It all comes down to this. The outcome of one or possibly two games will determine the GLIAC champion for the 2024 football season.
No. 2 Ferris State (9-1, 6-0 GLIAC) can clinch the conference title outright on its home field if the Bulldogs can get past Davenport (7-3, 4-2 GLIAC) in the first annual Calder City Classic. Kick off is set for 1 p.m. at Top Taggart Field in Big Rapids.
As the top team in Super Region 3, a victory would likely earn the Bulldogs a first-round NCAA bye. The Panthers, which are in a third-place deadlock with Saginaw Valley State in the GLIAC standings, are seeking to secure a third-straight 8-win season.
Should Ferris State falter, No. 5 Grand Valley State (9-1, 5-1 GLIAC) could claim its share of the league crown with a road win over Roosevelt (1-8, 1-5 GLIAC). The battle of Lakers will take place at Morris Field in Arlington Heights, Ill., with kick off scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.
Saginaw Valley State (7-3, 4-2 GLIAC) is home at Harvey Wickes Memorial Stadium, entertaining Michigan Tech (6-4, 3-3 GLIAC). The Cardinals and the Huskies will square off at 1 p.m. in University Center. SVSU, which is ranked No. 10 in the region, hopes to better its resume before the playoff bids are awarded.
Wayne State (1-9, 1-5 GLIC) and Northern Michigan (0-10, 0-6 GLIAC) will finish out the 2024 season in Detroit, with the Warriors hosting the Wildcats at Tom Adams Field in a 1 p.m. contest.
WEEK 11 SCHEDULE
Saturday, November 16, 2024
Michigan Tech vs Saginaw Valley State
The Series
The Cardinals lead the all-time series 25-12 with a winning streak of three games, outscoring Michigan Tech 108-64 in those games. SVSU has won five of the last seven meetings. Last season’s meeting ended with a 38-21 win for the Cardinals. SVSU totaled 469 offensive yards and never trailed in the winning performance.
Michigan Tech Notes
THE GOAL LINE
• It’s the 102nd year of Michigan Tech Football • Dan Mettlach returns for his second season at the helm of the Huskies > All home and conference games will be broadcast on Flofootball. • The Huskies were tabbed to finish fifth in the GLIAC Coaches’ Poll. • It’s the 50th year reunion of the undefeated 1974 team. • Michigan Tech welcomes backs Jace Daniels as the Tight Ends coach. • Head coach Dan Mettlach has named Alex Fries, Hunter Buechel, Marc Sippel and Brandon DeVries as the captains for the 2024 season • The Huskies All-time reception leader Darius Willis returns for his final season after breaking Brian Janeshek’s record of 154 receptions in three seasons. • Quarterback Alex Fries broke the school record for single game passing yards (471) and five touchdowns in the 4OT 52- 50 win vs. South Dakota Mines on Sept. 5. He was also named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. • Senior defensive back Hunter Buechel leads the nation with 2.1 tackles for loss per game. • Punter Brenden Lach ranks second in the country averaging 45.8 yards per punt this season. • Three-time school record holder Darius Willis ranks first in the GLIAC in receiving yards (689), receptions per game (5.6) and receiving touchdowns (8). • Patrick Kastner has recovered two of the teams total nine fumbles as the team ranks 14th in the country.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
Saginaw Valley State has played to an overall record of 7-3 with a GLIAC standing of 4-2. The Cardinals most recently fell at No. 1 Ferris State (27-24) last Saturday and are the 10th seed in the Super Region 3. The Cardinals have a daunting defense with 3.2 team sacks per game and 6.5 team tackles for loss holding their opponents to 270.8 yards of total offense and just 15.7 points per outing. Senior linebacker Micah Cretsinger has amassed 70 total tackles to lead the team. Leonard Henry IV has a team-leading 10.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. Junior defensive back Eli Gordon has accounted for a team-high four interceptions while adding 59 total tackles. Redshirt freshman quarterback Mason McKenzie has played in 10 games for SVSU, tossing for 1,786 yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions as the team produces over 29 points per outing. McKenzie is a dual threat, as the team’s leading rusher with 654 yards on 110 carries with six touchdowns. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Joseph Walker is McKenzie’s top receiver, with 28 grabs for 457 yards and three touchdowns. Eric Craft has 25 catches for 401 yards and two scores. Redshirt sophomore running back Terrence Brown Jr. has a team-leading 116 carries for 511 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He has also caught 19 passes for 244 yards and three touchdowns.
