TAHLEQUAH -- Northeastern State football battles in their first neutral site regular season game since 1995 when they make the short trip to Broken Arrow, Okla. to face Missouri Southern.

NORTHEASTERN STATE vs.
MISSOURI SOUTHERN
Saturday, Sep. 28 -- 3 p.m.
Tiger Memorial Stadium
All-Time Series: Northeastern State leads 14-13 -- Last meeting was Sep. 23, 2023 in Joplin (42-0 L)

TOP STORYLINES

1 | Northeastern State football returns to Green Country this week for a neutral site matchup against Missouri Southern at Tiger Memorial Stadium in Broken Arrow. It marks the first NSU regular season football game at a neutral location since 1995, when the team played Panhandle State on Sep. 23 in Owasso.

2 | At 14-13 across program history against Missouri Southern, Northeastern State seeks greater separation in the all-time series with a win against the Lions. MSSU claimed the last two meetings in the series, while NSU's most recent win came in Joplin in 2021 in a close 21-17 triumph.  

3 | Offensively, the RiverHawks aim for a rebound after being shut out against Fort Hays State last week. The team was limited to 257 yards of total offense, their lowest tally of the season. NSU was on the losing end of the turnover battle for the third time in as many games this fall, losing two fumbles in the early afternoon contest to the Tigers.

4 | The NSU rushing attack will search for room against an MSSU run defense that sits at the bottom of the MIAA with 793 rushing yards allowed (198.3 per game), 5.3 yards per carry and ten rushing touchdowns surrendered.

5 | The duo of Jordan Banks and Clavon Caine at linebacker proved to be strong again, as they combined for 17 tackles in last week's meeting at FHSU. Caine added a sack and two tackles for loss, while Banks recorded a pass breakup.

NSU QUICK HITS

>> Luke Milligan led the passing attack through much of the second half last week and finished the day 18-of-28 for 141 yards through the air. Big plays in the second half on Milligan throws included a 24-yard pass to Dean Odom and a 20-yard dart in the direction of Cameron Woods.

>> Deuce Roberson led the team in receiving again last week with six catches for 36 yards. Roberson's 14 receptions through three games are twice as many as the second-most on the team (Cameron Woods, seven).

>> Northeastern State found 101 yards on the ground last week, with 26 carries spread across eight different players. Dereun Dortch led the way with seven rushing attempts, while Marco Smith held the team high in yards (29). Amir McDowell made his NSU debut and recorded the team's longest rush of the day at 20 yards late in the contest.

>> Third downs were troublesome for the offense against FHSU, as the RiverHawks missed on their first nine tries at moving the chains and went on to convert 3-of-14 (21.4%) across the afternoon. On the season, the team has been successful on just 14-of-45 (31.1%) third downs, a rate that ranks in the bottom 50 across Division II football.

>> After allowing 184 rushing yards to Fort Hays State last week, including 118 to Shane Watts, NSU will face a rushing attack from MSSU that only averages 64.2 yards per game on the ground, a total that ranks in the bottom 15 nationally. 

>> Chris Lee recorded his first interception as a RiverHawk after picking off a Jack Dawson pass in the late stage of the first half against the Tigers. Lee went on to return the takeaway 24 yards on the first interception for an NSU defensive lineman since 2018 (Eli Harvey).

>> Natea Coleman earned the tackle crown last week after a 10-takedown performance against the Tigers and seven solo stops. The junior ranks third on the team with 17 tackles across the season, only behind Alexander Green (22) and Jordan Banks (18).

>> LaKedrick Holmes joined Clavon Caine in accounting for two TFL in last week's performance against FHSU. Also adding takedowns behind the line were Jarveon Williams and Chris Lee. Blake Corn was also impactful with a quarterback hurry.

>> The RiverHawks were recipients of eight penalties last week for 87 yards, including seven for 72 yards in the second half. The team has been flagged at least eight times in two of three games this season, with the average penalty yardage at 78 yards per game.

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 LIONS

>> After inheriting a program that went a combined 5-49 across the five seasons before his arrival, head coach Atiba Bradley has guided the team to 13 victories so far during his tenure, including a five-win season in 2023, their most since 2023.

>> Quarterback Luke Sampson is in his second season as the team's primary signal-caller.  After going a combined 46-of-82 (56.1%) for 594 yards and five touchdowns across games against Pittsburg State and Missouri Western, the redshirt junior was limited to 89 yards through the air and tossed two interceptions against Northwest Missouri last week in a 59-0 loss.

>> After losing Nathan Glades, the Lions have struggled as one of the MIAA's least-productive rushing attacks, averaging just 64.8 yards per game and 2.4 yards per carry so far on the ground with just one rushing score. 

>> The duo of Draper Parker and Deontay Campbell have combined for 38 catches and 495 yards. Parker logged a season-high 121 receiving yards and a touchdown against Pittsburg State in week one, while Campbell had two touchdowns on nine catches for 132 yards against Missouri Western two weeks ago.

>> The MSSU offensive line, led by two All-MIAA returners in Kenneth Fehrman and Joaquin Tapusoa, have only surrendered four sacks this season, the second-fewest in the MIAA so far.

>> Missouri Southern has allowed 793 rushing yards (198.3/g)and 5.3 yards per carry with 10 rushing touchdowns, all ranking as the highest marks in the MIAA. The team has given up 200+ yards on the ground in three of four games this season.

>> The Lions boast a top-three passing defense in the MIAA, allowing just 219.8 yards per game so far. Redshirt sophomore Peyton McKee is the top-tackling defensive back with 23 stops on the season, including a season-high 8 tackles last week.