NMU hosts conference foe Grand Valley State at 7 p.m., a special evening home date with a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Northern’s 1975 NCAA Division II national championship included.

Part of the celebration will be the retirement of the jersey of NMU legend Steve Mariucci at halftime. Mariucci quarterbacked that team in its only national title season and went on to big fame as a collegiate and NFL head coach, along with two decades as one of pro football’s top broadcasters at the NFL Network.

The game itself will be a real challenge for winless Northern, which has gone 27 straight games without a victory dating to the start of third-year head coach Shane Richardson’s tenure in 2023.

GVSU won’t make it easier to get that first win as the Lakers are 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference after a 37-14 win over Davenport in their league opener last weekend.

From left, Northern Michigan University linebacker Jaylen Houston and defensive back Jeremiah Gossett celebrate Gossett’s pass breakup in the Wildcats’ end zone as NMU defensive back Murphy Montreal (partially hidden) watches during their game against Davenport played at the Superior Dome in Marquette on Sept. 20. (Photo courtesy NMU)

Grand Valley is also ranked No. 8 in the nation in the American Football Coaches Association Division II poll, a set of rankings that has another GLIAC squad, Ferris State, listed as a unanimous No. 1. The Wildcats play at Ferris on Nov. 1.

This weekend, however, will be tough enough for the Wildcats after a 47-25 loss at Saginaw Valley State on Saturday, a game NMU scored 22 points in the second half while finishing with 289 yards rushing.

Saturday night’s game will be broadcast on WUPZ 94.9 FM The Bay, with Northern’s hockey game taking place at an overlapping time.

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 audio, live statistics, ticket information and a preview.

“They need to know about the pride and the excitement that goes into something like this, honoring a legacy, let that really inspire you,” Richardson said about his players in an NMU Sports Information news release previewing the game. “Let that really connect with you in a way that you’ve got this tradition, you’ve got people that have gone before you here at Northern Michigan that have done something really special, and let that inspire us to move forward.”

In last week’s game, running backs Noah Dobert and Jahi Wood accounted for the lion’s share of the Wildcats’ yards on the ground, each carrying the ball 15 times and scoring a touchdown with Dobert gaining 107 yards and Wood 80.

Quarterback Trevor Theuerkauf, a former star at Menominee High School, took his first snaps under center and was 6 of 17 passing for 52 yards with a 27-yard TD strike to Sebastian Boyea and one interception. Theuerkauf also ran for 66 yards in 13 carries, while Marquette Senior High School grad Austin Ridl gained 21 yards in four rushing tries and Negaunee product Nico Lukkarinen had three yards in one attempt.

On defense, NMU linebackers Mitch Larkin and Jax Hertel combined for 16 tackles, including 2 1/2 for loss, while the “D” forced and recovered two SVSU fumbles as safety Tim Shannon Jr. had a forced fumble along with two pass breakups.

Northern remains a top-20 team in the nation in rushing, averaging 228 yards per game with three games of at least 275 yards.

Grand Valley QB Andrew Schuster has completed 64 of 103 passes, a 62.1% completion rate, for 916 yards, eight TDs and three interceptions in four games.

Overall, the Lakers average 376 yards on offense per game, but give up 308 each time out, too. Their loss was 17-14 at No. 15 Pittsburg State (Kansas) on Sept. 13.

GVSU is good at stopping the run, allowing just 84 yards rushing a game, though it gives up 224 yards passing each time out.

One key should be turnovers. The Lakers have turned the ball over only five times, including just one lost fumble, while NMU has 14 giveaways, seven on both fumbles and interceptions.

’75 team celebration

Three days of events have been planned to celebrate the 1975 national championship team that began Thursday and culminates with Saturday night’s game.

Today’s events start from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Vandament Arena with Mariucci hosting a panel discussion that is free to public as former Wildcats from across the decades share stories, insights and memories of NMU football. Among those expected is Northern’s winningest coach ever, Herb Grenke, while also listed are Fred Smith, a 1978 NMU graduate, Keith Ponder from 1980, Jerry Rosburg from 1983, Rick Popp from 1988, Matt Hoard from 1997 and Jake Witt from 2021.

An RSVP at the NMU Tickets website, nmu.universitytickets.com, is encouraged, but not required.

Later today, fans can check out an open-to-the-public current Wildcats football practice from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. at the dome, while a 1975 Football Celebratory Dinner is set for 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Northern Center. Tickets are $75 per person at NMU Tickets, while ’75 players simply need to RSVP. 1977 alumnus Bobby Tuma will be master of ceremonies.

Saturday’s events open with a free double-feature movie bill at Vandament Arena. Footage of the NCAA national championship game will be shown — now in full color — at 11 a.m.

After a 15-minute intermission, “Put Your Hand on the Line,” a documentary highlighting the enduring legacy of the team, will be shown starting around 1:50 p.m.

Concessions will be available for this relaxed event as attendees can come and go as they please. An RSVP is again encouraged but not required at NMU Tickets.

A free tailgate gathering is set for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday outdoors around the parking lot behind the Superior Dome. Guests can bring their own food and beverages, with tents, tables and chairs provided.

And the football game kicks off at 7 p.m., with halftime recognition of players on the field along with Mariucci’s jersey retirement ceremony. Tickets are $15 per person, again available at NMU Tickets.

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