Saginaw Valley State Notes
Kick-Off
The Saginaw Valley State University Football team hosts the Michigan Tech Huskies in the final home game of the regular season. The Cardinals (7-3, 4-2 GLIAC) look to end the year strong with a victory over the Huskies (6-4, 3-3GLIAC) and celebrate the 2025 senior class. Saginaw Valley State fell 27-24 in a battle with top-ranked Ferris State on the road last week. The Cardinals held the lead twice against the Bulldogs, but a touchdown in the third quarter proved to be the difference as SVSU missed the game-tying field goal late in the fourth quarter and Ferris State killed the clock. Michigan Tech suffered a 20-0 loss against Grand Valley State last week. The Lakers held the ball for over 40 minutes, compiled 477 yards of total offense, and ran 88 plays.
1ST-AND-10
• The Cardinals sit in a tie for third in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) standings with Davenport. The Cardinals and Panthers are 4-2 in league play. SVSU has the head-to-head tie breaker with DU after the Cardinals won 24-14 at home in week nine. • Senior All-American linebacker Micah Cretsinger was named to the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 and the D2 Elite 100 watch lists. Junior linebacker Brandon Rawls joined Cretsinger on the D2 Elite 100 list. • Saginaw Valley faced three ranked opponents this season: at (#15) Indianapolis (W, 28-24), (#2) Grand Valley State (L, 16-9), and at (#2) Ferris State (L, 27-24). • Freshman quarterback Mason McKenzie is 131-of-237 for 1,786 yards and 11 touchdowns through the air. McKenzie leads the Cardinals in passing and rushing with 110 carries for 654 yards and six scores on the ground. He currently ranks third in the GLIAC in rushing and fourth in passing yards. • Redshirt freshman Joseph Walker is the team’s leading receiver with 28 receptions for 457 yards and three scores. Walker’s receiving yards currently rank sixth in the league. Junior Eric Craft has 25 catches for 401 yards and two touchdowns. • Terrence Brown, Jr. has three touchdowns along with 19 receptions for 244 yards. Brown is second on the team in rushing with 116 carries for 511 yards and six touchdowns. He is the team’s leading scorer with 60 points on 10 total touchdowns. • Micah Cretsinger is the team’s leading tackler with 70 stops this season. The 2023 All-American linebacker has 9.0 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, one recovery, 2.5 sacks, and three pass breakups on his stat line. Eli Gordon has 59 tackles this season. He leads the team in interceptions with four and has six pass breakups. Alfred Dailey, Jr. has 52 tackles with a sack, and 1.5 TFLs, along with a forced fumble. Leonard Henry IV has 10.5 sacks to lead the Cardinal pass rush along with 48 tackles (5th-most on the team). Henry currently leads the nation in sacks per game with a mark of 1.05. Jasper Beeler leads the Cardinals with 14 pass breakups. Beeler is also sixth in tackles with 44, 7.0 tackles for loss, and has a forced fumble and a recovery. • Saginaw Valley State University can post an 8-win season for the second time in the last three years with a win over the Huskies this Saturday. The Cardinals boast a top-15 strength of schedule in NCAA Division II Football and are still alive for an at-large bid to the postseason.
Davenport vs Ferris State
SERIES HISTORY AND NOTES
● Davenport hasn’t beaten Ferris State in eight all-time matchups in a series which began in 2017. The teams played each other twice during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The 2021 season was a conference and non-conference game. The 2022 season was a regular season and playoff contest both at Top Taggart Field. There have been four games in Big Rapids and four games in Caledonia. The Bulldogs have been among the elite teams in NCAA Division II during all eight games. FSU has been ranked in the top 10 in the last seven meetings and this is the third time they come in ranked No. 2 (AFCA). Davenport will need to figure out a way to score more frequently to pull off an upset on Saturday. They are averaging 7.75 points per game in the all-time series against the Bulldogs. Last year’s 28-10 margin was the closest in the series thus far. Both teams registered 19 first downs and Ferris State had a 371-295 edge in total yards. DU was picked off four times and was minus-3 in the turnover battle.
