Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney football team looks to bounce back when it hosts the Northeastern State RiverHawks this Saturday at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field.

Action (pregame, game and post game) can be heard live on The River (93.1 FM) with the live video stream (for a price) provided by the MIAA Network. Live stats are also available for a tilt that kicks off at 2 p.m. Cunningham's is the Official Game Sponsor this Saturday; both Cunningham's Journal on the Bricks and Cunningham's on the Lake are the Official Post Game Stops for Loper football. 

This is "Homecoming Week" at UNK. Royalty and Athletic Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized during the game, and the Sapphires Dance Team and Pride of the Plains Marching Band will perform. Pregame activities begin at noon outside Cope Stadium, with "Loper Fan Fest" featuring free hot dogs, live music and tailgating, and the UNK Alumni Association hosting its "Brews and Brats Tailgate" in Loperville. 

Finally, the homecoming parade begins 10 a.m. at the Museum of Nebraska Art. The route progresses south on Central Avenue, west on Railroad Street, north on Third Avenue, west on 21st Street, south on Eighth Avenue and west on 20th Street before ending at Ninth Avenue near Pioneer Park.

UNK (2-2) hasn't won a Homecoming game since a 55-14 decision over Western Colorado during the 2011 season, the Lopers last go-around in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). This also marks the first October Homecoming date since October 2, 2010. 
 

GAME NOTES/DEPTH CHARTS

Nebraska-Kearney

Northeastern State

This will be just the 10th all-time meeting with NSU (Tahlequah, Okla.). UNK has taken the last two meetings to grab a 5-4 series lead. The most memorable game came in 1980 when the schools met in an NAIA playoff game. NSU came out on top 14-0 that day in Oklahoma before falling to Elon (N.C.) in the national title game.

Last year in Oklahoma UNK rolled up 538 yards and rushed for six touchdowns to win 49-7. The Lopers scored 14 points in three different quarters, led 21-7 at the break and had seven different players run for at least 30 yards.
 
Current sophomore "SAM" Montrez Jackson (Trenton, Fla.) ran for two scores, current senior back David Goodwin (Lauderhill, Fla.) had a rushing TD as well as an odd fumble recovery for six points with three Loper QB's combining to go 10 of 13 for 107 yards. Defensively Kearney managed five sacks to hold the 'Hawks to 60 rushing yards.
 
UNK enters today ranked 13th in Division II in rushing yards with 262 every week. The Lopers run 75% of the time when it has the ball with a balanced attack seeing five players having between 29-49 carries. Redshirt freshman quarterback TJ Davis (Colorado Springs) has had back-to-back busy weeks to now lead the squad in both rushing attempts (49) and overall rushing yards (260).
 
The Lopers defense continues to be a "Blue Wall" when it comes to the run. Only one opponent (Emporia State, 2018) has managed to reach the 200 yard mark over the past 15 weeks. UNK is now third in the MIAA in rush defense (124 ypg) with teams managing just 3.6 yards per carry. Finally the longest gallop by an opposing player is only 26 yards.
 
NSU, led by first-year head coach J.J. Eckert, is trying to rebuild after going 0-11 in 2018 and 1-10 a year earlier. Looking for its first win since October 2017, the 'Hawks have dropped its first four games this fall by a combined tally of 247-37.
 
Offensively the 'Hawks are at 12 points and 257 yards per game. They convert 24% of its third downs and have the ball for an average of 30:04 per contest, about a minute more than its competition.
 
Senior back Kevin Jackson (#5) and junior QB Quez Allen (#4) have combined for 310 rushing yards and one TD with Allen being one of four 'Hawks to throw a pass. The group averages 127 yards per game with three TD's and five INT's. Senior Jake Pruitt (#12) has seen the most work at QB besides Allen but redshirt freshman Jacob Madrano (#10) is the listed starter this week. Finally, senior Kobe Bryer (#6) has been NSU's favorite pass catcher with 14 for 118 yards. 
 
A unit with several underclassmen doting the two-deep is allowing 59 points and 564 yards per game. NSU is allowing teams to convert 52% on third down and 96% in the red zone.
 
Having allowed 15 rushing and 15 passing TD's, the 'Hawks have forced four fumbles and picked off three passes. Senior "Hawk" Courtland Clark (#11) has two INT's and two fumble recoveries with sophomore corner Ty Nichols (#6) at a team-best 10 pass breakups. The pair also are second and third, respectively, in tackles having combined for 51. Finally senior linebacker Lane Yoder leads the RiverHawks with 31 tackles (15 solo). 
 
The special teams find sophomore kicker Brady Ellsworth (#29) having made 2 of 3 field goals and 5 of 6 PAT's. His made threes came from 33 and 36 yards out. Amazingly UNK's opponents have made 22 consecutive field goal dating back to a 40-yard miss by Missouri Southern in September 2017.
 
Next, junior Tim Davis (#16) is averaging 35.0 yards per punt with one blocked, five landing inside the 20-yard line and three efforts over 50 yards. He has been busy, having already punted 32 times. Finally, Ellsworth averages 45 yards on kickoffs with Bryer being the team's top kick returner (17.3 avg.). 
 
The Lopers head to Lincoln University in Jefferson City next Saturday. The Blue Tigers (0-4) visit nationally-ranked Pittsburg State this weekend.