NORTHEASTERN STATE (0-2, 0-2 MIAA)
at #17/20 PITTSBURG STATE (2-0, 2-0 MIAA)
Saturday, September 17 -- 7 p.m.
Carnie Smith Stadium \ Pittsburg, Kan.
All-Time Series: Northeastern State trails 21-12-2

TAHLEQUAH -- Northeastern State heads across the Oklahoma border and will meet the Gorillas of Pittsburg State Saturday at 7 p.m.

The RiverHawks will be looking for win number one of the season after seeing third-quarter momentum halted in both games. At Emporia State, the RiverHawks trailed 28-17 heading into the final quarter and lost 42-17. This last Saturday, NSU was even 13-13 with Missouri Southern before the Lions scored 17 unanswered in the final 15 minutes. 

Saturday's game will be aired on the radio on Billy Country 96.3 - Tahlequah and GoRiverHawksGo.com. The video broadcast can be found on The MIAA Network through the NSU video portal.  

TOP STORYLINES

1 | Northeastern State will face its first ranked program in the 2022 season, with Pittsburg State leaping from unranked to 17th nationally in the most recent AFCA Poll.

2 | Meeting the Gorillas in September has been a norm for the RiverHawks.  Saturday will be the ninth consecutive season for NSU to face Pittsburg State during the month, with this upcoming contest being the tenth consecutive evening game. 

3 | Saturday is the second of three visits this season to The Sunflower State.  Northeastern State's last win in Kansas came in 1990 against Emporia State (34-22).

4 | Pittsburg State will have its annual 'Family Day' at Carnie Smith Stadium Saturday; Northeastern State has been the Gorillas' foe for their yearly event three times. 

5 | For the third consecutive week, the weather will be ideal for kickoff, with a 4-percent chance of showers and a temperature of 88 degrees.


NSU QUICK HITS
>> The RiverHawks' 2022 roster holds 64 student-athletes who are from Oklahoma. 

>> Instant replay is available in the MIAA during the 2022 season; the RiverHawks are 0-1 in reviewable plays.   A charged time out is given to a team if their challenge is unsuccessful. 

>> The offensive line returns with four letterwinners who are expected to start Saturday.  Quentin Thomas is the lone newcomer to the group; he is a transfer from Northeastern Oklahoma and played at McAlester HS for NSU alum Forest Mazey.

>> Dashawn Williams is the RiverHawks' leading returning receiver from the 2021 season and caught 42 passes for 381 yards.  The senior caught both of the RiverHawks' touchdowns in their season opener at Emporia State and had eight receptions.    He is one of six players in week one to have a pair of touchdowns. Williams is also on special teams handling kick and punk returns.  Malik Antwine had his first 100 receiving yard game in week two against  Missouri Southern, catching seven passes, and has the longest play of the season of 36 yards. 

>> On third-down conversions, the RiverHawks are fifth in the MIAA, holding a 45.2-percent success rate in moving the chains.  NSU is the lone team in the MIAA not to have a fourth down attempt.

>> Jacob Frazier started the first two weeks for the RiverHawks and fifth in the MIAA with a pass completion percentage of 61.1  and is sixth with 299 yards.  Ben Ward came in during the fourth quarter at Emporia State in week one, and it was his seventh career appearance. Grant Elerick started nine games at quarterback during the 2021 season as a redshirt-freshman.   He completed 100 of 173 passes for 1109 yards and had eight touchdowns; his first start resulted in NSU's first road win since 2015.  

>> Isaiah Davis is Northeastern State's leading returning rusher and had two 100-yard rushing games last season.  He was the first running back since 2012 (Joel Rockmore) to have at least two 100-yard days in the backfield in the same season.  Davis had 85 carries for 346 rushing yards and four touchdowns.  He also caught 11 passes for 129 yards and had a pair of touchdowns.  Darius Salters led the RiverHawks with 16 carries in his debut in week one at Emporia State; his longest rush was 16 yards. 

>> Northeastern State's defense will have a new look in 2022.  Mike Lucas took over the RiverHawks' defense in August and is a well-seasoned coach with 30-plus years of coaching at the NCAA Division I college level.  Lucas was the head football coach at Southeastern Louisiana and was most recently the defensive coordinator at Northwestern State.  Damani Carter, an NSU letterwinner, will be the defensive line coach, along with Jalen Alexander, who was at Texas A&M-Commerce and Kilgore College.

>> Northeastern State's defense is seventh in the MIAA, allowing 165 rushing yards per game, which improved from the 2021 season, where they allowed 232.9 per outing.   The defense is looking for its first interception of the season; they are one of three teams in the MIAA not to have one joining Pittsburg State and Fort Hays State.

>> Jordan Lamotte leads the NSU defense with 17 tackles (12 solo-5 assist), and Colton Collier has two tackles for a loss.  John Joseph paced the RiverHawks with nine tackles in week one and has broken up a pair of passes. 

>>  Tyler Crawford connected on a 50-yard field goal attempt in week two; it is the longest for an NSU kicker since 2013, the longest this season in the MIAA, and tied for fifth longest across NCAA Division II football this season.  In NSU history, it was tied for the seventh longest.  The Broken Arrow native handles both the NSU punting and kicking duties.  Crawford is 3-for-5 on field goal attempts and made 44-yard field goal at Emporia State.  He started two games at Nebraska in the 2020 season and at Broken Arrow High School.


THE SERIES WITH THE GORILLAS
>> The last time NSU faced Pitt State on Sept. 17 was a close 38-37 battle in 2016.
>> Pitt State has won the last 11 meetings.
>> At Pittsburg, Northeastern State is 6-12-1 overall.

ABOUT THE GORILLAS
>> Pittsburg State rallied from a 14-0 deficit and overtook the Lopers in the second half, 35-28.  Quarterback Chad Dodson Jr. connected with wide receiver Bryce Murphy on a 72-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds remaining in regulation for the win over the then No. 11 ranked Lopers.   Dodson was later named MIAA Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

>> Dodson is second in the MIAA with 338.5 pass yards per game and has thrown seven touchdowns.  He has completed 41-for-68 passing attempts without an interception.  Christian Carter, Bryce Murphy, and Devon Garrison all have nine receptions this season. 

>> The majority of Pitt's offense comes from the air, with the Gorillas averaging just under 100-yards per game on the ground.

>> At Carnie State Stadium, Pittsburg State is 360-137-12.

>> The Gorillas have 18 players from Oklahoma on their roster, including two former NSU players, Ty Nichols and Mark Wheeland.    Wheeland is a graduate transfer from NSU and was an All-MIAA selection from the 2021 season and a team captain.  Additionally, on their coaching staff, George Sanders was a graduate assistant at NSU in 2018.  Ukoh Essang was on NSU's roster for five seasons and was a team captain for the RiverHawks in 2019.

>> The Gorillas are 0-for-1 in field goal attempts this season.  Pitt State attempted a 30-yard field goal at Central Missouri that was blocked.

>> Offenses have scored on Pittsburg State's defense in the opening drive of both games this season and has trailed following the first quarter.