Davenport Notes
WEST MICHIGAN TEAMS COMPETE FOR NEW CALDER CITY CLASSIC TROPHY
● This year’s showdown between Davenport and Ferris State begins a new tradition as the teams will compete in the Calder City Classic for the first time. The matchup will feature two West Michigan teams battling for a traveling trophy designed to pay homage to “The Calder” which is an art sculpture located in downtown Grand Rapids. Davenport will be fighting to capture their third-straight, eight-win season, while No. 2 (AFCA) Ferris State will look to claim the GLIAC Championship for the first time since 2021. ● Davenport was able to score a season-high 52 points in last week’s win over Northern Michigan in their final home game of the season. Two notable performances resulted in some weekly awards from the GLIAC and D2Football.com. Cam Grodhaus was named National and GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week after a school record, 25-tackle performance against Northern Michigan. Mac VandenHout also earned GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors after accounting for four touchdowns in his first career start at quarterback. Myren Harris also was able to rush for 115 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. Hakeem Harris caught two passes for 83 yards including a 77-yard touchdown which was the second-longest pass play of the season for Davenport. ● Ferris State has won nine straight after a season-opening loss at Pittsburg State. Three weeks ago they dispatched of Grand Valley State 34-7 in Allendale to put themselves in the driver’s seat towards a conference championship. Last week, the Cardinals of SVSU gave the Bulldogs all they could handle before FSU pulled out the 27-24 victory in Big Rapids. Trinidad Chambliss passed for 159 yards and a score and rushed for 87 yards and another score. Brady Rose threw a 58-yard touchdown pass off a trick play, wide-receiver throw and later in the third quarter caught the game-winning touchdown from seven yards to give FSU a 27-17 lead.
SINGLE SEASON WATCH (TOP 5)
● Myren Harris (2nd) 794 rushing yards; (2nd) 147 rush attempts; (3rd) six rushing TD’s; (1st) 1,124 all-purpose yards; (3rd) eight total touchdowns ● Mike O’Horo (5th) nine touchdown passes ● Preston Smith (2nd) six touchdown catches; (4th) 15.73 yards per catch ● Brandon Gielow (3rd) 58 points scored; (2nd) 31 extra points; (1st) 31-31 PAT percentage; (T-1st) nine made field goals ● Antjuan Collins (2nd) 493 kick return yards; (1st) two kickoff return touchdowns; (1st) 30.81 kick return average ● Cam Grodhaus (T-3rd) three interceptions; (3rd) 91 total tackles; (1st) 52 unassisted tackles; (t-5th) nine pass breakups
Ferris State Notes
This Week’s Action
The Ferris State University Bulldogs take on the Davenport Panthers in the first Calder City Classic this Saturday (Nov. 16) at Top Taggart Field. Kickoff for the Bulldogs’ regular-season finale and Senior Day is set for 1 p.m. (ET). The Bulldogs are riding a nine-game winning streak and have outscored the opposition 432-93 since a season-opening setback at Pittsburg State. The Bulldogs have made a nation-leading nine consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II Playoffs, including back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. FSU is currently first in the Super Region Three rankings.
The Matchup
Davenport enters the contest with a 7-3 overall record along with a 4-2 GLIAC mark. The Panthers were 8-2 overall a year ago and posted a 4-2 league record under head coach Sparky McEwen, a Ferris State alum who previously served on the Bulldog staff under FSU head coach Tony Annese.
National & Regional Rankings
Ferris State remains #1 nationally in the D2Football.com national poll this week and is second in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) rankings. This week, the Bulldogs are also listed first again in the NCAA D2 Super Region Three rankings, which help determine the playoff field at the end of the year. The top team in the region at the conclusion of the regular-season on Sunday earns a first-round playoff bye.
