Northern Michigan University’s Noah Dobert, right, looks for a way around Michigan Tech defender Josh Byers and would get several more yards before Byers makes the tackle during their GLIAC football game played at the Superior Dome in Marquette on Oct. 25. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — Halfway through last season, any change for the football program at Northern Michigan University would’ve been welcome when the Wildcats were mired in a 28-game losing streak spanning back to the start of the 2023 season.

But just weeks after that streak ended, head coach Shane Richardson resigned, and under the guidance of former offensive coordinator Billy Lindquist as interim head coach, NMU went on to win two more games before the season ended to finish at 3-8.

The reinvigorated team found a big boost from redshirt freshman running back Noah Dobert, who finished with a Northern record 1,656 rushing yards, 892 of them in just three games — the Wildcats’ three victories.

A new permanent head coach was named on Jan. 5, Matt Janus, who comes from a wildly successful program at NCAA Division III Wisconsin-La Crosse.

He had a 45-14 record with the Eagles, leading them to five straight national playoff appearances.

Now NMU has released its fall schedule for the first year under Janus.

Most of the schedule is similar to past seasons with Northern’s membership in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference — there will be two-time defending national champion Ferris State there, along with perennial national contender Grand Valley State, then also Upper Peninsula rival Michigan Tech, Davenport, Wayne State, Roosevelt and Saginaw Valley State.

Three of the four nonconference games are against opponents from 2025, too — Minnesota State-Moorhead, St. Thomas and a nonleague, second game against Davenport.

The Wildcats open with Moorhead for the second consecutive year, this year traveling to Minnesota to take on the Dragons at 7 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Aug. 27.

Last year, NMU lost a narrow 44-37 decision to Moorhead on another pre-Labor Day Thursday evening in the Superior Dome.

With the rest of the schedule being played on Saturdays, Northern’s home opener will be the weekend after Labor Day against Tiffin, a former GLIAC member who the Wildcats haven’t played since 2017. A starting time for this game on Sept. 5 and all other home games hasn’t been set yet.

Next up is a road game at St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sept. 12, then the nonconference game against Davenport, set for the Superior Dome, on Sept. 19.

With the team’s only bye week on Sept. 26, it gives NMU an extra week to take a breather before embarking on the conference season, the final seven games that are all in league.

And it starts with the toughest task of all, taking on Ferris at home on Oct. 3.

Then follows back-to-back road games, the GLIAC game at Davenport on Oct. 10 and at Michigan Tech for the annual Miner’s Cup game on Oct. 17.

The Wildcats will attempt to end another long losing streak in Houghton, Northern having lost their last 15 games vs. the Huskies.

The following week is a home game against Roosevelt on Oct. 24. These Chicago-based Lakers nipped NMU in overtime in the dome two years ago before the Wildcats ended their 2 1/2-year-long nightmare of losing with a 42-21 win at Roosevelt last October.

It was the first of two 243-yard games for Dobert. In this one he was joined by fellow Northern back Jahi Wood almost matching him with 233 yards.

Dobert would also gain 243 yards vs. Davenport — the second game vs. the Panthers — in an amazing 47-45, four-overtime win when Dobert actually didn’t get credit for any rushing yards when he plunged over the goal line for the difference-making two-point conversion in the OT No. 4.

After the Wildcats get their rematch with Roosevelt, they play at Wayne State in Detroit at noon on Oct. 31, which of course is Halloween. That will be the rematch of their final game a year ago, when Dobert put himself in the national conversation with a near-all-time NCAA Division II record 406 yards vs. the Warriors in a dominating 45-11 victory.

Dobert, who is back on NMU’s spring roster, was named GLIAC Offensive Back of the Year and a Second Team All-American by the Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association.

This year, however, the Wayne State game will be followed by two final GLIAC games, at Grand Valley on Nov. 7 and at home to finish the season vs. SVSU on Nov. 14.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the schedule release. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.