Broken Arrow, OK — Missouri Southern and Northeastern State both had no wins in the 2024 season going into Saturday’s game. However, it was the Lions who won and got their much-needed first win of the season.
Early on, things weren’t going well. Northeastern quickly took an 11-0 lead in the first quarter, while the Lions’ offense had trouble moving the ball.
In the first quarter, Missouri Southern didn’t get any first downs and had a hard time stopping the Riverhawks’ fast-paced, no-huddle attack.
North Eastern was ahead 20–3 at break and had all the momentum on their side. However, the Lions’ luck ran out in the second half.
Both teams were playing well. The defense made some big plays, like forcing a fumble and picking off a pass to seal the deal in the fourth quarter.
The Lions were down a lot, but they were still in it. Luke Sampson, the quarterback, had a great second half. He finished the day 16 of 24 passing for 153 yards and two scores.
The passing game helped their team score first, but the Riverhawks had to watch out for De’Shawn Larson and Victor Chionuma, who play fullback for Missouri Southern. Together, they ran for 183 yards (5.38 yards per carry), and Larson scored the first touchdown of Southern’s comeback.
WR Draper Parker and TE Alex Martini caught the other two touchdowns for the Lions in this game.
The score at halftime was 20–3. In the second half, Southern fully shut down the Riverhawks and came back to win 27–20.
Next week, the Lions play at home against Central Oklahoma. Football fans can look forward to that game on October 5 at 2:00 p.m.