the eighth fewest passing yards allowed this season in NCAA Division II football.

>> Jacob Medrano has started the last six games as NSU's quarterback and has gone 107-for-190 in completions and has tossed three touchdown passes. Medrano completed a season-high 24 passes in week-six against Washburn and opened the game, completing ten straight. 

>> Madison Wrather holds the team lead in consecutive starts with 21, and Jason Staggs leads the team with 36 starts.

>> Ty Nichols is second in the MIAA in passes defended and tied for 22nd nationally with 11 this season. The sophomore is third on the NSU roster with 61 total tackles and has one forced fumble. Nichols needs five more to crack into NSU's single-season record book and eighth to match the program best (Jameel Jones, 1996). Against Missouri Western, he had four defended passes, which is tied for second-most in a game this season in the MIAA and tied for ninth nationally.

>> Jahmel Bodrick played basketball for the RiverHawks last season and played in 28 contests while making four starts. 

>> Redshirt quarterback Cayden Aldridge is a two-way player and will play for the NSU baseball program in the spring. Aldridge played quarterback for Tahlequah High School and was signed to play baseball at Oklahoma. 

>> Ukoh Essang and Damani Carter will play their final playing season at graduates. There are 117 players from 32 schools in Division II who are graduates playing this season. 

>> What dose BTC mean on the front of the NSU football helmets? Be the Change. The tag is on the back of the main fountain at the entrance to Northeastern State.

>>  NSU 'racetrack' logo on the left side of their helmets has returned and will be on for the remainder of the season where they will honor their 1994 NAIA National Championship team and 1999 NCAA Semifinalist team.  The 'racetrack' logo was a primary logo for the team through the 1980s and 1990s.

>> Three Northeastern State coaches have won a national championship as a player or as a staff member. Tom Howe (University of Duluth) and Michael Conrad (Texas A&M-Commerce) both won NCAA Division II National Titles, and Head Coach J.J. Eckert was a member of the 1994 NAIA Championship at NSU. 

>> NSU has two graduate assistants with Big 12 playing experience. Darius Curry was a four-year letter winner at Oklahoma State, and Brady Foltz played four-years at TCU. 

Series Breakdown 
 

Overall:	Fort Hays State leads 5-2
In Tahlequah:	Fort Hays State leads 2-1
In Hays:	Fort Hays State leads 3-1
In MIAA Play	Fort Hays State leads 5-0
Streak:	Fort Hays State, W5
Last Meeting:	at Fort Hays State 58, Northeastern State 0 (Nov. 10, 2018)
Last NSU win:	at Northeastern State 37, Fort Hays State 7 (Oct. 6, 2019)

>> Second straight season that the final game of the season will be against the Tigers.

>> First meeting between the head coaches of both programs.

>> Northeastern State took the first two games of the series but has been outscored 123-14 in the last three games against the Tigers. 

About the Tigers

>> The Tigers' playoff hopes took a stumble last week when they lost to No. 14 Northwest Missouri in double overtime, falling out of the regional rankings though the Tigers are still receiving votes in the latest AFCA Top 25 poll.

>> Tigers QB Chance Fuller is 14th in the nation in completion percentage, having completed 64.3% of his passes this season. He is sixth in the nation in passing yards per game, averaging 309. Fuller leads the MIAA in both categories. His 31 passing touchdowns put him fourth in the nation, and second in the MIAA.

>> Charles Tigner is averaging 69 rushing yards per game and has scored five of the Tigers' 12 rushing touchdowns on the season. The senior has rushed for 100 or more yards per game three times this season, most recently on Oct. 19 against Pittsburg State, when he rushed for a season-high 127 yards.

>> Drew Harvey leads the Tigers with 84 total tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss this season. He is second on the team in sacks with 2.0. Sheldon Schmidt leads the Tigers with three sacks this season.

>> The Tigers are second in the MIAA in defense, giving up an average of 326.1 yards per game. The Tigers have held opponents to under 10 points in a game four times this season.  

>> The Tigers have scored 91% of the times they have had the ball in the red zone this season. They have scored 29 red zone touchdowns on the season.

>> Fort Hays State has 37 players on their roster who hail from the state of Kansas and five who are from the city of Hays.