JOPLIN, Mo. -- Northeastern State held Missouri Southern scoreless in the second half and a touchdown pass on a trick play to Grant Elerick with 11 minutes to go gave the RiverHawks a 21-17 win in Joplin Saturday afternoon. 

The win snapped a 25 game skid for the RiverHawks (1-1, 1-1 MIAA) and was the first for head coach J.J. Eckert.  

Isaiah Davis ran the ball 21 times for 111 yards for NSU's first 100-yard rusher since 2013.  In his first start, Grant Elerick completed 17-of-27 passes and threw two touchdown passes to Mark Wheeland.  

Marques Williams paced the NSU defense with 11 tackles, followed by Trae Hampton III, who had ten.   Triumphant Olatunji and Jarveon Williams both recorded a sack.  

Olatunji closed the game with a two-yard takedown in the backfield to hand the RiverHawks their first win in the J.J. Eckert era. 

Following a scoreless first quarter, Northeastern State struck first on a 12 play, 79-yard drive with Grant Elerick connecting with Mark Wheeland for six to give the RiverHawks a 7-0 lead.  On the ensuing drive, the Lions kicked a 32-yard field goal on a nine-play drive.  Missouri Southern took advantage of a third-down interception by the RiverHawks at midfield and needed two plays to find the endzone to pull ahead 10-7. 

The Lions added one more score to go up 17-7 on NSU before Elerick drove down the field with under two minutes before the half to connect with Wheeland on a 20-yard pass with 14 seconds left to cut the midway deficit to 17-14. 

The final scoring drive of the game came in the first drive of the fourth quarter from NSU, who used ten plays to go 56 yards down the field.   With a third and goal, Williams, on a trick play, threw the ball to Elerick on the right side of the endzone in what would be the game-winning scoring drive. 

Missouri Southern slips to 0-2 (0-2 MIAA) with the loss.

Northeastern State returns home to host Pittsburg State on Saturday, September 18 at 6 p.m.