TAHLEQUAH -- Northeastern State opens their five-game home schedule for the 2025 season by hosting Missouri S&T in Tahlequah Saturday night.

NORTHEASTERN STATE vs.
MISSOURI S&T
Saturday, Sep. 6 -- 6 p.m.
Gable Field at Doc Wadley Stadium
All-Time Series: Tied 2-2 -- Last meeting was Sep. 13, 1958 in Rolla (W, 20-3) 

TOP STORYLINES

1 | A week following their first season-opening victory since 2011, Northeastern State has the opportunity for their first 2-0 start since 2002 when they face Missouri S&T for the first time since 1958 in Tahlequah on Saturday. A victory would also mark the first time since 2000 that NSU has opened a season with back-to-back wins against NCAA competition.

2 | La'Vontae Shenault was explosive in his NSU debut last week against Saginaw Valley State. The product of DeSoto, Tex. caught 11 passes for 162 yards, the highest single-game receiving yardage total since Gary McKnight Jr.'s 170-yard performance against  Central Oklahoma on Nov. 11, 2017.

3 | Strong debuts were a key storyline of last week's victory. Donnie Smith recorded 313 yards through the air in his first start at quarterback for the RiverHawks, with Shenault as his top receiver. Defensively, Mississippi College transfer Khaden Walker led the way with eight tackles and contributed a key sack on SVSU's last drive of the game, while Northeastern Oklahoma A&M transfer Sim Kilpatrick recorded the game-clinching interception against SVSU quarterback Mason McKenzie. Garden City CC transfer Mo Foketi was powerful in the kicking game, recording punts of 60 and 71 yards in the win.

4 | The RiverHawks will aim to continue the explosiveness of the offensive unit after last week's victory. In the triumph over SVSU, NSU landed four plays of 21 yards or more, highlighted by a 40-yard completion from Donnie Smith to La'Vontae Shenault.

5 | Both teams in this week's matchup will seek greater success at establishing the run after struggling in week zero. Despite three short-yardage rushing scores, the RiverHawks were held to just 58 yards in the ground game on 37 carries (1.6 yards per carry) against Saginaw Valley, while Missouri S&T only recorded two first downs through the run and landed 60 yards on 24 carries (2.5 ypc) against Central Methodist.

NSU QUICK HITS

>> Darrin Chiaverini leads the offense for his second season in Tahlequah after guiding that side to the ball to noticeable growth in 2024. Offensively, the team gained 558 additional yards on the ground (as well as an improvement of 0.7 yards per attempt), adding 40.8 more rushing yards per game. The passing attack also excelled, averaging 97.36 more yards per game, increasing yards per attempt by 2.35, and amassing 1,071 additional passing yards and 13 more touchdowns.

>> The RiverHawks saw their most productive day of offense for a season-opening contest in over a decade. NSU gained their most total yards (402) since 2011, while the passing game emerged for 344 yards, the highest for a season opener since 2006. 

>> Helping Northeastern State to victory last week was success in staying on the field. The RiverHawks dominated time of possession, hogging the football for 39:36 of play, while they coverted on 11-of-18 third downs and scored points in all five red zone trips. 

>> In addition to Shenault, the RiverHawks saw a great debut performance from Mikey Henderson, who made five catches to tie for second on the team. Returners played a significant role, as well, with Cam Woods finishing second on the team in receiving yards (61), while Ramon McKinney Jr. matched Henderson's reception total at five.

>> McKinney dominated touches in the run game, taking 22 of 37 rushing attempts, in addition to 22 of 26 carries that went to running backs. Running room was sparse, though, as the Waxahachie, Tex. native had a long of six yards on the team. The team's longest rush came from Kacie Riley, who sprinted for a nine-yard gain in the fourth quarter. 

>> Troy Nguyen had an efficient showing in the opener, scoring NSU's first six points of the campaign with a pair of made field goals from 29 yards and 36 yards, respectively. The Bixby, Okla. product also knocked down a 32-yard try that was nullified by a roughing the kicker penalty against SVSU.

