UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. (Aug. 28, 2025) – The long ride home from Northeastern State football's first trip to Michigan will be a pleasant one. 

Ramon McKinney Jr. scored on a 3-yard run with 3:22 left to cap a 15-play, 99-yard drive and Sim Kilpatrick intercepted a pass in the end zone with 1:08 left to seal a 28-21 win for the RiverHawks over Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) on Thursday at Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium. 

In his NSU debut, receiver La'Vontae Shenault caught 11 passes for 162 yards, along with a 2-point conversion pass in the fourth quarter to tie the game, while quarterback Donnie Smith completed 26 of 41 passes for 306 yards. 

The road win was the first for NSU in coach Darrin Chiaverini's two seasons with the program. The win also snapped a lot of streaks for the RiverHawks – it was their first road win since Oct. 7, 2023, over Lincoln (Mo.) and their first season-opening win since beating Bacone 43-0 in 2011. The last road win in a season opener came in 2010, when NSU won 31-23 at Tarleton State (Texas). 

"So proud of our team, proud of our coaches," an emotional Chiaverini said. "Man, what a win, what a win. To be down to a very good Saginaw team, for us to fight back in the third and fourth quarter. I'm so proud of these guys."

The trip to Michigan was the program's longest since 1980. NSU is in its second season as an independent NCAA Division II football program and Saginaw Valley State -- which was coming off a 7-4 season -- was the first of what will be seven first-time opponents for the RiverHawks.

Saginaw Valley State, a member of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, took a 21-13 lead into the fourth quarter. But with 14:07 left, Smith scored on a 1-yard run, then delivered the tying conversion pass to Shenault. 

Shenault had the most receiving yards in a game by an NSU player since Nov. 11, 2017, when Gary McKnight Jr. had 170 yards against Central Oklahoma. He also was the first NSU player to record at least 10 catches in a game since Malik Antwine against Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 12, 2022. 

After Smith's rushing touchdown, Saginaw Valley State drove to the NSU 1. The Cardinals went for it on fourth down, but Marquez Chatman stuffed quarterback Mason McKenzie and NSU took over on downs with 9:27 left, setting up the RiverHawks' winning drive.

Kilpatrick's clinching interception came in the left corner of the end zone after the football had been bobbled by a Saginaw Valley State receiver. 

NSU scored on its first three possessions. Field goals of 29 and 36 yards by Troy Nguyen staked the RiverHawks to an early lead, but Saginaw Valley State went up 7-6 on a 14-yard touchdown pass from McKenzie to Terrence Brown Jr. McKenzie, last season's GLIAC freshman of the year, finished 14 of 21 passing for 243 yards and two touchdowns. 

NSU chose to wipe a made 32-yard field goal by Nguyen off the scoreboard after a roughing-the-kicker penalty on the Cardinals resulted in a first down. The decision proved fortuitous, as Ramon McKinney eventually scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:20 left in the first half, capping a 17-play, 75-yard drive that lasted nearly nine minutes. 

Saginaw Valley State answered with a quick touchdown drive, with McKenzie hitting Braden Hill on a 24-yard touchdown pass with 59 seconds left before halftime, giving the Cardinals a 14-13 lead. 

McKenzie, who added 12 carries for 101 yards rushing, scored on a 21-yard touchdown run with 9:47 left in the third quarter, pushing Saginaw Valley State's lead to 21-13. But those proved to be the Cardinals' final points. 

Khaden Walker led the NSU defense with eight tackles, a sack and a pass breakup while Jordan Richburg had six tackles. 

In its home opener, NSU will host Missouri S&T on Gable Field at Doc Wadley Stadium in Tahlequah on Sept. 6. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.