MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan University Football team will travel to the Lower Peninsula for the first time this season, as the Wildcats are set for a battle at two-time defending national champion Ferris State University on Saturday, September 30. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.  

Follow The Action
Follow @NMU_Football and @NMU_Wildcats on X (formerly known as Twitter) for updates leading up to and during the game. 

Saturday, September 30 - at Ferris State at 3 p.m. ET
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A Word from Coach Richardson
"We have to keep the big picture in mind and keep winning little battles at a time. I give our guys credit as they've stayed committed to the process. A lot of out goals are still on the table, we want to keep improving every week and show competitive excellence every week."

Coach Richardson Interview



Last Weekend
The Wildcats traveled to Quincy, Illinois to take on the Hawks last weekend, and came up short, losing 45-27. The Wildcats were trailing the Hawks 14-10 at halftime but were outscored 31-17 in the second.  

Quarterback Mariano Valenti ended the game 34/49 for 368 yards and 2 TDs, adding another score on the ground. It was the first time since October 21, 2017, that a Northern quarterback threw for over 350 yards (Ryan Johnson, 363 vs. Saginaw Valley State).

NMU totaled 441 yards of offense, with 368 of those coming from Mariano Valenti through the air. Sam Peiffer led the receiver group with nine receptions for 94 yards and a score.


Cat Nips

• Mariano Valenti is  third in the GLIAC in passing yards/game (221.7)
• Tyqaun Cox is currently fifth in the GLIAC in rushing yards per game (66.8)
• Sam Piffer is tied for third in the GLIAC in receiving touchdowns (2) 
• Mitch Larkin record 9 tackles in the loss vs. Quincy, ranking him now tied for first in the GLIAC in total tackles (40)
• Freshman linebacker Jax Hertel is tied for second in the GLIAC in interceptions (2)
• The Wildcats are the least penalized team in the GLIAC, averaging 4.3/game on 129 total yards. Those are both top-10 marks in the country

Notes on Ferris State
The two-time defending national champions are ranked No.1 in the country, entering conference play 2-1 overall.

Last week, Ferris State lost a close game at Division I Montana, 17-10. The Bulldogs produced 285 yards of total offense. Milik Mitchell (QB) threw for 103 yards. Xavier Wade caught the lone touchdown of the night for the Bulldogs. 

Last season, the Wildcats were one of six teams to score at least 20 points against FSU. NMU scored 24 points on the Bulldogs in 2021, the third-best output.