TAHLEQUAH -- Northeastern State football ushers in a new era Thursday night when they take the field for the first time under head coach Darrin Chiaverini, facing Missouri Western in Tahlequah.

NORTHEASTERN STATE vs.
MISSOURI WESTERN
Thursday, August 29 -- 6 p.m.
Gable Field at Doc Wadley Stadium
All-Time Series: Northeastern State trails 13-0 -- Last meeting was Oct. 28, 2023 in St. Joseph, Mo. (L 44-0)

TOP STORYLINES

1 | Thursday night kicks off the start of the Darrin Chiaverini era for Northeastern State football. Chiaverini was hired as the 21st man to lead NSU football in Dec. 2023 and brings 16 years of NCAA Division I and JUCO coaching experience to Tahlequah, most recently leading Chaffey College to an 11-0 record and an American Division Bowl Championship in his lone full season as head coach in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. in 2023.

2 | NSU begins life as one of the few independent football programs in the NCAA Division II ranks this season. After over a decade of play in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), the conference agreed to temporarily pause Northeastern's football membership from 2024-26. Eight MIAA opponents, including week zero foe Missouri Western, are on the 2024 schedule before the team moves to an almost MIAA-free slate in 2025. 

3 | Last week, it was announced that sophomore Dereun Dortch would lead the offense as NSU's starting quarterback. Dortch joined Chiaverini in Tahlequah as one of his first commits after playing a leading role in Chiaverini's Chaffey offense a season prior. In 2023, Dortch, then a true freshman, threw for 25 touchdowns and had 2,870 total yards en route to winning American Metro League Offensive Player of the Year.

4 | The RiverHawks will seek to claim their first win in program history over Missouri Western. One of NSU's closest defeats at the hands of the Griffons came less than two years ago when MWSU last visited Tahlequah on Oct. 15, 2022, escaping with a one-score win (23-16). 

5 | The lights will be on at Doc Wadley Stadium for Thursday's matchup. With a 6 p.m. kickoff, it is the first of four night games on NSU's 2024 schedule. The RiverHawks travel to Hays, Kan. for a 7 p.m. start against Fort Hays State on Sep. 21, while two of the team's three Tahlequah contests in October have 6 p.m. starts (Lincoln (Mo.) on Oct. 12 and Lincoln (Ca.) on Oct. 26).

NSU QUICK HITS

>> Northeastern State boasts one of the largest newcoming classes in college football, with over 70 players on the 2024 roster entering their first seasons with the program. 

>> NSU possesses players on the 2024 roster from over ten different states, including 32 players from Oklahoma, 31 from Texas and 19 from California. 

>> The Chiaverini era begins with the RiverHawks hungry for an end to a five-game overall losing streak. The team has also lost nine straight in Tahlequah, with their last win at Doc Wadley Stadium happening on Sep. 24, 2022 with a 38-10 victory against Lincoln (Mo.).

>> Chiaverini will lead the offense after previously guiding the offensive attack at the Division I level for five seasons at Colorado. Through the air, he coached two of the top quarterbacks in CU history in Sefo Liufau and Steven Montez, while he also coached five receivers that finished among the university's all-time top 20 in yards. Meanwhile, the ground attack was highlighted by Jarek Broussard and his Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year nod in 2020.

>> Every member of the offensive coaching staff spent a portion of their collegiate playing career at the FBS level. Darrin Chiaverini starred at Colorado from 1995-98, while his son, quarterbacks coach Curtis Chiaverini, played for the Buffs from 2017-19. Running backs coach Jarek Broussard spent time at CU (2018-21), while also featuring at Michigan State (2022). Offensive line coach Noah Sutherland played at UCLA from 2003-07, while assistant OL coach Rob Castaneda played at Texas Tech from 2014-15 before spending time at Utah State (2017-18).

