TAHLEQUAH (Oct. 12, 2024) – Northeastern State scored touchdowns on its first five possessions and recorded its first win in coach
Darrin Chiaverini's tenure with the football program, routing Lincoln (Mo.) 55-7 on Saturday night on Gable Field at Doc Wadley Stadium.
NSU (1-5) snapped a 10-game losing streak, dating back to Oct. 7, 2023, when the RiverHawks won 28-13 at Lincoln. The RiverHawks surpassed the 50-point mark for the first time since a 52-7 win over Oklahoma Panhandle State on Sept. 24, 2011, and posted their highest point total since beating East Central 56-39 on Sept. 29, 2001.
NSU rolled up 493 yards of offense – its most since recording 528 yards against Lincoln on Sept. 25, 2021 – even though the RiverHawks took their collective foot off the gas in the fourth quarter.
The offensive standouts for NSU were legion. Quarterback
Dereun Dortch completed all nine of his passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns and rushed seven times for 28 yards and another score. No NSU quarterback had thrown three touchdown passes in a game since Sept. 24, 2022, when Jacob Frazier had three against Lincoln.
NSU rushed for 228 yards as a team, led by
Blake May (10 carries for 86 yards),
Kacie Riley (15 carries for 56 yards) and
Ramon McKinney Jr. (six carries for 47 yards and two touchdowns, along with one catch for 39 yards).
Cameron Woods had 115 yards and two touchdowns receiving on three catches, the most yards by an NSU receiver since Malik Antwine had 119 against Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 12, 2022. It was Woods' second two-touchdown game of the season.
Deuce Roberson had four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown for the RiverHawks.
NSU seized control early against Lincoln (1-5).
Jay Caldwell's 43-yard kickoff return to the NSU 46 to start the game set up the RiverHawks for a five-play scoring drive, capped by a 7-yard touchdown run by McKinney.
The Blue Tigers answered with a touchdown on a 23-yard run by quarterback Isaiah Tate and led 7-6 with 8:28 left in the first quarter before NSU surged to a multi-score lead.
Dortch connected with Woods on a 53-yard screen pass that went for a touchdown, putting the RiverHawks back ahead at 13-7. After a Lincoln punt, McKinney scored his second touchdown on a 12-yard run with 1:35 left in the quarter.
Lincoln again punted and NSU posted its fourth straight touchdown drive, with Riley scoring on a 9-yard run. The RiverHawks made it 34-7 with 5:57 left in the second quarter on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Dortch to Woods. Dortch completed all seven of his first-half passes for 144 yards as the RiverHawks had 342 yards of offense.
Senior
LaKedrick Holmes intercepted a pass by Tate on the Blue Tigers' next series and returned it for a touchdown, giving NSU the 41-7 lead that it took into halftime. It was Holmes' first interception of the season and the sixth of his NSU career, in addition to the five he had as a freshman at Arkansas Baptist.
The RiverHawks tacked on two more scores in the third quarter, on a 41-yard pass from Dortch to Roberson and a 5-yard run by Dortch.
NSU's defense limited the Blue Tigers to 243 yards.
Alonso Person led the RiverHawks defensively with nine tackles, including two for losses, while
Ayden Guess added six stops, also with two tackles for loss.
Tyler Crawford averaged 50 yards on three punts.
NSU will host President's Cup archrival and No. 13-ranked Central Oklahoma next Saturday at 1 p.m. UCO has won the last nine games in the series.