>> Junior Tanuvasa leads the defense in his second season as defensive coordinator at Northeastern State. In 2024, the RiverHawks displayed significant progress defensively, allowing 6.36 fewer points per game and 70 fewer points overall. Meanwhile, the pass defense allowed 741 fewer yards and 24 fewer first downs, while the rushing defense increased tackles for loss and forced opponents to lose an additional 85 yards on the ground.

>> The NSU defense stepped up down the stretch in the second half, shutting out the Cardinals for the last 24:43 of action in University Center, Mich. Across SVSU's four drives in that span, the RiverHawks forced two punts in the third quarter, while making a stand from the goal line with 9:35 to play before claiming the game-deciding interception from Sim Kilpatrick with 1:05 to go.

>> Youth was a feature of NSU's defensive personnel to begin the season. True freshmen were represented in the form of Jordan Tolbert (five tackles), Kale Charboneau (four tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss), and Michael Esparza (four tackles). Meanwhile, Ayden Guess saw his first appearance as a true sophomore go well, contributing 1.5 tackles for loss and a pivotal sack on SVSU's final drive in the fourth quarter.

>> The opener marked the returns of Jordan Banks and Chris Lee after the 2024 season saw both players miss time due to injury. Lee recorded a tackle for loss as a featured member of the defensive front, while Jordan Banks was a factor with four tackles and a quarterback hurry.

>> The RiverHawks made standing tall a habit on third down and in the red zone. The Cardinals saw just three-of-eight third down attempts result in a move of the sticks. The RiverHawks also held the Cardinals, who ranked inside the nation's top five last season in red zone scoring percentage, to just one score on three trips inside NSU's 20-yard line during last week's contest.

>> Mo Foketi's debut was a bright spot for special teams, as the newcomer had 131 yards on just two punts in Thursday's win. His 71-yard boot marked the longest for Northeastern since Tyler Crawford sent a kick 77 yards downfield against Northwest Missouri almost three years ago on Oct. 1, 2022.

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. DJ Shawn Solo will serve as the home color analyst for the 2025 season, while Captain William Morgan will handle all away games. Gameday coverage begins one hour prior to kickoff every week.

ABOUT THE MINERS

>> Missouri S&T opened their fourth campaign under Andy Ball last Saturday. Ball has been with the program since 2018 and was named as head coach after spending time as associate head coach, offensive coordinator, and offensive line coach.

>> Quarterback Jake Farrell made his debut in Rolla against Central Methodist, completing 20-of-37 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns. Farrell joined the program after five seasons at Hawai'i. He anchors an air attack that ranked fourth in the GLVC last season in scores (18) and fifth in yardage (2,362), but seventh in completion percentage (51.4%).

>> The Miners bring back multiple familiar faces in the rushing attack. Leading rusher AJ Harris (509 yards, six touchdowns) received five carries in last Saturday's win, while Kai Martin (All-GLVC in 2023, missed 2024 due to injury) paced the team with 26 yards on the ground. Evan Wells and Gage Hershberger received touches in 2024 and saw four carries apiece in the opener last weekend.

>> The Miners saw new options emerge in the passing game after losing their top five receivers from a season ago. Tyler Gioia moved over from quarterback and led the team in receiving in the opener with 124 yards on five catches. Hutchinson CC transfer Sheldon Butler-Lawson matched Gioia's reception total of five with 67 yards.

>> The Miners return All-GLVC First Team selection Bentley Hart on the defensive line and All-GLVC Second Team pick Justin Gniedziejko at defensive back. Jaylen Nivens (8.5 TFL in 2024) also returns and is another example of continuity on a defense that brings back six of its top eight tacklers from last season.

>> The defensive line was strong to begin the season last week, grabbing six sacks for a combined loss of 37 yards. Sophomore Christian Kemp led with two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. The Miners will look for this success to be a continuing trend after being limited to 18 sacks a season ago, tying for sixth in the nine-team GLVC field.