>> Blake May returns after leading the team in rushing in 2023. In his first season with the team, May had 548 rushing yards and was the primary back for much of the campaign. May's best performance came in the President's Cup game against Central Oklahoma on Oct. 21, where he received 30 carries for 149 rushing yards and a touchdown.

>> The offensive line returns seven members from the previous season, with all five projected starters being members of the 2023 squad. The tackles represent the unit's most experienced members, as Cayson Badley and Beau Curry return after receiving starting reps in 2023 across a combined 16 appearances. 

>> Junior Tanuvasa leads the defense in his first season as defensive coordinator at Northeastern State. It marks the third school that Tanuvasa has served on a Darrin Chiaverini coaching staff for after spending 2023 in the same role at Chaffey College. Tanuvasa also spent time at Colorado from 2019-21 during Chiaverini's tenure on the offensive staff. 

>> The defensive coaching staff underneath coordinator Junior Tanuvasa consists of returning defensive line coach Damani Carter, cornerbacks coach Jonathan Davis and safties coach Jeremy Atwell, who also serves as special teams coordinator. Carter was retained after coaching defensive lineman Chris Lee to a standout 2023 season, while Davis joins the staff  after working at Texas Tech as a student assistant following his playing career with the Red Raiders.

>> Four regulars from the previous campaign on the defensive line return in Jarveon Williams, Chris Lee, Blake Corn and Marquez Chatman. Williams and Lee combined for 71 tackles and 11 TFL, while Corn and Chatman appeared in 21 combined games in 2023. 

>> Dalton Crumbly will aim to continue a strong run at NSU after finishing second on the team in tackles (78) in 2023.  He is joined in the linebacker corps by newcomers Jordan Banks and Clavon Caine. Banks previously played at Northwestern State, where he appeared in nine games in 2022. Caine played for Tanuvasa at Eastern New Mexico in 2022, making 38 tackles in six games.

>> The 2024 season features the return of Jordan Lamotte. Lamotte was an All-MIAA defensive back in 2022, receiving Second-Team honors before facing an injury-riddled 2023 season. Lamotte enters the campaign as a projected starter on Junior Tanuvasa's defense. 

>> Jeremy Atwell anchors the special teams unit after most recently serving as linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Northwestern State in 2023. Atwell's group returns long snapper Coltin Knape and All-MIAA punter Tyler Crawford, while the team added three kickers in the offseason. 

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 GRIFFONS

>>  The Griffons enter year two under former Southeastern Oklahoma State head coach Tyler Fenwick after an eight-win campaign in 2023. MWSU's efforts were highlighted by two ranked wins over #11 Emporia State and #2 Pittsburg State and a trip to the Farmers Bank & Trust Live United Bowl.

>> Gone from the Griffons offense is the team's leading rusher from a season ago in Seth Cromwell and their primary signal-caller in Armani Edden, though they retain top slot receiver Jonas Bennett, who paced all targets with 803 receiving yards in '23.

>> All-MIAA Honorable Mention James Lucio is the top returner on the offensive line, with the senior projected to start at center. The rest of the projected starters up front are all returners from last season, though they combined for just ten appearances from the previous campaign.

>> Brandon Johnson and Garrett Watson return on the defensive front after adding 4.5 tackles for loss apiece last season. Grant Finley is projected for a starting role alongside them up front after appearing in all 12 games a year ago.

>> The Griffons return All-MIAA Honorable Mention Kienen Gaskin at linebacker, who had 62 tackles and six tackles for loss last season. Joining him in the field of returners at linebacker is Jaden Brown, who had 39 tackles and 8.5 TFL over 12 games.

>> Top tackler TreVon Holmes returns in the secondary. The Wynne, Ark. product enters the year off of an All-MIAA Second Team selection as a sophomore in 2023. Holmes provided the Griffons with 80 tackles and two interceptions for the year.

>> 2023 All-MIAA First Team selection Cody Watson returns as the team's top kicker after making 14-of-20, with a long of 47, the season prior.