TAHLEQUAH -- Northeastern State clashes with their second ranked opponent of the season when they travel to Kansas this weekend to take on #18/20 Emporia State.

NORTHEASTERN STATE at
#18/20 EMPORIA STATE
Saturday, Oct. 5 -- 2 p.m.
Francis G. Welch Stadium
All-Time Series: Northeastern State trails 12-7-1 -- Last meeting was Sep. 16, 2023 in Tahlequah (38-0 L)

TOP STORYLINES

1 | Northeastern State faces their second ranked test of the season against Emporia State, who ranks #18 in the latest AFCA Top 25 poll and #20 in the most recent D2Football.com poll. The RiverHawks search for their 8th win in their 22nd meeting all-time against the Hornets. Their last win in the series was in Emporia on Oct. 27, 1990, when current ESU head coach Garin Higgins played quarterback at Emporia State. 

2 | The RiverHawks will aim to place their second half struggles behind them this week, as the team has been shut out in three of four games in the second half this season and have been outscored by a 63-point margin (77-14) thus far. Last week, Missouri Southern scored 24 unanswered points across the third and fourth quarters to leave Broken Arrow with their first win of the season.

3 | NSU will match up against an Emporia State offense that ranks ninth in scoring (22 points per game) across the MIAA, most recently being held to nine last week against Northwest Missouri. The Hornets have particularly struggled on the ground, with just one rushing touchdown in five games, while sitting in eighth across the MIAA in average yardage (97 per game).

4 | The defense enters the week off of their best performance of the season a week ago, holding Missouri Southern to 295 yards, the first time the RiverHawks have held an opponent to under 300 yards of total offense this season. The team recorded five tackles for loss, one off of their season high, while forcing a pair of fumbles, breaking up six passes and forcing their first safety since 2022.

5 | True freshmen have highlighted the Northeastern State rushing attack as of late. Sapulpa native Marco Smith leads the team in yardage (133) on 5.1 yards per carry after four games, while Texas product Amir McDowell led the team in carries (11) and yards (61) in last week's contest against Missouri Southern.

NSU QUICK HITS

>> Luke Milligan received his first start in the college ranks last week against Missouri Southern in place of the injured Dereun Dortch. After starting 7-of-8, Milligan struggled down the stretch, only completing eight of his last 25 passes and finishing the day with 118 passing yards.

>> Deuce Roberson has either tied or led the team in receptions in every game this season, as the sophomore holds 20 catches on the season for 183 yards. He enters as the top target again this week and is in search of his first touchdown since Week 1 against Central Missouri.

>> Blake May was a factor in the backfield again last week, receiving nine carries and rushing for the team's only offensive score less than five minutes into the contest with a four-yard sprint. It marked the first house call of the season for the senior and his third with the program.

>> The RiverHawks will face an Emporia State defense that allows the lowest rate of success on third downs in the MIAA this season (18-of-79, 22.8%). Third down conversions continued to be a weakness of the offense last week, as the team was only successful on 6-of-17 (35.3%), while sitting at 20-of-62 (32.3%) on the season.

>> In the three contests that have seen the NSU offense shut out in the second half, the defense has only allowed nine points on average in the opening half, while surrendering 21 on average in the closing half.

>> Clavon Caine continued to anchor the defense last week. Caine set a season high in tackles (ten) and got his first sack as a RiverHawk in the contest against Missouri Southern.

>> In his first significant playing time this fall, junior safety Hagen Foreman led all NSU players in tackles last week (11). Foreman is in his first season with the program after receiving 20 starts and making 69 tackles with three interceptions across two seasons at Long Beach CC.

>> Penalties continued to be bothersome to the RiverHawks last weekend, as the team was flagged ten times with damages totaling 101 penalty yards. Both marked season highs, as the team has been penalized at least eight times in three of four games this season.

ON THE AIR

>> Catch live radio coverage of every Northeastern State football game this season on the radio home for NSU football, Lakes Country 102.1 FM. Hear the "Voice of the RiverHawks" Orry Phillips on the call every week with a rotating lineup of color analysts across the season, with gameday coverage beginning one hour prior to kickoff every week.

ABOUT THE HORNETS

>> Garin Higgins opened his 17th season leading ESU football by winning the first four games on the schedule for the second straight campaign. Last week's 14-9 loss to Northwest Missouri dropped the team from 11th to 18th in the AFCA Top 25 poll.

>> Oklahoma State transfer Gunnar Gundy has led the passing attack early in the season but exited last week's game early due to injury. In his place was redshirt senior and Tulsa native Chase Ricke, who went 19-of-39 for 111 yards, while gaining 50 yards on the ground. Ricke played in last season's meeting with Northeastern State, going 14-of-20 for 76 yards through the air and throwing for a touchdown.

>> Billy Ross Jr. is the team's top back as a three-time All-MIAA recipient, though the running game has struggled through almost half a season. The Hornets have rushed for 97 yards per game so far, eighth in the MIAA, while being limited to one rushing touchdown through five contests. Ross has yet to rush for more than 68 yards in a single game this season.

>> Tyler Kahmann is an early favorite to claim All-MIAA honors, as he leads the conference with 40 receptions and is tied for the league crown in receiving touchdowns with seven. 

>> Despite surrendering the second-most rushing yards per game in the MIAA (154.2), the ESU defense has been stout against the pass, ranking fourth in yards allowed (228/g) and second in efficiency (89.0). 

>> Gage Sieperda is the team's top tackler through five games (36), while Caleb Mondi ranks second (30) and leads the Hornets in both tackles for loss (8.5) and sacks (three). 

>> The defense leads the league in interceptions (14) and have picked off at least three passes in four of five games this season. Five different players have logged multiple interceptions so far this season and the team picked off four Chris Ruhnke passes last week against Northwest Missouri.