MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan University football team took down Northwood University 34-26 in a Senior Day Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) showdown.

The win gave the 'Cats their best record since the 2015 season.

THROUGH THE AIR

The Wildcats faced a 14-0 deficit going into the second quarter thanks to two opening quarter scores from the Timberwolves.

An almost five-minute drive that started in the first and concluded in the second, put NMU on the board.

The NMU 25-yard line is where the drive started thanks to a Tyquan Cox fair catch.

A Cox rush started the drive and went for 14 yards. The next play saw a face mask penalty against NU move the Wildcats up even further to the NU 46.

Cox ran for two separate runs of four yards to set up third and two at the NU 38. 

An 11-yard pass from Zach Keen, in his first start for the 'Cats, kept the positive momentum going.

A few plays later the Wildcats got in the end zone on an eight-yard pass from Keen to Charlie Gerhard.

The next touchdown of the game also went for NMU and it came through the air.

Northwood hit a deep punt that started the Wildcats out on their own four, but that did not hamper the 'Cats.

NMU marched all 96 yards down the field and Keen found Yale Van Dyne with a touchdown pass. The game was tied 14-all after the TD.

FROM DEEP

NU went ahead 17-14 with a field goal but NMU answered back with a field goal of its own. 

Kicker Daniel Riser nailed a season-high 49-yard field goal for the 'Cats. The FG was just one yard short of his career-high.

ON THE GROUND

Yet another Timberwolves field goal pushed the visitors up again 20-17.

NMU's next two touchdowns were of the rushing variety. With Cox and DJ Stewart earning the scores in the fourth quarter.

The first touchdown saw big plays as Stewart had a rush of 20 yards and Keen had a pass to Gerhard for 19 yards followed by a pass to Van Dyne for 17 yards.

Stewart's touchdown rush was a five-yarder.

Big plays were prevalent in the next scoring drive for the Wildcats as well.

Stewart had a 56-yard rush, an 18-yard rush, and a 13-yard rush on the drive.

Cox was the NMU Wildcat who took the ball in for seven to go up 31-20.

FROM DEEP AGAIN

With the 'Cats up 31-23, Riser put the exclamation point on the win with another deep field goal.

The kick went 47-yards in its journey between the uprights.

NU scored one more field goal in the 34-26 win for the Wildcats.

STAT LEADERS

Zach Keen passed for 248 yards in his first start at QB. He threw two touchdowns and went 14-of-29.

On the ground, DJ Stewart went for a career-high 131 yards and a rushing touchdown. He had an average of 8.2 yards per carry on 16 attempts. 

Charlie Gerhard had a day for himself as the leading NMU receiver. He had a career-high 119 yards through the air and a career-long 39-yard reception. He was targeted six times and scored a touchdown for the 'Cats.

On defense, Tavion McCarthy led the Wildcats with a season-high 12 tackles. He had 1.5 tackles that went for a loss of five yards. McCarthy also tallied three pass breakups.

Will Borchert was next for NMU with 10 tackles. He also forced and recovered a fumble.

Two Wildcats had sacks in Edward Pierson and John McMullen. McMullen also had a team-high five quarterback hurries while Pierson had four.