TAHLEQUAH -- Mark Wheeland caught his sixth touchdown pass of the season and had his second consecutive 100-yard receiving game, but he was the lone NSU player to find the endzone in a 41-10 loss to Central Missouri on Homecoming Saturday. 

Northeastern State (2-3, 2-3 MIAA) trailed 20-10 at halftime and had two drives in the second half turned over inside the endzone.  One on a goal-line stop on fourth down and the other an interception. 

Grant Elerick threw for 318 yards, with his longest play being a 57-yard pass to Dashawn Williams.  The redshirt-freshman completed 23-of-35 attempts and with one touchdown pass to Wheeland in the first quarter.  

The Mules (1-4, 1-4 MIAA) controlled the ball with 78 plays, 21 more than NSU, and held onto the fall for just over 34 minutes.  Central Missouri's offense had 569 yards, 405 of those in the air, with UCM quarterback Logan Twehous throwing five touchdown passes.

Northeastern State was 2-for-10 on third down and did not convert on either play on fourth down.   On the ground, the RiverHawks were limited to a season-low 34 yards. 

Central Missouri scored two touchdowns in the opening five minutes of the game before the RiverHawks countered on Elerick's pass to Wheeland at the 8:58 minute mark. NSU's defense stopped the Mules on the NSU 20 fourth down on the ensuing drive, but the offense would go three and out. 

At the end of the second quarter, the Mules found the endzone a third time scoring at the 13:45 mark to go up 20-7.  

Near the end of the second quarter, with the ball on the NSU ten-yard line, UCM would fumble on a fourth and five-yard play giving the RiverHawks the ball with 3:38 left in the half.   The RiverHawks marched down the field 82 yards would the have the drive stall on the UCM eight-yard line forcing NSU to kick a field goal to close out the half. 

With the ball to start the second half, NSU pushed the ball to the UCM 41 yard line before having the opening drive stall.  Being forced to punt, a low snap gave the Mules the ball at midfield, scoring on the short field.  

The Mules would put up 14 in the third and seven points in the fourth quarter. 

Marques Williams led the NSU defense with 13 tackles and broke up one pass. 

Northeastern State has a short five-day turnaround and will host Central Oklahoma (2-3, 2-3 MIAA) Thursday at 7 p.m. for the Annual President's Cup game.