MARQUETTE, Mich. – After a hard-fought rivalry battle in Houghton last weekend, the Northern Michigan football team returns home to take on the Roosevelt Lakers in the Superior Dome for another GLIAC showdown. The game is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 24.
Saturday's game against the Lakers can be watched on FloCollege or heard on 100.3 The Point, with Casey Ford on the call.
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A Word from Coach Janus
"There were some really impressive things he [QB Matt Stevens] did escaping out of the pocket and extending plays with his feet. What excites me probably the most was the maturity and his progressions, which is high-level for a young guy. We feel like we have some momentum, and obviously he's going to take that into the Roosevelt game. It's a new week, so it's going to present some different challenges and the way they play defense."
Last Time Out
Making his first career start, Matt Stevens led the Wildcats to season highs in points and total yardage. He completed 25 of 38 passes for 319 yards and a touchdown while adding 68 rushing yards and a score on the ground without turning the ball over. Despite facing heavy pressure throughout the afternoon, Stevens navigated the pocket effectively and helped move the NMU offense. It was the most passing yards by a Wildcat quarterback since Mariano Valenti threw for 368 yards against Quincy on September 23, 2023.
Northern totaled 553 yards of offense, its most in a game since gaining 566 in a 42-14 win over Post on September 24, 2022. The Wildcats also set season highs with 234 rushing yards and 319 passing yards, outgaining the Huskies by 61 yards.
The Wildcats also received strong performances from Noah Dobert, who rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns, and Noah Hofmann, who added 55 rushing yards and a score. Wilson Ptacek led the receiving corps with seven catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Michigan Tech capitalized on several explosive plays to build a 35-12 halftime lead, including a 64-yard touchdown pass and a late scoring play featuring a lateral. The Huskies finished with 492 yards of offense, averaging 9.8 yards per play on 50 plays. Northern averaged 6.4 yards per play across 86 plays.
A Rising Star
Quarterback Matt Stevens made his first career start against the Huskies and showed why many believe he has a bright future at the position for NMU. He opened the game with a 45-yard deep pass that set up an early Wildcat touchdown just a few plays later. From there, Stevens combined quick passes with his ability to extend plays on the ground to help the Wildcats score again before halftime. He continued to perform well in the fourth quarter, leading a scoring drive to open the period. He then led two more strong drives late in the game, helping NMU put together one of its best offensive performances in recent years.
Stevens is originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he played for Bay Port High School. During his time there, the team won the Division 1 state championship in 2024 and finished as the runner-up in 2025. He finished his high school career with 50 passing touchdowns and 4,335 passing yards, both school records. As a senior last season, he showcased his dual-threat ability, rushing for over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns while throwing for over 2,000 yards and 23 touchdowns.
The game against Michigan Tech also highlighted the talent surrounding Stevens for years to come, as several other freshmen stepped up. Wilson Ptacek led NMU's receivers with 82 yards and a touchdown, while Jacob Halichek added two catches for 41 yards.
Leading the Way
Linebacker Jax Hertel and running back Noah Dobert were both named to the D2Football.com Elite 100 watchlist for this season. Both earned First-Team All-GLIAC honors last season, while Dobert set NMU rushing records and was named a D2CCA Second-Team All-American.
Dobert, a sophomore from Dearborn, Michigan, has 773 rushing yards through seven games, ranking second in the GLIAC. His 110.4 rushing yards per game also rank second in the conference.
Dobert 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. His 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 earned GLIAC Offensive Back of the Year and D2CCA All-Super Region 3 First-Team honors.
Hertel, a senior from Walworth, Wisconsin, ranks sixth in the GLIAC with 26 solo tackles and eighth with 47 total tackles. He returns after leading the Wildcats with 101 tackles in 2025, which ranked third in the conference. His 14.5 tackles for loss led the GLIAC, and 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.
A Look at Roosevelt
The Lakers were picked to finish seventh in the GLIAC preseason poll, one point ahead of Wayne State and just behind sixth-place NMU. Despite the prediction, Roosevelt has started the season strong and currently sits at 5-2. The Lakers recorded just three wins in their first two seasons as a Division II program but have shown significant improvement this season as they look to climb the GLIAC standings.
Roosevelt opened its season with a 44-28 road win over Chicago State, a Division I FCS program. Jaden Bossie rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown, while Tony Chahino threw for 236 yards and three touchdowns. The Lakers also recorded two interceptions and a 38-yard fumble return.
In their next two road games against Quincy and Southwest Baptist, the Lakers continued their offensive success, scoring 41 and 59 points in consecutive victories. Carl Bew led the passing game in both contests, throwing for 193 yards and a touchdown against Quincy and 248 yards and two touchdowns against Southwest Baptist. The Lakers rotated players in the running game but totaled over 200 rushing yards in both contests. In their home opener against UW-Stout, the Lakers won 31-10, with Bew leading the way on the ground with 86 yards and a touchdown. The quarterback rotation continued as Justin Bland threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns.
Roosevelt has opened GLIAC play with a 1-2 record, losing to Michigan Tech and Davenport while defeating Wayne State. The Lakers fell to MTU 57-28, beat WSU 33-18 and lost to Davenport 59-21. Against Michigan Tech, Chahino threw for 302 yards and four touchdowns but also had three interceptions. The Lakers' defense forced an interception of its own. Chahino continued to lead the passing game against Wayne State, throwing for 294 yards and three touchdowns, while Bew added 107 rushing yards and a score. Against Davenport, Bew primarily handled the quarterback duties, throwing for 119 yards and three touchdowns while adding 65 rushing yards.
The Lakers will look to continue their strong passing attack when they take on the Wildcats this weekend.
Series History
The series against Roosevelt is tied at one win apiece. NMU earned its first series victory last season with a 42-21 win in Chicago. The Wildcats' offense was firing on all cylinders, totaling 538 rushing yards. That mark shattered the previous program record of 477 yards, set 66 years earlier in 1959 against UW-Milwaukee. For just the seventh time in Division II history, two running backs from the same team each rushed for over 200 yards. Noah Dobert totaled 243 yards and three touchdowns, while Jahi Wood added 233 yards and two scores. The defense forced two turnovers to help secure the crucial win after NMU suffered a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Lakers the previous season.
