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Northern Michigan University Wildcats football team looking for elusive ‘W’ this afternoon after a week’s break

Northern Michigan University running back Nico Lukkarinen, top, gets lifted by an teammate in the end zone after scoring against Alma on Sept. 21 in the Superior Dome in Marquette. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University football team hopes to use a week off from playing to regroup for the start of its GLIAC season this afternoon when the Wildcats host Saginaw Valley State at the Superior Dome.

With a kickoff at 1 p.m., the game will be broadcast on radio station WUPT 100.3 FM The Point. Fans can follow @NMU_Football and @NMU_Wildcats on X (formerly Twitter) for updates leading up to and during the game.

Or fans can visit the NMU athletics website at nmuwildcats.com and look under the football schedule for links to live video, live audio, live statistics, ticket information, a game preview and a series history.

Northern is 0-4 this season and still seeking its first win under second-year head coach Shane Richardson.

“I think it was really good for us to get some time and refresh,” he said in an NMU Sports Information news release previewing the game. “We worked on a lot of fundamentals and got back to making sure some building blocks were better and in place.”

Two weeks ago, the Wildcats lost to Alma College in NMU’s homecoming game, 44-27. It was the second straight loss against an NCAA Division III team, though both Alma and Wisconsin-La Crosse reached the quarterfinal round of the Division III playoffs last fall.

Against Alma, NMU battled back from a 10-point deficit twice before a fumble recovered by the Scots early in the fourth quarter made it a three-score game.

Negaunee High School graduate and Northern redshirt freshman running back Nico Lukkarinen scored twice, while teammate Michael Love had a touchdown and broke the 100-yard receiving barrier for the first time with 107 yards in catches.

For Alma, Marquette Senior High School product and Scots senior Ty Lotterman had a pair of receiving TDs.

The Wildcats held their own in total yardage, being outgained 469-340 while having a 176-150 advantage in rushing.

Among the top performers for NMU this fall has been junior linebacker Mitch Larkin, who is second in GLIAC tackles with 32 after leading the league last season with 118.

Northern has one of the youngest lineups in NCAA Division II, with 42 of 96 players being in their first year and 68 players being underclassmen.

Freshman Jahi Wood is second in league rushing with 287 yards, while Elizin Rouse has 156 yards and Lukkarinen 125 yards to both be in the top 20 in the GLIAC.

Lukkarinen’s three TDs tie him for third in that conference category as NMU as a team is fourth in the GLIAC with 156.0 yards rushing per game.

Love is tied for the league lead with four TD catches, and his two that came against La Crosse marked Northern’s first multi-TD-catch game since Sept. 24, 2022, when Wyatt Davis had a pair in a 42-14 homecoming win over Post. Love is also fourth in the GLIAC with 238 receiving yards.

Placekicker Michael Karlen is 4 of 4 on field goals and 8 of 8 on extra-point kicks this season.

Today’s opponent, SVSU, is 3-1 and coming off a 28-24 win over No. 15 Indianapolis last Saturday.

The Cardinals average 27.5 points per game, led by quarterback Mason McKenzie with five TD passes and two rushing scores.

Senior defensive lineman Leonard Henry has recorded eight sacks this season, leading Division II. The Cardinals overall have 14 sacks, second-best mark in the conference.

In the secondary, Elijah Gordon’s three interceptions lead the GLIAC and is tied for the second most in the country.

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

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