MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan football team hits the road this weekend to take on Roosevelt University in Chicago on Saturday, October 18, at 2 p.m.
The Wildcats enter this matchup against Roosevelt hungry for their first win of the season. NMU was deadlocked 7-7 with No. 8 Grand Valley State last time out at halftime, but a second-half surge carried Grand Valley over the Wildcats 35-7. Now on to the Lakers of Roosevelt, the matchup marks the second-ever meeting between the two programs, with Roosevelt narrowly defeating NMU 16-10 in overtime last season inside the Superior Dome.
Saturday's game can be watched on FLO College or listened to live on 100.3 The Point, with Casey Ford on the call.
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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.
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From the Coach
"The greatest thing about our team is the resilience factor, in the way that we just come every day ready to do more, ready to learn, while still having a great attitude. Our team is extremely resilient with how we've been able to handle week after week, not getting the result that we want."
Last Time Out
Northern went toe-to-toe with No.8 Grand Valley State University in a packed Superior Dome last weekend, entering halftime tied 7-7 before ultimately falling short 35-7. The Wildcats' defense turned in a standout first half, forcing three punts from Grand Valley's air-raid offense, while also picking up two sacks and an interception from
Murphy Monreal.
Running back
Noah Dobert found the endzone for Northern's lone score, capping an impressive drive which saw a 44-yard screen pass to running back
Jahi Wood, flipping the field for the 'Cats. The linebacker duo of
Jax Hertel and
Mitch Larkin continued to patrol the field, combining for 25 total tackles and four tackles for loss.
Despite the physical effort, a series of turnovers swung momentum in favor of Grand Valley, as the Lakers capitalized on mistakes and scored three straight touchdowns to pull away. The Wildcats finished with 242 yards of offense to Grand Valley's 329 yards, showing grit and great physicality against one of the GLIAC's top offenses.
What to Expect
Offensively, NMU will continue to lean on its run game, which is ranked third in the conference with 213.5 yards per game. Dobert, Wood, and the offensive line will be key in sustaining this ground attack, while quarterback
Trevor Theuerkauf looks to exploit Roosevelt's defense, which allows 269.2 passing yards per game.
Defensively, NMU emphasizes physicality and discipline up-front, with Larkin and Hertel anchoring the defensive unit that ranks fifth in the conference, 75th nationally, while allowing 117 rushing yards per game. Larkin and Hertel are both within the top-10 in the conference in tackles, with Hertel leading the GLIAC in tackles for loss. The secondary is led by
Tim Shannon Jr., who is leading the conference with seven pass breakups, placing Shannon Jr. just outside the top-10 nationally in that category.
About the Lakers
Offensively, Roosevelt ranks fifth in the GLIAC, averaging 336.6 yards but only 17.6 points per game. The Lakers are led by quarterback Zach Zella, who has completed 61% of his passes this season with eight touchdowns to seven interceptions, while averaging 227 yards per game passing. Roosevelt has two receivers averaging 45 plus yards per game, Norion Espadron (60.2) and Jack Young Jr. (46.6). In the run game, Cam Davis leads the Lakers with 65.4 yards per game with three total touchdowns.
Defensively, Roosevelt ranks last in the conference, allowing opponents to score 44 points per game, with 526.6 yards allowed. Roosevelt also ranks last in the GLIAC in rushing yards allowed (257.4). Defensive back Kamal Mukarram leads the team with 44 total tackles, with three pass breakups and a forced fumble.
