MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan Football team is on the road for the first time this season, heading to the Bluegrass State for a first-ever matchup with the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers on Thursday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Steele Stadium. 

The Wildcats will look to bounce back after a 35-7 defeat to No. 17 Minnesota Duluth last Thursday in the Dome to open the 2024 campaign. This will be the season opener for the Panthers, who posted a 4-7 record in 2023.


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

Thursday, September 5 - at Kentucky Wesleyan at 7 p.m. ET
Watch  |  Live Stats  |  Listen (Casey Ford)


A Word from Shane Richardson
"A great emphasis this week has been to be much more intense and get off the ball faster and quicker. A lot of the young guys had to experience that first game to get the jitters out, get the fast action out, and understand what they need to do to do it better."



Last Week
The 'Cats opened up the 2024 campaign last Thursday night in the Superior Dome against the No. 17 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, falling 35-7. 

The lone Green and Gold score came on a 15-yard fourth quarter connection between Aidan Hoard and Michael Love. After leading the GLIAC in tackles a season ago, Mitch Larkin picked up right where he left off, leading either side with 11. Tim Shannon followed with nine while Jhermari Mabry had a nice day in the trenches with 1.5 tackles for loss. 

Duluth outgained Northern 562-112, with freshman Jahi Wood the top gainer for the 'Cats, picking up 22 net yards on the ground. NMU continued to play clean football as they did a year ago, only getting flagged for one penalty on the night. Owen Halverson also impressed in punt duty, averaging 42.6 yards/punt including a long of 60 and another beautifully placed kick inside the five. 


Wildcats to Watch
Junior linebacker Mitch Larkin will guide the defense after leading the conference last season in total tackles with 118. That marked a near 100 tackle increase from his freshman campaign where he recorded 22. He finished tied for third in Division II in total tackles (118) and fifth in tackles/game (10.7). Also in the linebacker room, sophomore Jax Hertel will look to take a leap in his second year after recording 65 tackles and a pair of interceptions as a true freshman. Both Larkin and Hertel earned All-GLIAC Honorable Mention last season. 

After being forced into action as a true freshman following an injury to starter Mariano Valenti, quarterback Aidan Hoard appeared in eight games, throwing for 1,059 yards and five TD's. The 6'4" Frankenmuth native completed 101 of 196 (51.5%) of his passing attempts. Wideouts Michael Love and Sam Peiffer will look to play roles as top targets through the air, as they combined for 680 receiving yards and 5 TD's last season. Freshman Kaleb Isom and Jahi Wood will also look to make an impact at skill positions.

In the secondary, Ricky Lancaster, Tim Shannon Jr., and Jeremiah Gossett will each play a big role after seeing significant time last season. 


Cat Nips

• Northern's 11-game schedule includes bouts in three different states in the first three games (Michigan, Kentucky, Wisconsin). The final eight games will all take place in the Great Lakes State. 
• The Green and Gold will field one of the youngest teams in the nation, with 42 of 96 (43.8%) of the roster consisting of first-year players. Underclassmen will make up 68 of the 96 (70.8%) roster spots.
• The Wildcats were the least penalized team in the GLIAC in 2023, totaling 54 over 11 games for an average of 4.9/game. 
• Michael Love's 90-yard kickoff return for a TD against SVSU last season was just one of four from GLIAC teams in 2023, joining Ferris State and Grand Valley State (2). 

Notes on Kentucky Wesleyan
The Panthers went 4-7 last season with a 3-6 mark in league play, averaging 22 points/game. They have been picked to finish 8th of 10 teams in the GMAC Preseason Poll.
 
After being ranked 21st in the country last season averaging 252.3 passing yards/game, Kentucky Wesleyan will have a new quarterback under center in 2024, but upperclassmen wideouts Kam Sherrard and Khia Sherrard, along with Gordon Anaple are experienced targets for the new QB. Kam Sherrard hauled in 28 catches in 2023 with five scores. 
 
Returning defensively for the Panthers is Jaden Santos-Lopez, John Purdy, Gerald Palmer, and Najai Watson. During the 2023 season, Watson made 44 total tackles, including two for a loss, while recording four interceptions. As a freshman, Purdy played in eight games, making 46 total tackles, 1.5 for a loss. Palmer accounted for 56 total tackles last season, 30 of the solo variety. 
 

Shane Richardson and Company
Head coach Shane Richardson, along with Associate head coach Billy Lindquist and assistant's Mike DuFrane, Michael Kaiser, DeAndre Riddick, and Ezekiel Combs all enter their second season on the Wildcat staff. New to the sidelines will be Joe Gatz guiding the offensive line and Kadalls Siner working with tight ends. 


2024 GLIAC Football Preseason Poll
1. Ferris State - 46 (4)
2. Grand Valley State - 44 (3)
3. Davenport - 38 (1)
4. Saginaw Valley State - 30
5. Michigan Tech - 26
6. Wayne State - 20
7. Northern Michigan - 13
8. Roosevelt - 7