MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan football team is set to host its first conference game of the season against the No. 1 Ferris State Bulldogs. The game is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 3 at the Superior Dome. 

Saturday's game against the Bulldogs can be watched on Flo Sports or listened to on 100.3 The Point, with Casey Ford on the call.


Follow The Action
Follow @NMU_Football on Instagram and X for updates leading up to and during the game.


A Word from Coach Janus
"It's one play at a time, and I think the big thing that we've been harping on, going back throughout our bye week, is what this team's going to present. We saw a little bit as we get into GLIAC play with Davenport, and now we're going to see it with Ferris, the same physicality, not just in the box, but on the perimeter as well. Our block destruction on defense, our angles on offense, and trying to harp a little bit of that to get more into the physicality part of what this game will bring and to try to match that."



Last Time Out
NMU took on the undefeated Davenport Panthers on Homecoming weekend, falling 42-7.

The Panthers jumped ahead 14-0 in the first quarter, but NMU responded with a trick-play passing TD to offensive lineman Daniel Babcock. Davenport responded and led 21-7 at halftime. They'd go on to outscore the Wildcats 21-0 in the second half for the 42-7 win on the road.

Noah Dobert led the Wildcat offense with 16 carries for 74 yards. Cephus Harris put on a display for the Panthers, totaling 21 touches for 196 yards and three touchdowns.

The Panthers outgained the Wildcats 374-210. Davenport's defense sacked the Wildcats seven times, more than their season total coming into the game. Murphy Monreal recorded an interception for the Green and Gold, while Tyler Carnell and Damarcus Chappell each had a sack.


2026 Season Overview
Linebacker Jax Hertel and running back Noah Dobert were both named to the D2Football.com Elite 100 watchlist for this season. Both were also First-Team All-GLIAC last season, while Dobert rewrote the record books for NMU on the ground and was named a D2CCA Second Team All-American.

Dobert, a sophomore from Dearborn, Michigan, has 407 rushing yards through four games and ranks second in the conference with 101.8 rushing yards/game. 

He put together one of the best rushing seasons in program history in 2025, finishing with 1,656 yards and 15 touchdowns. Both totals established new NMU single-season records, while his 150.5 rushing yards per game ranked third nationally. He also averaged 6.3 yards per carry and finished among the national leaders in total rushing yards. Dobert's record-setting season included a 406-yard, four-touchdown performance against Wayne State, setting a new NMU single-game rushing record. He was named D2Football.com National Offensive Player of the Week following the performance and also earned GLIAC Offensive Back of the Year and D2CCA All-Super Region 3 First Team honors.

Hertel, a senior from Walworth, Wisconsin, ranks tied for fourth in the GLIAC with 17 solo tackles and 11th with 23 total tackles. He returns after leading the Wildcats with 101 tackles in 2025, a total that ranked third in the GLIAC. His 14.5 tackles for loss led the conference, while he also recorded three quarterback hits, six pass breakups, a forced fumble, and a pick-six. Hertel started all 11 games and earned D2CCA All-Super Region 3 First Team honors after anchoring the Northern Michigan defense throughout the season.

NMU also returned multiple second-teamers and honorable mentions, including fifth-year offensive lineman Daniel Babcock (Second-Team All-GLIAC), fifth-year defensive lineman Jake Price (Honorable Mention All-GLIAC), and sophomore defensive back Murphy Monreal (Honorable Mention All-GLIAC).


A Look at Ferris State
At the pinnacle of Division II football, the Ferris State Bulldogs have won four of the past five national championships. They have been picked to finish first in the GLIAC Preseason Poll with seven first-place votes. They finished six points ahead of Grand Valley in the initial poll. Ferris State has remained the No. 1 team in the nation throughout the season and has multiple wins over some of the strongest programs in Division II.

Ferris State opened the season on the road against Pittsburgh State. Despite it being a top-five matchup, Ferris reminded the country why they were ranked the preseason No. 1 and dominated 42-14. Ferris' 385 net rushing yards helped propel them to a victory.

Against Bentley and Eastern Washington, the story remained the same, as the dominant rushing attack led Ferris to wins of 38-3 and 28-14, respectively. They capped their early-season dominance with a 73-6 win against Kentucky Christian, with the only KCU score coming in late. They recorded 420 yards through the air, showcasing the versatility of the Bulldog attack and highlighting their deep roster.

The Bulldogs are led by Wyatt Bowser at quarterback, who has passed for 727 yards and five touchdowns. The balanced rushing attack has already accumulated over 1,000 yards, with dual-threat Bowser accounting for 265 of them. In the air, Jaylin Townsend leads the way with 234 receiving yards. The team is also dominant defensively, as multiple players have accumulated at least three tackles for loss. Perhaps their biggest strength is their depth and gadget ability, as they often draw up complex trick plays and utilize their deep bench.


The Series
Since 2008, NMU is 2-15 against Ferris State, including a 14-game losing streak. Most recently, NMU was defeated 70-35 in Big Rapids. In that contest, Dobert's 119 yards on the ground and an interception by Luc Daimani led the way. Northern will look to record its first win since 2010.