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 game played at the Superior Dome in Marquette on Oct. 25. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — Ending a years-long losing streak garnered some attention for the football team at Northern Michigan University.

Having a running back gain 243 rushing yards twice in three weeks was pretty spiffy, too.

But when redshirt freshman back Noah Dobert approached an all-time NCAA Division II record to end the season, that had at least one national football organization really sit up and take notice.

Dobert did just that with his 406-yard day against Wayne State on Saturday when the Wildcats posted their third win of the season, 45-11 at the Superior Dome.

The aptly-named D2Football.com recognized Dobert as its National Player of the Week on offense this week. In an NMU Sports Information news release about the honor, it noted that this was the first time a Northern player has been honored on a national level by this organization.

On the record-breaking day, Dobert ran the ball 32 times, an average of 12.7 yards per attempt, that included a quartet of TD runs of 52, 56, 64 and 72 yards.

His 406 yards not only smashed the single-game Wildcats record, and it was not only the top performance of the season in Division II, but it ranks in the top five all time in D-II, missing the most rushing yards ever gained by a single player in one game by just 19 yards.

Dobert bypassed the former Northern record of 317 yards by 89 that was set by Mark Bossuah in 2007. In the process, Dobert also established NMU single-season rushing records for yards of 1,656 and touchdowns of 15.

Previous season records were established by All-American Jake Mayon in 2018 of 1,505 yards and 14 TDs.

On a national basis this season, Dobert’s season total put him third in total rushing yards and also rushing yards per game of 150.5.

Accounting for more than half their total, he helped the Wildcats set their team rushing mark for a season. The old mark of 2,660 in Mayon’s landmark year of 2018 was smashed with 3,123 yards this season.

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