TAHLEQUAH -- Northeastern State returns home to kick off a three-game homestand throughout the rest of October by beginning game one of a home-and-home series with Lincoln (Mo.) on Saturday night on the grounds of Gable Field at Doc Wadley Stadium.   

NORTHEASTERN STATE vs.
LINCOLN (Mo.)
Saturday, Oct. 12 -- 6 p.m.
Gable Field at Doc Wadley Stadium
All-Time Series: Northeastern State leads 4-2 -- Last meeting was Oct. 7, 2023 in Jefferson City, Mo. (28-13 W)

TOP STORYLINES

1 | After over a month away, Northeastern State football is back in Tahlequah to begin a three-game homestand. The RiverHawks get their first taste of action from outside the MIAA this week, as the team battles Lincoln, a new member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). NSU has won four of six in the all-time series and the last three, most recently claiming the previous meeting in Jefferson City, Mo. with a 28-13 win.

2 | The RiverHawks match up against a Blue Tigers team that has struggled this year offensively, completing just 36 passes across five games (7.2/g) alongside an offensive line that has surrendered 14 sacks this season. The LU defense has allowed over 350 yards per game, with opposing quarterbacks averaging 213 passing yards per contest and 7.9 yards per attempt. 

3 | NSU will aim to continue their edge at quarterback against Lincoln. In their current three-game winning streak against the Blue Tigers, Northeastern State signal-callers have combined to go 47-of-74 (63.5%) for 581 yards and seven touchdowns. Meanwhile, the NSU defense has held Lincoln QBs in that span to 52-of-102 (51%) for 426 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions (three last season).

4 | The NSU defense seeks a rebound after allowing 578 yards of total offense to Emporia State. Jordan Richburg led the team with a season-high 13 tackles in the loss, while Alonso Person added ten after starting in place of injured linebacker Jordan Banks.

5 | While this is the first season of Moses Harper's head coaching career, it is not the first time that the RiverHawks have faced a team with Harper on the staff. The team has met him twice before in losing efforts when Harper was on the staffs at Nebraska Kearney in 2023 and at Missouri Western in 2022. 

NSU QUICK HITS

>> Nearly halfway through the season, NSU's offensive averages have vastly progressed from the previous fall. Average yards per game through the air have gone up (155 to 108.8), in addition to on the ground (117.2 to 90.7), while the team's 11 offensive touchdowns through five games are just four shy of NSU's total across 2023.

>> Dereun Dortch returned to the lineup after missing the previous game against Missouri Southern. Splitting time at quarterback with Luke Milligan, Dortch threw his first touchdown pass of October on a 14-yard pass to Deuce Roberson in the second half last week at Emporia State. He would go on to throw for 70 yards and was the team's leading rusher with 31 yards on the ground across a team-high nine carries.

>> Deuce Roberson logged his third straight six-catch game last week at Emporia State, adding a season-high 74 receiving yards and his first score since 9/7. Roberson leads the team on the season with 26 catches for 257 yards, with his receptions less than halfway through the season ranking higher than any individual NSU receiver from the previous campaign.

>> Blake May will help lead the rushing attack this week against a team he had success against a year ago. Last October, May ran for 78 yards on the ground against Lincoln in the 28-17 win and scored his first touchdown with the program in the contest.

>> Third and fourth downs have been troublesome for both teams this season, as the RiverHawk defense clashes with an opposing LU offense that has only succeeded on converting just over 23% of third downs (15-of-65) and just 10% of fourth downs (1-of-10). Meanwhile, the NSU offense sits at just 33.8% (26-of-77) and faces an LU defense that allows success on just 17-of-57 (29.8%) third downs so far.

>> Nearly halfway through the fall, NSU's defensive averages largely represent improvements from the previous year. Opposing rushing yards per game have gone down (185.1 to 168.6) as have total yards per contest (460.4 per game to 454.2). 

>> Jarveon Williams added two tackles for loss last weekend in Emporia to add to a stellar season. Williams leads the team in TFLs (4.5), while he's contributed 1.5 sacks on the year, as well. His 21 tackles and 12 solo stops lead all NSU defensive linemen.

>> Punter Tyler Crawford logged a season-best 50 yard punt against Emporia State last weekend. On the season, the All-MIAA leg has sent 26 kicks deep for 1,054 yards for an average of 40.5 yards per punt, while he's landed seven boots inside the opposing 20-yard line. Also handling kickoffs, Crawford is on pace to set a career high with an average of 60.6 yards per kick.

>> The return defense of the Blue Tigers could be one that the RiverHawks could aim to exploit this week, as LU has surrendered 15.7 yards per punt return this fall, ranking inside the bottom 20 nationally. 

ON THE AIR

>> Radio coverage of this weekend's contest is presented by the official radio partner of NSU football, Lakes Country 102.1 FM. Hear the "Voice of the RiverHawks" Orry Phillips on the call for the matchup alongside color analyst Dalton Spence. Radio coverage begins with Countdown to Kickoff, presented by Tahlequah Family Vision Clinic, at 5 p.m., while the MIAA Network video broadcast will begin streaming during the hour before kickoff.

ABOUT THE BLUE TIGERS

>> Moses Harper is in his first season as head football coach at Lincoln after spending the last two seasons on MIAA coaching staffs at Nebraska Kearney (2023) and Missouri Western (2022).

>> The Blue Tigers picked up a 40-14 win last week over Lincoln (Ca.), the program's first football win since the 2019 season. In the contest, the Blue Tigers forced the Oaklanders to toss three interceptions, while limiting them to just 194 yards of offense.

>> In his first season in Jefferson City, quarterback Isaiah Tate has had struggles, throwing for a single touchdown against four interceptions (all in the last three games). Tate transferred to Lincoln from North Alabama, where he spent the 2023 season.

>>Jareese Howard (218 rushing yards) leads the Lincoln backfield, as the freshman has received at least nine carries in three of five games this season and averages seven yards per carry.

>> The Blue Tigers rank in the bottom ten across NCAA Division II football on third down, as the team is successful at moving the chains on just 15-of-65 (23.1%) third downs this season. 

>> The LU run defense has been stellar of late, keeping opposing rushing attacks to just 3.3 yards per carry in their last three games. Last week, Lincoln (Ca.) was held to just 64 yards on the ground across 26 rushing attempts (2.5 ypc).

>> The duo of Vez Carter and Jacob McGhee have shined for the Lincoln defensive front, as the pair of interior linemen have each accumulated 5.5 tackles for loss this season. Carter ranks third on the team in total tackles (22) and has added five quarterback hurries.

>> Rakeim Ashford leads the team with three interceptions through five games. Ashford previously played at NC State, where he appeared in 30 games across four seasons.