Northern Michigan University’s Jahi Wood, center, finds a hole, breaks a tackle and gains several yards in a game played against Minnesota State-Moorhead at the Superior Dome in Marquette on Aug. 28. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University football team has moved into the realm of being competitive — not just once in awhile, but almost about every week.

For the second straight game, the Wildcats lost — but lost by a single score, this time on Saturday on the road at downstate Midland to Northwood, 23-18.

This is a great improvement over the blowouts NMU was involved in during the past two years, each 0-11 records under head coach Shane Richardson.

The third-year coach doesn’t have a win yet in 24 tries, but it’s a big change even from 2024, when Northern gave up 50 or more points three times and lost by at least three scores eight of 11 times out.

Northwood, a former member of NMU’s Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, held the lead from the outset. But the Wildcats trailed just 13-8 at halftime and scored in the final few seconds before an onside kick that could have set up an improbable comeback win didn’t work out.

Northern started finding its passing game, a part of the offense that either didn’t work or wasn’t even tried at times last season.

On Saturday, two Wildcat quarterbacks combined to complete 14 of 25 passes for 232 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

Not only were those solid numbers, but more than the Timberwolves gained through the air as NMU’s own pair of QBs completed 12 of 23 for 145 yards and neither a TD nor interception.

With a 164-110 edge on the ground, NMU held a decisive 396-255 edge in total yards, offset by three turnovers to none for Northwood. It was also offset by Northwood’s 211-83 advantage in kickoff and punt return yardage, including one of the home’s team TDs.

NMU did run 22 more offensive plays, had 10 more first downs and held a 10 1/2-minute edge in time of possession.

All in all, key points for Northwood were the first quarter, where the T’wolves held a 10-0 scoring edge, and around halftime, where in the final four minutes of the first half and first minute of the second half combined for another 10-0 advantage.

Between those, NMU’s first points actually came on a safety not quite three minutes into the second quarter when Northern defender Damarcus Chappell read an outside handoff and buried the T’wolves’ rusher in the end zone. Northern trailed 10-2 at that point.

The Wildcats took the ensuing free kick and marched downfield, attempting to tie the score after an eight-play drive highlighted by Duke Shovald’s 49-yard pass to Chris Battley down the right sideline.

Jahi Wood capped off the drive with a 3-yard TD run with 7:47 left in the second quarter. Shovald’s 2-point pass to tie the game failed, leaving NMU down 10-8.

Northwood turned around and went on its own march before stalling out at the 1-yard line on third down as the Timberwolves settled for a 19-yard Drew Cady field goal that made it 13-8 at halftime.

The real killer stroke came on the opening kickoff of the second half, when NU’s Carter Minix returned the ball 97 yards for a touchdown, and with Cady’s extra point, created a 20-8 advantage for Northwood.

But the Wildcats remained resilient, and even after a penalty on the ensuing kickoff pinned NMU back on its 13. The ‘Cats marched 64 yards before Michael Karlen kicked a field goal to get the visitors back within 20-11 with about 8 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.

Northwood answered with its own 25-yard field goal by Cady more than a full quarter later — there was 7:50 left when it became 23-11.

NMU’s next possession was key to narrowing the deficit back to one score, but it ended on 4th-and-12 near midfield on a deep Shovald incomplete pass meant for Menominee product Trevor Theuerkauf.

Northern did get the ball back again, but there was only 1:38 left. And the Wildcats needed almost all that remaining time to get back in the end zone, scoring on a Shovald 13-yard pass to Hayden May with only 7 seconds left.

An attempted onside kick didn’t work out and NU took a knee to end it.

Shovald had all of NMU’s pass completions, going 14 of 24 for 232 yards, while Marquette Senior High School graduate Austin Ridl tried one pass that went incomplete.

Ridl also had 34 yards rushing in five attempts, his best a 21-yard scamper.

Noah Dobert led Wildcats runners with 89 yards in 14 runs, while Wood had 55 yards on 22 tries, Theuerkauf 11 yards on two rushes, and Negaunee product Nico Lukkarinen zero net yards on two attempts.

Isaac Olson had a single pass catch, but it was for 60 yards, while Battley had two catches for 51 yards and Theuerkauf three snags for 20 yards.

Northwood’s top thrower Ethan Hamby completed 10 of 19 passes for 130 yards, while Pauly Seeley was 2 of 4 for 15 yards.

On the ground, Devin Brown paced the T’wolves with 56 yards in 13 attempts, including a TD.

On defense, Northern’s Jax Hertel had seven tackles, six of them solo, and two tackles for loss. Jake Price had five tackles, four solo, with 1 1/2 tackles for loss that included half a sack.

NMU’s next two tries to break into the win column will be back in the Superior Dome in Marquette.

At 1 p.m. Saturday, the Wildcats host St. Thomas, a member in hockey of the CCHA but nonconference in football. On the following Saturday, also at 1 p.m., is Northern’s homecoming game against GLIAC foe Davenport.

Northwood 23, NMU 18

Score by quarters:

Northern Michigan 0 8 3 7 — 18

Northwood 10 3 7 3 — 23

First quarter

NWD — Devin Brown 15 run (Drew Cady kick) 11:12

NWD — Cady 33 FG 7:03

Second quarter

NMU — Safety, Damarcus Chappell tackle in end zone 12:10

NMU — Jahi Wood 3 run (pass failed) 7:47

NWD — Cady 19 FG 3:08

Third quarter

NWD — Carter Minix 97 KO return (Cady kick) 14:48

NMU — Michael Karlen 40 FG 8:38

Fourth quarter

NWD — Cady 25 FG 7:50

NMU — Hayden May 13 pass from Duke Shovald (Karlen kick) 0:07

Game statistics

First downs — NMU 24, Northwood 14

Total plays-net yards — NMU 76-396, Northwood 54-255

Rushes-yards — NMU 51-164 (Noah Dobert 14-90), Northwood 31-110 (Brown 13-56)

Comp-Att-Int-Yards — NMU 14-25-2-232 (Shovald 14-24-2-232, Austin Ridl 0-1-0-0), Northwood 12-23-0 (Ethan Hamby 10-19-0-130, Pauly Seeley 2-4-0-15)

Top receivers — NMU, Isaac Olson 1-60, Chris Battley 2-51; Northwood, Sam Dersa 2-43, Devin Brown 4-20

Punts-average — NMU 4-42.0, Northwood 4-35.0

Fumbles-lost — NMU 2-1, Northwood 1-0

Penalties-yards — NMU 7-72, Northwood 8-93

Time of possession — NMU 35:15, Northwood 24:45

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