TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State's potent first-half offense went poof after halftime, allowing Missouri Western to rally from a 17-point deficit to edge the RiverHawks 33-31 in the season opener on Thursday night on Gable Field at Doc Wadley Stadium.

In the NSU football program's first game under new coach Darrin Chiaverini, the RiverHawks showed they've made great strides – it was their highest-scoring game since September 2022 – but eventually were undone by five turnovers and a key unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that wiped out an interception return for a touchdown.

Missouri Western (1-0) won for the 14^th time in as many games against NSU (0-1). The RiverHawks are competing this season as one of the few independent football programs in the NCAA Division II ranks this season. Even so, NSU will face plenty of familiar foes, with eight games against foes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, of which NSU remains a member.

Quarterback Dereun Dortch – one of more than 70 new players on the NSU roster this season – completed 15 of 29 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns, both to Cameron Woods, and rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.

Dortch, the American Metro League offensive player of the year last season at Chaffey (Calif.), guided the RiverHawks to scores on five of their seven first-half possessions, but he also threw four interceptions, two of which gave the Griffons short fields that resulted in 10 points.

"You've got to learn how to respond to adversity," Chiaverini said. "We got hit with a bunch of adversity in the second half and I didn't feel like we responded the right way offensively. I thought the defense kept us in the game. But when you turn the ball over as much as we did in the second half, you can't win games like this. I'm very disappointed for our team and disappointed for our players, but we've got to go back to work and get better. "

Dortch hit Woods on scoring passes of 16 and 10 yards in the first quarter, which ended in a 14-14 deadlock – but only after an unusual penalty call went against the RiverHawks. NSU's Jordan Richburg intercepted a Kane Donovan pass at the Missouri Western 24 and returned it to the end zone for an apparent touchdown with 16 seconds left in the quarter, but was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, wiping out the score. NSU ended up with no points off the turnover after a missed field goal.

Richburg quickly recorded a second interception, this one giving NSU possession at the Missouri Western 20, and Kacie Riley's 8-yard run put the RiverHawks ahead. On the next series, Dortch scored on a 1-yard run to cap a 67-yard drive, making it 28-14.

With 1:39 left before halftime, NSU's Nigel Bethel Jr. recovered at fumble at the Missouri Western 46 and Troy Nguyen hit a 40-yard field goal on the final play of the half to extend the RiverHawks' advantage to 31-14.

Tyler Carey's 47-yard run five minutes into the third quarter pulled the Griffons within 31-21. Cody Watson hit a 29-yard field goal after an interception deep inside NSU territory, and after another turnover, Watson made another field goal – this one from 46 yards – to make it 31-27.

Brandon Hall put the Griffons ahead for the first time since the first quarter with a 67-yard touchdown run with 11:42 left, although NSU blocked the extra point. Watson missed a 31-yard field-goal attempt with 5:28 left, keeping hope alive for the RiverHawks, but they never threatened after that.

Hall finished with 185 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 15 carries.

Besides Dortch, Blake May – the RiverHawks' leading rusher last season – was NSU's second-leading rusher with 51 yards on 14 carries. Deuce Roberson was NSU's top receiver with three catches for 66 yards.

Alexander Green led the RiverHawks' defense with nine tackles, while Bethel and Marquez Chatman added six tackles each.

NSU will visit Central Missouri on Sept. 7. The RiverHawks won't play at home again until Oct. 12, although they will face Missouri Southern in Broken Arrow on Sept. 28.