Will Bergner catches a fourth-quarter touchdown pass for the RiverHawks on Saturday against Pitt State.
TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State played toe-to-toe with No. 3/3 Pittsburg State (Kan.) for nearly a half on Saturday afternoon, but the Gorillas eventually showed how they've earned such a high ranking in NCAA Division II football.
Pitt State took advantage of two critical NSU mistakes to build a two-touchdown halftime lead before pulling away after the intermission for a 42-7 win over the RiverHawks on Gable Field at Doc Wadley Stadium, spoiling NSU's annual homecoming celebration.
The Gorillas' ball-hawking defense, which came in with seven interceptions through four games, added three more. One of those was by safety Jordan Rogers, who has intercepted a pass in every game this season for Pitt State (5-0, 5-0 MIAA). Rogers returned that pickoff 38 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown.
Pitt State limited NSU (0-5, 0-5) to 155 yards of offense. NSU avoided the shutout when
Grant Elerick hit
Will Bergner on a 6-yard touchdown pass with :05 left in the game.
Jordan Guidry led NSU in rushing with seven carries for 58 yards, while
Blake May had 11 carries for 30 yards.
Defensive back
Jephaniah Lister led the NSU defense with a career-high 12 tackles, while linebackers
Makarios Brown and
Dalton Crumbly had seven each.
NSU battled the Gorillas through a scoreless first quarter. But early in the second quarter, a shanked 11-yard punt gave Pitt State possession at the NSU 13. Pitt State quickly scored on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Chad Dodson Jr. to Steele Roring 90 seconds into the quarter.
Later in the second quarter, the RiverHawks put together a 12-play, 59-yard drive and were inside the Pitt State 25 with a chance to tie the game when Michael Lacey intercepted a pass by
Sawyer Jones at the Gorillas' 16. Pitt State then marched 84 yards and scored 17 seconds before halftime on a 2-yard run by Antwan Squire, making it 14-0.
Noah Hernandez's 8-yard touchdown run with 7:11 left in the third quarter extended Pitt State's lead and the Gorillas tacked on three fourth-quarter scores – a 30-yard pass from Dodson to Kuron Parchman, Rogers' interception return and a 2-yard Adam Albertini run. The Gorillas have scored at least 27 points in the second half during every contest this season.
Dodson completed 18 of 21 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns for Pitt State.
The RiverHawks will play former MIAA rival Lincoln (Mo.) in a nonconference game next Saturday at 2 p.m. in Jefferson City, Mo. NSU beat Lincoln 38-10 last season in Tahlequah.
