Northeastern State will be celebrating its 102nd Homecoming Game this Saturday where they will host Missouri Western.

GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Sept. 28
Time: 2 p.m.
Video: TheMIAANetwork.com
Radio: Billy Country 96.3
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/nsuok/football/

RECORDS
Northeastern State: 0-3, 0-3 MIAA
Missouri Western: 1-2, 1-2 MIAA

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE GAME NOTES - NSU VS. MISSOURI WESTERN

NSU Notes

>> This Saturday is the 102nd Homecoming Game for the Northeastern State football program and the ninth to land in September. Northeastern State is 50-48-2 on homecoming with their last win coming on Oct. 15, 2011, against Harding (49-41).

>> The game on Saturday is the 287th on Gable Field at Doc Wadley Stadium. 

>> Saturday's contest will be the first against a team that is not ranked or receiving votes in the AFCA National Poll. The RiverHawks had played against six in a row.

>> Ty Nichols is tied for second in the MIAA in pass deflections (6). The sophomore is leading the NSU roster with 19 total tackles and has one forced fumble.

>> Lane Yoder has recorded a sack in back-to-back games and led the RiverHawks defense with 11 last week at Pitt State. 

>> After a long road back, sixth-year senior Ashton Antwine leads the NSU defense with three tackles for loss, which is tied for 12th on the MIAA leader board. Antwine missed the 2017 season and the final nine games of 2018 due to injury. 

>> 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. 

>> NSU will be sporting gray uniforms twice this season on the road. The uniform set will make their debut at Lincoln on Oct. 19 and will see the field against at Central Oklahoma on Nov. 9.

>> 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 is sporting a heritage decal on the left side of their helmet for the first part of the season. The decal used was the primary helmet decal for the program in the 1970s. The team will switch to the NSU' racetrack' logo on the left side of their helmets starting on week-nine where they will honor their 1999 NCAA Semifinalist team.

>> 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:	MWSU leads 9-0
In Tahlequah:	MWSU leads 4-0
In St. Joseph:	MWSU leads 5-0
In MIAA Play	MWSU leads 7-0
Streak:	MWSU, W9
Last Meeting:	at Missouri Western 66, at Northeastern State 16 (Sept. 22, 2018)
Last NSU win:	N/A

>> Head coaches from both teams faced each other as players of the programs they lead today.  The meetings happened in 1994 and 1995. 

>> Missouri Western played the RiverHawks on homecoming in 2017. 

>> Missouri Western head coach Matt Williamson and NSU assistant coach Tom Howe where both on staff together at Stephen F. Austin (2014-16).

>> The Griffons have averaged 58.6 points against NSU in the last three contests against the RiverHawks.  

>> One of two programs in the current MIAA that NSU does not have a win against historically.  

About the Griffons

>> This season is the 50th for the Missouri Western football program and has 292 all-time victories.

>> The Griffons opened the season with three straight teams who were ranked in the AFCA top-25. In week-two, they traveled to #25 Fort Hays State and won 28-17, and last week MWSU rallied from a 24-0 deficit against #21 Central Missouri to force overtime and fell 48-45. 

>> Opened the season 9-for-9 in the red zone in the first two weeks of play. Heading into their meeting with the RiverHawks, the Griffons are 10-for-11 with six touchdowns and four field goals made. 

>> Missouri Western is third in the nation in average kickoff return yardage at 32.91 and has one return for a touchdown in 11 kicks. 

>> Ranked last in the MIAA in passing yards allowed (332.3) and tenth in total yards allowed per game (469.7).

>> Have given up the most yardage through penalties this season (76.67) in the MIAA. 

>> Similar to NSU, the Griffons start slow with both teams having a lone touchdown in the opening quarter of the play. Missouri Western has been out-scored by 20 in the first quarter. The Griffons have held the RiverHawks scoreless in the first quarter in the last five meetings.

>> Devon Holmes is fourth in the MIAA with 263 receiving yards with 19 catches this season. 

>> DJ Stirgus is fifth nationally with 2.3 pass deflections per game. The sophomore has been credited with six broken-up passes and has one interception this season.

>> Was picked to finish in seventh in the MIAA preseason coaches and media polls.