NORTHEASTERN STATE (0-1, 0-1 MIAA)
vs. MISSOURI SOUTHERN (0-1, 0-1 MIAA)
Saturday, September 10 -- 6 p.m.
Gable Field at Doc  Wadley Stadium
All-Time Series: Northeastern State leads 14-11

TAHLEQUAH -- Northeastern State hosts Missouri Southern Saturday in the 2022 Home Opener on Gable Field at Doc  Wadley Stadium, and it is also Youth Sports and Spirit Night at the football game. 

All children ages 12 & under that wear their youth team uniform will receive free general admission to the game.

Pregame, children will line up at the southwest field gate to be introduced and run across the field immediately before kickoff.

TOP STORYLINES

1 | The last time NSU and Missouri Southern met, the RiverHawks snapped a 25 game skid with a 21-17 win in Joplin.  It was the first road win for the program since Nov. 14, 2015 (17-14 at Lindenwood).  Northeastern State is looking to break a home streak of 17 straight games, with the last win being 32-29 in double overtime against Southern on Nov. 28, 2017. 

2 | Saturday will be the 58th home opener for the RiverHawks on the current site of Gable Field and the lone evening game to be played at home this season. 

3 | Northeastern State is one of two Saturday games in the MIAA this week with Lincoln hosting Northwest Missouri as the other contest.  The rest of the MIAA slate is scheduled to be played on Thursday evening. 

4 | Northeastern State's last Saturday evening home win came on Sept. 24, 2011, when they handed Panhandle State a 52-7 loss.  The RiverHawks finished that season 7-5 as an independent and was invited to play in the Mineral Water Bowl.

5 | The head coaches for both Missouri Southern and Northeastern State coach for their alma mater, this is the second consecutive week an instance like this has happened.


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.   Overall, across the MIAA, coaches are 0-5 this season in their challenges.  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 in the Thursday opener.  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.  Williams' lone touchdown pass was a go-ahead score in the fourth quarter last season against Missouri Southern.  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 was the second top-target in week one with five catches for 32 yards. 

>> Jacob Frazier started week one for the RiverHawks and was 14-for-26 with a pair of touchdown passes.   Ben Ward came in during the fourth quarter, and it was his seventh career appearance. Grant Elerick climbed up through the NSU depth chart during the 2021 season as a second-year freshman and started nine games at quarterback during the 2021 season.   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.

>> John Joseph led the NSU defense with nine tackles in week one at Emporia State, newcomer Colton Collier had two tackles for a loss, and Blake Corn came up with a fumble recovery.  Shaakir Smith, a projected starter on the defensive line, made his first appearance in a game since 2019 had half a sack. The NSU defense forced six Emporia State punts and which is the most since last year's season opener against ESU. 

>>  Tyler Crawford connected on a 44 yard field goal attempt in week one, it is the longest for a NSU kicker since Sept. 1, 2016, and the fourth longest in week one of MIAA play.  The Broken Arrow native handles both the NSU punting and kicking duties.  He started two games at Nebraska in the 2020 season and at Broken Arrow High School.

THE SERIES WITH THE LIONS
>> Northeastern State is the first team to play Missouri Southern as a four-year school in 1968 (W, 45-0)
>> The RiverHawks are 8-4 all-time when facing the Lions in Tahlequah.
>> Northeastern State won the first seven meetings with Missouri Southern.

ABOUT THE LIONS
>> Missouri Southern trailed No. 14 Nebraska-Kearney 10-7 into the fourth quarter in Joplin, but the Lopers scored 14 unanswered points in the final ten minutes to suffer a 24-7 setback at home last Thursday. 

>> In the ten previous Saturday evening kickoffs, Missouri Southern is 2-8 overall.  The most recent was a 14-10 win at Central Oklahoma on week three last season. 

>> The Lions return six players that were named All-MIAA a season ago in Richard Jordan Jr., Solomona Fetao, Dylan Bolden, Nick Kruse, Colton Winder and Nick Williams. Williams won All-MIAA honors at two different positions (kicker and punter). 

>> The Lions lead Division II in blocked kicks allowed, blocked punts allowed, fumbles lost and red zone offense, while ranking second in passing yards allowed, fourth in passing efficiency defense and tenth in punting. Southern also ranks 21st nationally in red zone defense.

>> Southern's starting quarterback Dawson Herl was 19-for-28 with 181 yards and had one touchdown in last season's meeting with NSU.  He was sacked three times by NSU's defense. 

>> Missouri Southern has six on their roster from American Samoa and 11 from Oklahoma. 

>> Southern's Defensive Line coach, Casey Carlo spent two seasons as the Co-Defensive Coordinator at Northeastern State (2013-14).