These Northern Michigan University football captains prepare to take the field before a Wildcats’ football game at home in the Superior Dome in Marquette. From left are senior linebacker Justin Peake, junior offensive lineman Chris Burnhoeft, junior linebacker Mitch Larkin and sophomore offensive lineman Daniel Babcock. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University football team has a tall task in front of it tonight, traveling to the No. 2 team in all of NCAA Division II.

The Wildcats go to downstate Allendale to take on GLIAC foe Grand Valley State at 7 p.m. NMU is 0-5 while the Lakers are 5-0.

The game will be broadcast on radio station WUPZ 94.9 FM The Bay as NMU’s hockey game will be on at the same time on a sister station. Fans can follow @NMU_Football and @NMU_Wildcats on X (formerly Twitter) for updates leading up to and during the game, or visit the NMU athletics website at nmuwildcats.com and look under the football schedule for links to live video, live statistics and live audio.

“You’ve got to execute, and you’ve got to continue to find ways to battle back and forth and (continue) finding a way to be more productive and just be more persistent,” Northern head coach Shane Richardson said in an NMU Sports Information news release previewing the game.

Still looking for his first win at NMU in his second season, Richardson’s charges lost at home to Saginaw Valley State 63-14 last Saturday in each team’s conference opener.

While freshman running back Jahi Wood scored his first collegiate touchdown earlier in the game, the Wildcats surrendered four touchdowns in the final five minutes of the first half to put the game out of reach, 42-7, at halftime.

It dampened a great special teams play by Northern’s Kale Manzo, who blocked a punt to set up NMU’s other TD early in the second half. There was also a great defensive effort by Kennarius Chandler, who scooped up a Cardinals fumble late and almost returned it for a TD.

NMU’s Michael Love broke the 100-yard receiving barrier with six catches for 103 yards.

Wood is fourth in the GLIAC in rushing with 313 yards, while fellow backs Elizin Rouse with 156 yards and Negaunee High School graduate Nico Lukkarinen with 141 are also in the league top 20.

Lukkarinen’s three TD runs are fourth in the GLIAC.

Linebacker Mitch Larkin is second in the league with 40 tackles after he led the GLIAC last year with 118.

Love is tied for second with his four TD catches, and kicker Michael Karlen is still a perfect 4 for 4 on field goals and 10 for 10 on extra points this season.

Grand Valley, coming off a 24-7 win over Davenport, is third in the nation with 304.6 rushing yards per game, fourth as the Lakers allow 9.6 points per game, fifth with a 53.5% third-down conversion rate and seventh with a 483.0 total yards offense.

Khalil Eichelberger has 487 yards, averaging 6.7 yards per carry, and five rushing TDs. Quarterback Kenneth Moore, who has 296 yards rushing and four TDs on the ground himself, has thrown for 610 yards and four more TDs with no interceptions.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.