On a night when the university celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Wildcats’ only national championship, NMU tied the game 7-7 with 30 seconds left in the first half on a Noah Dobert 1-yard touchdown run.

After Michael Karlen’s extra-point kick actually tied the score, Northern couldn’t stop a third-quarter onslaught by the nation’s No. 8 ranked team.

The Lakers improved to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference by scoring on three fairly quick drives in the third. Those possessions together lasted barely nine minutes on the clock and needed a total of 16 plays.

GVSU added one more score on the first play of the fourth to round out the scoring and send the Wildcats to their 28th straight loss as they stand 0-6 this season, 0-3 in the GLIAC.

With Northern Michigan University athletic director and original head hockey coach Rick Comley, right, former Wildcats quarterback Steve Mariucci watches as his jersey rises to the rafters at the Superior Dome during a jersey retirement ceremony at an NMU football game played in Marquette on Saturday. Mariucci went on to become one of the most famous Northern alumnus nationally, after coaching in college and the NFL and having a two-decade career as a lead analyst for the NFL Network. (Photo courtesy NMU)

Three days of ceremonies culminated with the ceremonies at the game to celebrate NMU’s 1975 NCAA Division II national title that was quarterbacked by future college and NFL head Steve Mariucci.

The Iron Mountain native has arguably gone on to become the most famous NMU alumnus ever, having been a head coach at multiple colleges and for multiple NFL teams, including the Detroit Lions, then embarking on a two-decade-long career — so far — as one of the most high-profile analysts at the NFL Network.

Mariucci’s jersey was raised to the rafters of the dome during halftime in a retirement ceremony.

Northern’s defense was key to making the first half a stalemate, as it forced the high-octane GVSU offense into three punts — including negative yardage on its first possession — while also making an interception and allowing just one TD before the break.

NMU held a 162-145 edge in total yards in the first half, including a big 87-19 advantage on the ground.

Northern Michigan University running back Noah Dobert, left, leaps to avoid a Grand Valley State tackler, partially hidden at bottom left, while also trying to avoid the Lakers’ Quinn Wills, right, during their GLIAC game played at the Superior Dome in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy NMU)

However, once the Lakers got their offense humming, there was hardly any stopping them as they produced TDs on four of their first five possessions in the second half.

Overall, Grand Valley finished with a 329-242 edge in total yards as Northern’s final edge on the ground was pared down to 140-109 — and on 17 fewer carries.

The Lakers rolled up 220 yards passing, completing 16 of 28, while NMU was 10 of 19 for 102 yards and three interceptions.

Turnovers again plagued the Wildcats as they made five — their only two fumbles were both lost — as GVSU had just one giveaway.

Murphy Monreal made NMU’s interception at a key stage with a little under six minutes left in the first quarter with the game still scoreless but Grand Valley driving inside the Northern 10-yard line.

That kept the game 0-0 throughout the opening period before GVSU broke through with 5:43 remaining before halftime on an Andrew Schuster 20-yard scoring aerial to Kellen Reed.

After the teams traded punts, Northern drove for the tying score starting at its 45 with just 1:37 left before halftime.

While Dobert eventually got the score, NMU’s other main running back, Jahi Wood, set it up with a 44-yard pass reception to the GVSU 8 on the drive’s second play. Menominee High School graduate Trevor Theuerkauf made the short pass over the middle as Wood turned it into a big play.

The Wildcats had to grind it out from there, though, getting a rush for no gain, an incomplete pass and a combined QB sack and offensive holding penalty to send them back to the 18 with 54 seconds remaining.

On third-and-goal, Theuerkauf made a key run to the right for 17 yards to the Grand Valley 1, and Dobert ran it in on fourth down.

On the ground, Dobert not only had NMU’s lone score, but he led all rushers with 61 yards on 21 attempts, while Wood had 45 yards in 14 attempts. Theuerkauf ran for 17 yards in seven tries, while Marquette Senior High School graduate Tucker Welch also ran for 17 yards in five attempts.

Theuerkauf did most of the throwing for the Wildcats, completing 8 of 12 passes for 88 yards and two pickoffs. Austin Gordon, a Ewen-Trout Creek grad, was 2 of 7 for 14 yards and one interception.

