MARQUETTE, Mich. - In the final home game of the 2024 football season, Northern Michigan (0-9, 0-5) fell to the No. 2 Ferris State Bulldogs (8-1, 5-0), 55-9. 

For the Green and Gold, the day was highlighted by one of the final plays of the day, a 78-yard touchdown connection between seniors Jake Bilitz and Michael Love, the longest score in each of their careers. 

NMU's other scoring came via a safety, the first in six years for Northern. Vince Martin broke through the middle and got his hand on a punt that ricocheted through the back of the endzone for the two-point score late in the first half. 

The No. 2 nationally ranked Bulldogs led 7-0 after the first on a 56-yard fumble returned for a touchdown. Ferris found the endzone three times in the second for a 27-2 halftime advantage. 

The Bulldogs got scores of 66 yards, 44 yards, and 30 yards before the 78-yards strike from Bilitz to Love capped the day's scoring. The Wildcats got a defensive goal line stand to end the game, with Mitch Larkin breaking through for a 4th down tackle for loss. 

Northern converted 10 first downs on the afternoon and totaled 246 yards of offense to FSU's 507. Defensively, Jake Price recovered a fumble while Jax Hertel and Justin Peake each recorded six tackles. 


Up Next
The Wildcats will travel to Grand Rapids next Saturday, November 9 to take on Davenport at noon.