NORTHEASTERN STATE (2-4, 2-4 MIAA)
vs. MISSOURI WESTERN (2-4, 2-4 MIAA)
Saturday, October 16 -- 4 p.m.
Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium (St. Joseph, Mo.)
All-Time Series: Northeastern State trails 10-0

TAHLEQUAH -- The RiverHawks will play a late afternoon contest Saturday at Missouri Western looking to spoil the Griffons' homecoming game. 

TOP STORYLINES

1 | Northeastern State will look to push their road winning streak to three games Saturday.  The end of the 2011 season is the last time the RiverHawks won three consecutive on the road.

2 | Saturday is the last time during the 2021 regular season that NSU will finish a game under the lights.  Unlike the previous two games in Tahlequah, rain isn't in the forecast, with a kickoff temperature of 65 expected.  By the fourth quarter, it will be light jacket weather with temperatures in the mid to lower the 50s.

3 | Mark Wheeland leads the MIAA with seven touchdown catches this season and had caught for 100-yards in the last three games.  The junior is ranked 16th nationally in touchdowns and 40th with 482 receiving yards. 


4 | Marques Williams is fifth in the nation averaging seven solo tackles per game, and is second in the MIAA.  In total tackles, he is third in the MIAA, averaging 10.6 per game, which is 16th best nationally. 

5 | NSU Head Coach J.J. Eckert and MWSU Head Coach Matt Williamson faced each other as players of the programs they lead today.  The meetings happened in 1994 and 1995. 


NSU QUICK HITS
>> Northeastern State is one three teams nationally that have not lost a fumble this season and are ranked first in kick return defense (11.5 yards per return).

>> Madison Wrather has started 28 consecutive games on the RiverHawks' offensive line, the longest streak among student-athletes on the NSU roster.  

>> Keon Moore had his first 100-yard rushing day against Lincoln with 103 on the ground.  Moore had an 84 yard run for a touchdown which was the longest this season in the MIAA.  In the NSU record book, it is eighth-longest. 

>> Through six games, Isaiah Davis has two 100-yard rushing games this season and is the first running back since 2012 (Joel Rockmore) to have at least two 100-yard days in the backfield.

>> NSU's tight end Matt Amos has his longest career pass reception against Lincoln for 62 yards.  His catch was the second-biggest play this season for NSU and tied for the 12th longest reception this year in the MIAA.

>> Redshirt freshman Grant Elerick holds a completion average of 56.7 percent, which is 64th in the nation, and will enter Saturday's game with 975 passing yards.

>> Jacob Frazier has appeared three this season and is 16-for-22 in pass attempts, for 162 yards of offense, and has a touchdown pass.

>> Northeastern State's seven touchdowns against Lincoln are the most since Oct. 2011 vs. Harding and tied for seventh-most in the modern scoring era (1945-).  The five rushing touchdowns were tied for the fifth-most and highest total since Nov. 2003 at Central Oklahoma. 

>> Northeastern State's defense is tied for fifth in the MIAA with 11 sacks this season.  Through the entirety of the 2019 season, they had five.  COVID-freshman Blake Corn leads the RiverHawks this season with 2.5 sacks. 

>> Triumphant Olatunji was named MIAA Football Special Teams Athlete of the Week on Sept 27.  The sophomore had the longest kick return this season in the MIAA at Lincoln with a 70 yard run back.  Olatunji is the second NSU football player to earn MIAA Football Special Teams Athlete of the Week honors (Garrett Powell, 2015).

>> Damani Carter had a career day at Lincoln with five tackles and had one solo sack, and shared a second one which combined were good for a 15-yard loss.

>> Taoheed Karim is second in the MIAA with six pass breakups. 

>> Tim Davis is a sixth-year member for the RiverHawks and averaged 38.3 yards per punt through six weeks, which is fourth-best in the MIAA and 61st in the nation.  The graduate student has two 57 yard punts this season, where are tied for ninth-longest this season in the MIAA. 

>> Tyler Crawford, NSU's starting kicker, was a late addition to the team after transferring from Nebraska at the start of camp.  A Broken Arrow native, has a field goal in the last two games for NSU. 

THE SERIES WITH THE GRIFFONS
>> Northeastern State has not beaten Missouri Western in ten previous meetings.
>> Saturday will be NSU's sixth visit to Missouri Western.

ABOUT THE GRIFFONS
>> Missouri Western heads into their homecoming week, dropping three straight games.

>> Missouri Western heads into week seven ranked eighth in the MIAA with 385.3 offensive yards and ninth in allowing 433.5 yards.

>> With nine lost fumbles this season, Missouri Western is tied for third-most nationally. 

>> The Griffons are 68.7-percent inside the red zone, ranking second to last in the MIAA and 116th nationally. 

>> Missouri Western allows 296.3 passing yards per game, 13th from the bottom of the nation, and third highest in the MIAA. 

>> Trey Vaval leads the MIAA with 451 kick return yardage, which is also the eighth-most in the nation.  He also is ranked 19th in the MIAA with 78.5 all-purpose yards per game. 

>> Evan Chohon leads the nation averaging eight solo tackles per game, and is sixth nationally with 11.7 tackles per outing. 

>> DJ Stirgus is fifth nationally and paces the MIAA with 1.7 average pass deflections per game. 

>> Missouri Western's roster features six from Oklahoma.