It didn't look good early for Northeastern State(0-2, 0-2 MIAA) as they faced the Missouri Southern State Lions(2-0, 2-0 MIAA) in their first road game in their new conference, but a second-half rally turned it into a nailbiter, MSSU outscrapped NSU for a 27-21 victory in Joplin Saturday night.
The home Lions took the opening kickoff and plowed upfield on a long ball-control drive, capping it off with a one yard touchdown from Kellen Cox with 6:25 left in the first quarter, Dallas Herndon added the extra point. It was a very fast-moving fifteen minutes; each side touched the ball once. MoSo led 7-0 when it ended, but Northeastern answered back with a three yard TD from sophomore quarterback Johnny Deaton, freshman Daniel Bond tied it with 14:20 left in the second. Three plays later Cox reeled off a three-yard score of his own, and Southern led 14-7, later upping that lead to 21-7 after a Ne'Ronte Threatt 16 yard run. Bond tried a 47 yard field goal that fell short, leading to the halftime break, where the Lions led 21-7, thanks to a dominating ground game.
NSU's offense showed promise early before being forced to punt, a miscue by a MSSU player made it a free ball, and the RiverHawks had possession inside enemy territory. They made use of it, too, working into a seven yard touchdown throw from Deaton to SO tailback Terrence Dixon, it was a one-score game. The two teams traded punches after that, little by little Northeastern got the advantage, especially when Herndon sliced a 30 yarder left of the uprights, with one quarter to go, the score was Lions 21, RiverHawks 14. On fourth down inside the red zone, MSSU's defense held, so did NSU, which set up another potentially-game-tying drive as the clock kept ticking. On 4th and 5 at midfield with 6:08 left, Deaton's pass was intercepted, leading to a MSSU drive at the 'Hawks 37. They made full use of it(and some lucky penalty flags) to score on a fifteen yard run, the extra point was missed, keeping it theoretically in reach. Northeastern needed fourteen points in about four minutes. They got six after Deaton found a wide-open Jermaine Sherman, the senior receiver raced 67 yards for a score with 2:13 left, and Bond made it a one-possession ballgame. A perfectly executed onside attempt just missed falling into the right hands, and one last free prowl ensured a first down and the game. Final score: Missouri Southern State 27, Northeastern State 21.
Deaton was 19-for-34 for 287 yards with 2 TDs and an INT; Dixon rushed seventeen times for 36 yards and a TD; Sherman had seven catches for 134 yards and a TD; for MSSU; Cox was 2-for-3 passing for 36 yards; he was also the leading rusher, gaining 96 yards and 2 TDs on eight carries, Landon Zerkel had one catch for sixteen yards. The RiverHawks were 7-of-13 on third downs and had seven penalties for 79 yards, compared to the Lions' 3-of-9 ratio and 9-69 penalty yardage.
In other MIAA action, Central Missouri's Mules upset #3 Northwest Missouri State after racing out to a big lead early, they hung on to pull out the 31-21 win. Emporia State won a track meet over Nebraska-Kearney, it was 58-35, Hornets over the Lopers. #1 Pittsburg State continued their domination, the Gorillas rolled past Central Oklahoma, #14 Missouri Western Griffons shut out William Jewell 56-0 in a non-conference game, and the Truman Bulldogs pounded Lincoln in a battle of schools named after presidents, 42-12 was the final there.
The RiverHawks travel to Topeka to face #15 Washburn on Sept 15 at 6 p.m, the Ichabods(2-0, 2-0 MIAA) crushed fellow Kansas school Ft Hays State 45-25 this week.
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