CALEDONIA, Mich. – The Northern Michigan football team fell 30-0 to No. 11 Davenport on Saturday afternoon, falling to 0-6 overall and 0-2 in the GLIAC.
The Panthers controlled the first half before the Wildcats showed improvement after the break. Freshman QB
Matt Stevens saw his first collegiate action and led NMU to the doorstep of the end zone on the final drive, but NMU was stopped twice from the 1-yard line on the final two plays to remain scoreless for a 10th consecutive quarter.
Davenport opened the game with a 75-yard scoring drive, taking a 7-0 lead on a 32-yard touchdown pass to Brody Thompson. The Panthers continued to control the game throughout the first, outgaining NMU 182-20.
The Panthers extended their lead to 10-0 with a 29-yard field goal early in the second before putting together a 13-play drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown run by Cephus Harris. Harris, the nation's leading rusher, added another rushing touchdown from a yard out with 1:21 remaining in the half to give Davenport a 23-0 advantage at the break. The Panthers held a 342-61 edge in total yards and ran 45 plays to NMU's 20 in the first half.
Northern put together its best drive of the game to open the second half, leaning on running back
Noah Dobert to move into the red zone. However,
Duke Shovald was intercepted near the end zone to stop the drive. The defense kept Davenport off the scoreboard throughout the third quarter, holding the 23-0 deficit going into the fourth.
Carter Schmitt then recorded an interception for the second consecutive week early in the fourth quarter. NMU later came up short on a fourth-down attempt near midfield, and Davenport capitalized on the ensuing possession as Harris broke free for a 6-yard touchdown run, his third of the afternoon, to make it 30-0 with 4:24 remaining.
Stevens entered at quarterback for NMU's final possession and guided the Wildcats down the field, completing two of three passes for 33 yards while adding 11 yards on two carries. After converting a fourth-down run from the 15-yard line, Stevens brought NMU within a yard of the end zone. The Wildcats were unable to finish the drive, however, as Davenport made two consecutive stops from the 1-yard line to preserve the shutout.
Dobert led the Wildcats with 147 rushing yards on 30 carries. Davenport, who improved to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the GLIAC, finished with a 451-256 advantage in total offense, led by Harris with 29 carries for 225 yards. NMU outgained the Panthers 185-119 in the second half.
Up Next
The Wildcats will head to Houghton to take on the Michigan Tech Huskies for the Miner's Cup on Saturday, October 17, at 12 p.m.
