Mesa State 40, NE Oklahoma 21

Saturday, November 18th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) _ Andy Coryell ran for 115 yards and a touchdown and threw for 173 yards and a pair of scores as Mesa State beat Northeastern State 40-21 in the opening round of the NCAA Division II football playoffs on Saturday.

Mesa State (10-2) ran up 432 yards against the Redmen's defense, which was ranked near the top of the Division II total defensive statistics by allowing opponents just over 200 yards per outing.

The Mavericks shut down NSU's ground attack, but Greg Bobbitt completed 17-of-36 passes for 264 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Mesa State also held NSU to two first downs in the first half and did not allow a point until the 4:48 mark in the third period. By then, the Mavericks led 27-0.

Northeastern State (9-2) scored on a 42-yard pass from Bobbitt to Verdell Jones at the 4:48 mark in the third quarter.

Mesa State's John Lancett answered with a 16-yard scoring run at the end of the third. But the Redmen scored right afterward on Bobbitt's 63-yard pass to Marcus Long, moving NSU to 34-14 with 14:40 left in the game.

Lancet scored another touchdown on an 18-yard burst up the middle and Adrien Daniels wrapped up scoring for NSU with a two-yard dive with 1:48 left.

The Mavericks led 6-0 after Phil Schabron's 2-yard touchdown in the game's opening series. Rodney Pierce caught back-to-back passes from Coryell in the second period to give Mesa State a 19-0 lead at halftime.

The Mavericks advance to the West Region championship game either against UC Davis or Chadron (Neb.) State next Saturday.