TAHLEQUAH (Oct. 14, 2023) – No. 17-ranked Central Missouri scored touchdowns on its first eight possessions and cruised after that to a 63-24 win over Northeastern State on Saturday afternoon at Gable Field at Doc Wadley Stadium.
Central Missouri quarterback Zach Zebrowski entered leading NCAA Division II football in passing yards (2,321), passing touchdowns (25) and total offense (414.8 yards per game). Against NSU, the Southern Illinois transfer finished 26 of 33 passing for 323 yards and five touchdowns and rushed three times for 31 yards and another score before exiting the game with 4:39 left in the second quarter.
For NSU (1-6, 0-6 MIAA), quarterback
Ben Ward completed 10 of 25 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown on a 68-yard throw to
Tagg Campbell – the longest offensive play of the season for the RiverHawks. Ward also scored NSU's first touchdown, catching a 3-yard pass from
Devin Blayney on a reverse option play.
Against the Mules, NSU recorded four of its seven longest offensive plays of the season and finished with 293 yards of offense.
Central Missouri (6-1, 6-1) ran 92 plays and finished with 638 yards of offense. The Mules had touchdown drives of 75, 77, 61, 65 and 68 yards in the first 16 minutes of the game. Marcellous Hawkins scored three of those touchdowns, on runs of 5 and 35 yards and on a 5-yard pass from Zebrowski.
In the first half, Zebrowski also threw scoring passes of 16 yards to Demarcus Gregory, 46 yards to Jack Pospisil, 22 yards to Price Morgan and 2 yards to Bo Reeves. Zebrowski also ran 22 yards for a touchdown on a fourth-and-7 play.
NSU didn't record a first down until about six minutes into the second quarter, when
Will Bergner caught a 35-yard pass from Ward on the fifth-longest play this season for the RiverHawks. The same duo connected on an 18-yard pass later in that drive. On third-and-goal from the 3,
Loran Kirk took a direct snap and pitched to Blayney, who threw to an open Ward in the end zone.
After Reeves' 2-yard touchdown catch, NSU answered with the 68-yard touchdown pass from Ward to Campbell, pulling the RiverHawks within 56-14 at halftime.
NSU's final touchdown came on a 5-yard run with 12:22 left by
Jordan Guidry, who had 48 yards rushing on seven carries. That drive was highlighted by a 31-yard pass from backup quarterback
Grant Elerick to
Da'Shawn Jackson and a 32-yard run to the Central Missouri 11 by Guidry, the seventh- and sixth-longest NSU plays, respectively, this season.
Campbell (two caches for 65 yards), Bergner (two catches for 53 yards) and Jackson (three catches for 50 yards) led the NSU receiving corps.
Tyler Crawford averaged 41 yards on 10 punts for the RiverHawks and booted a 32-yard field goal with 3:27 left to close the scoring.
Makarios Brown recorded 15 tackles (including 10 solo), matching the most in a game this season by any NSU player – he also had 15 against Emporia State (Kan.). Fellow linebacker
Dalton Crumbly added 10 tackles for the RiverHawks.
Central Missouri's 63 points were its most since scoring 77 in a win over Lincoln (Mo.) on Oct. 30, 2021. The Mules also recorded their highest-scoring quarter (28, first) and half (56) of the season.
NSU will host in-state rival Central Oklahoma next Saturday at 6 p.m. in the annual President's Cup game.
