Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Junior quarterback Dimonic McKinzy threw three touchdown passes and Northeastern State rushed for a season-high 171 yards to hold off Nebraska-Kearney, 31-21, Saturday afternoon in Tahlequah, Okla.

The win helps NSU (2-6) stop a five-game losing streak and take a 4-3 all-time series lead over UNK. The RiverHawks also beat the Lopers (1-7) for a second straight season.

UNK found itself down 24-0 with 9:18 left in the third quarter but got itself off the mat with a 13-play, 75-yard scoring drive. A pass interference call on third and goal helped the Lopers get another crack at seven points. Two plays after the flag, Elkhorn redshirt freshman quarterback Steve Worthing ran two yards for his first collegiate score.

The Loper defense, which registered a season-high six sacks, followed with a quick stop and the offense got moving again. Rolling to his left, Worthing tossed a 56-yard pass to junior receiver Malcolm Moore (Excelsior, Minn). On the big gainer, Moore got past the NSU defense and was ruled out of bounds at the six-yard line.

In the "Wild Loper" formation, sophomore running back Luke Quinn (Scottsdale, Ariz.) went up the gut on third and goal for a one-yard score.

Northeastern responded by moving the ball all the way to the Loper 18-yard line. However, a bad snap forced McKinzy to jump on the ball at the UNK 45-yard line. On second and 37, he was picked off by senior corner Antwan Hadley (Lake Wales, Fla.). That marks Hadley's fifth career interception.

Three plays later, rolling to his right, Worthing hooked up with sophomore receiver Blake Holtmeier (Kearney Catholic H.S.) for a 49-yard gain. NSU was called for a late hit on Worthing and redshirt freshman Justin Roberts (Arvada, Colo.) came in to finish the drive.

Soon after, Quinn ran for another one-yard TD, his team-leading fifth rushing score of the season, to make it 24-21.

However, NSU grabbed the momentum back as McKinzy completed passes of 14, 16 and 21 yards. He then tossed an 18-yard scoring strike to senior receiver Matthew Butler with 8:19 left.  

UNK had a chance to make it a one score game as junior Brendan Wentling (Grand Island H.s.) lined up for a 57-yard field goal. But, the potential school-record kick banged off the right upright with 5:07 left. Two plays earlier, the Lopers converted on third down but the gain was wiped off due to a chop block.

The 'Hawks worked the next two minutes off the clock with UNK eventually failing to convert on 4th & 7 from its own 45-yard line.

Running 16 more plays to have a nine minute time advantage, NSU out gained UNK by a 464-357 margin. The Lopers tallied 300 of its yards in the second half.

Worthing was 18 of 33 for 269 yards, no TD's and one INT. He was sacked twice and completed passes to four different teammates. 

Moore (132 yards) and Holtmeier (121) combined for 14 catches and both went over the Century mark. It's the first time two Lopers have had 100-yard receiving days in the same game since Cougar Williams and current senior Preston Foley (Houston) did it a year ago at Central Oklahoma.

For a second straight week Quinn got hot in the second half and tallied a game-high 94 yards on 21 carries.

For NSU on offense, McKinzy avoided a few more Loper sacks to rush 14 times for a net gain of 22 yards. Those six sacks resulted in 23 lost yards. The Minnesota transfer completed 15 of 31 passes for 293 yards, three scores and one pick.

 

With top receiver Gary McKnight not available, junior Zac King (five recep., 93 yds., one TD) and freshman Rashawn Eubanks (three recep., 58 yds., one TD) picked up the slack. Finally, the 'Hawks ground game was led by junior Ra'Keim Abdul (28 carries, 93 yards, one TD) and freshman C.J. Shavers (10 carries, 56 yards).

UNK's defense amassed five other TFL's besides those six sacks. Senior linebacker Tyke Kozeal (Sargent) and junior linemen Spencer Cook (Houston) tied for the team-lead in that area with 2.5 apiece.

Kozeal tallied a game-high 19 tackles (13 solo), pushing his career total to 560. That includes 48.5 TFL's, second most in UNK history behind tackle David Cunningham (52.0).

Also for the Lopers, Cook had eight tackles (seven solo) and a forced fumble with Omaha redshirt freshman linebacker Zach Sullivan having six solo stops. On special teams, Foley had a season-long 42 yard kick return. He also had eight touches on offense.

UNK hosts Lindenwood (1-7) next Saturday