Marquette, Mich. — The Northern Michigan Football team returns to the Superior Dome to take on Saginaw Valley State University for Band Day this Saturday.
After the game, the NMU Marching Band and other local marching bands will perform on the field.
Saturday's game will also serve as Youth Sports Day. Any student, eighth grade or younger, who comes to the game in their jersey or team apparel will receive free admission.
The contest can be followed using video, audio and live stats.
Follow @NMU_Wildcats on Twitter for continued updates.
GAME NOTES
Johnson throws another TD:
Freshman Ryan Johnson (DePere, Wisc./Ashwaubenon) continues to throw touchdown passes, as he has now thrown a TD in each start this season. On the team's first drive, he found sophomore Ryan Knight (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Eastern) for a 19-yard touchdown pass to give the Wildcats a 7-0 early lead.
Mayon continues to lead the GLIAC:
Junior Jake Mayon (Plainfield Ill./Plainfield East) is still leading the GLIAC with 151.5 yards rushing per game. He ran 219 yards in last Saturday's game and scored two touchdowns. He is currently ranked third in the nation in rushing per game. His 219 yards rushing Saturday was his third game with over 200 yards this season and fourth of his career. With two touchdowns, it was also his second multi-score game of the season.
Knight moving up in GLIAC:
Knight is currently fourth in the GLIAC in receiving yards with an average of 56.7 yards per game and 13.1 yards per catch. He is also sixth in receptions with 26.
Lewis back behind center:
Senior Jaranta Lewis (Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay) stepped behind center in the second quarter and finished the game with 100 yards passing and 26 yards rushing. Saturday's game was his third appearance at quarterback for the senior after playing wide receiver his first three seasons. On his third drive of the game, Lewis guided the team 73-yards to the Tiffin 5-yard line as part of the two-minute drill, but ran out of time before getting a halftime score.
Wildcats dominating tackles:
Senior Darryl Williams (Cooper City, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) is currently first in the GLIAC with an average of 10.2 tackles per game with teammates senior Pat Ryan (Linden, Mich.) and sophomore Austin Potter (Warren, Mich./De La Salle) also among the top five. Ryan holds the number two spot with 9.2 tackles per game and Potter is fifth with 8.5 tackles per game.
Kwiecinski Leads GLIAC Punters:
Punter John Kwiecinski (Plymouth, Mich./Orchard Lake St. Mary's) continues to lead the league in punting with an average punt of 42.2 yards per punt. His average is more than 1.5 yards more than the next closest GLIAC punter. He is found 12 overall nationally
Last Time Out:
For the fourth-straight game, NMU scored on their first possession, as Johnson found Knight for a 19-yard touchdown. The Wildcats also scored twice in the third quarter, tying the game at 21-21. However, NMU's offense slowed down in the fourth quarter, getting a field goal as Tiffin would score two more touchdowns to win 35-24.
Cardinals at a Glance:
Saginaw Valley State enters Saturday's contest off a 49-17 defeat to Ferris State on their Homecoming weekend. On the season, Saginaw Valley opened with two non-conference victories, defeating Adolphus Broadus and Walsh, but have struggled in GLIAC play, entering at just 1-4 in the league.
NMU versus Saginaw Valley:
Today's contest marks the 38th time the Wildcats have taken on the Cardinals. Overall Saginaw Valley holds an 18-19 lead, but NMU has won three of the last four matchups played in the Superior Dome, winning in 2015 by a score of 36-34. Last season at Saginaw Valley, the Cardinals won 41-13.
