JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Northeastern State took advantage of big plays on offense and defense to beat the Lincoln football team, 52-3, on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 11).

Northeastern State (3-3) scored three touchdowns and kicked a field goal in the first half, but Lincoln (2-4) shut down the RiverHawk offense in the second quarter, as NSU could not get on the board during that period. The Blue Tigers, meanwhile, got on the board with seven seconds remaining until halftime, as Luka Sari kicked a 30-yard field goal to make it a 24-3 entering the break.

In the third quarter, however, the RiverHawks scored twice in the span of 14 seconds, as NSU reached the end zone on a 48-yard run before recording a pick-six on the ensuing possession. The Blue Tigers were held to 178 yards of offense, 134 of which came on the ground.

Jaylen Thomas completed seven passes and Will King IV completed three, with Jadarrius Thomas leading LU with 21 receiving yards. Kantrell Jordan finished with 43 rushing yards, Jadarrius Thomas added 37 and Jaylen Thomas finished with 36.

Leroy Tellis finished with 11 tackles to lead the Blue Tiger defense. Nate Harden and Jacob McGhee each finished with five tackles and one tackle for loss while Jordan Hoskins recorded seven tackles. J'Addison Brown intercepted a pass while Devayne Johnson notched a hurry while combining with Hoskins on a tackle for loss. Andrew Sourinhaphong also had a tackle for loss.

Next Saturday (Oct. 18), Lincoln will travel to Indianapolis, Ind. to play Indianapolis. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. EDT/1:00 p.m. CDT.