Schuster was the main QB among three for the Lakers as he completed 13 of 22 for 161 yards, an interception but also two TDs. Reed was the game’s top receiver in yardage, totaling 72 yards in three snags.

Catching the ball, Wood had just one catch, but it was that 44-yarder as teammate Ian Engstrom, a Negaunee product, made four receptions for 23 yards.

In addition to Monreal’s pickoff on defense, the Wildcats’ Jake Price didn’t make a tackle, but had four QB hurries. Teammate Jax Hertel led NMU tacklers with 13, including seven solo, while Mitch Larkin made 12 total tackles with nine solo.

Hertel added in a shared QB sack among three tackles for loss, while Larkin also had a tackle for loss. Getting a full sack was Jhermari Mabry and a half sack was Brady Redmar, as that group was joined by Andrew Stewart and Damar

cus Chappell as getting a solo or partial tackle for loss.

Northern’s Jaylen Houston had a pass breakup and QB hurry, while Chance Bridgers also had two QB hurries.

The Lakers ground out their scoring drives to open the second half, while the Wildcats’ offense couldn’t manage a first down while making two interceptions and losing a fumble just in the third quarter.

On GVSU’s first score, the go-ahead TD, there were a pair of 20-plus-yard plays, including a 24-yard scoring throw from QB Zak Olejniczak to Lynn Wyche-El less than three minutes in.

The Lakers’ next drive didn’t feature a play over 20 yards, ending in Paschal Jolman’s QB keeper for a 14-yard TD with 6:28 left.

And after the Northern defense forced a punt the next time Grand Valley had the ball, the Lakers quickly got it back after Theuerkauf was intercepted on the first play at the NMU 20.

That short ensuing drive included an unsportsmanlike penalty on GVSU, but the Lakers overcame it as Schuster threw a 7-yard scoring pass to Kenyon Owens with 23 seconds left in the third.

The Wildcats’ problems on offense continued as Theuerkauf fumbled away the ball on the first play after the kickoff at his own 5, and Grand Valley needed three plays to score its fourth TD of the second half just six seconds into the fourth quarter.

NMU managed to hold onto the ball throughout the final period, but the damage was already done.

The Wildcats now have five more chances to break through into the win column for the first time in head coach Shane Richardson’s tenure, starting with maybe their best chance to get a win in Chicago against Roosevelt at 2 p.m. EDT Saturday.

In their first season in NCAA Division II, these Lakers from the Windy City escaped Marquette with a 16-10 overtime victory a year ago for their only win in a 1-9 campaign.

Grand Valley 35, NMU 7

Saturday at Superior Dome

Score by quarters:

Grand Valley 0 7 21 7 — 35

Northern Michigan 0 7 0 0 — 7

First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter

GV — Kellen Reed 20 pass from Andrew Schuster (Mathew Bacik kick) 5:43

NMU — Noah Dobert 1 run (Michael Karlen kick) 0:30

Third quarter

GV — Lynn Wyche-El 24 pass from Zak Olejniczak (Bacik kick) 12:12

GV — Paschal Jolman 14 run (Bacik kick) 6:28

GV — Kenyon Owens 7 pass from Schuster (Bacik kick) 0:23

Fourth quarter

GV — Kenneth Jones 4 run (Bacik kick) 14:54

Game statistics

First downs — Grand Valley 16, NMU 14

Total plays-net yards — Grand Valley 58-329, NMU 66-242

Rushes-yards — Grand Valley 30-109 (Brady Drogosh 3-40, Derrick Woods 8-31), NMU 47-140 (Dobert 21-61, Jahi Wood 14-45, Trevor Theuerkauf 7-17, Tucker Welch 5-17)

Comp-Att-Int-Yards — Grand Valley 16-28-1-220 (Schuster 13-22-1-161, Olejniczak 2-3-0-44, Drogosh 1-3-0-15), NMU 10-19-3 (Theuerkauf 8-12-2-88, Austin Gordon 2-7-1-14)

Top receivers — Grand Valley, Reed 3-72, Wyche-El 4-49; NMU, Wood 1-44, Ian Engstrom 4-23

Punts-average — Grand Valley 6-43.2, NMU 5-40.0

Fumbles-lost — Grand Valley 1-0, NMU 2-2

Penalties-yards — Grand Valley 8-79, NMU 6-35

Time of possession — Grand Valley 28:01, NMU 31:59

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