Saturday’s Matchup
Ferris State and Davenport will meet for the ninth time ever as the two West Michigan schools square off on Saturday. Ferris State is 8-0 all-time against Davenport and beat DU last year by a score of 28-10 in Caledonia. FSU also topped DU twice in 2022 by scores of 28-7 in the regular season and 41-7 in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs en route to a second-straight NCAA Division II National Championship. Saturday’s matchup will mark the sixth meeting since 2021. In the first-ever series’ matchup held at Caledonia in 2017, FSU notched a 26-0 shutout victory over Davenport. The Panthers are guided by former FSU player and assistant coach Sparky McEwen, who served on Bulldog head coach Tony Annese’s staff prior to taking the DU helm.
Northern Michigan vs Wayne State
ALL-TIME SERIES
Northern Michigan leads the all-time series 20-16. Despite trailing in the series, WSU has one 15 of the last 28 meetings and holds an 8-6 advantage at home in that span.
Northern Michigan Notes
The Northern Michigan University football team will end its 2024 season looking to get in the win column, as the ‘Cats will travel to Wayne State to clash with the Warriors in the Motor City on Saturday, November 16 at 1 p.m.
The Wildcats (0-10, 0-6) and Warriors (1-9, 1-5) are the bottom two teams in the conference and will both be looking to end the season on a positive note.
Last Time Out
In the final home game of the season, Northern Michigan fell to the No. 2 Ferris State Bulldogs, 55-9.
For the Green and Gold, the day was highlighted by one of the final plays of the day, a 78-yard touchdown connection between seniors Jake Bilitz and Michael Love, the longest score in each of their careers.
NMU’s other scoring came via a safety, the first in six years for Northern. Vince Martin broke through the middle and got his hand on a punt that ricocheted through the back of the endzone for the two-point score late in the first half.
Cat Nips
- The Green and Gold field one of the youngest teams in the nation, with 42 of 96 (43.8%) of the roster consisting of first-year players. Underclassmen makeup 68 of the 96 (70.8%) roster spots.
- Freshman Jahi Wood (559) is 4th in the conference in rushing while Vince Martin (303), Nico Lukkarinen (258), and Elizin Rouse (236) rank 14th, 17th, and 20th respectively. Lukkarinen’s and Martin’s 3 TD runs rank tied for 11th in the conference. The Wildcats have the 4th best rushing attack in the league at 166.4 yards/game.
- Michael Love is 3rd in the conference with 5 TD catches this season and 7th with 443 receiving yards. His 78-yard TD reception two weeks ago vs. Ferris State is the 4th longest offensive touchdown in the GLIAC. Love’s two touchdown catches against UW-La Crosse earlier this season marked the first time a Wildcat receiver found the endzone twice in a game since September 24, 2022 when Wyatt Davis went for two scores on Homecoming in a 42-14 win over Post.
- The 78-yard reception between Jake Bilitz and Michael Love two weeks ago vs. Ferris State was the longest since Tyshon King’s 90-yard catch on October 29, 2022, also vs. Ferris State.
- Northern’s 324 rushing-yard total last week broke the previous season-best of 269 against UW-La Crosse. It was the 4th most rushing yards in the GLIAC this season while the 65 rushing attempts set a new conference benchmark.
- NMU is tied for 2nd in the conference with eight forced fumbles.
A Look at Wayne State
The Warriors are coming off of their lone win on the season, defeating Roosevelt 38-14. Jeremiah Sterling Jr. ran for 79 yards and 3 TD’s while Champion Edwards threw for 122 yards and one score.
Wayne State has 12 rushing touchdowns this season, led by six from Sterling Jr. Myles McKatherine and John Rayba each have caught four touchdowns through the air.
About the Series
Wayne State defeated NMU 41-17 last season in Marquette. The Wildcats won the prior two meetings, a 37-30 victory in 2022 in Detroit and a 26-19 win in Marquette in 2021. The teams have split the last 10 meetings dating back to 2012.
Wayne State Notes
GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University football team will aim to win back-to-back games for the first time since 2019 where they ended the season on a five-game win streak. This Saturday’s contest against Northern Michigan will also be Senior Day for the Green and Gold.
SCOUTING NORTHERN MICHIGAN
The Wildcats enter the season finale with an 0-10 overall record and will attempt to secure their first win of the 2024 season. Shane Richardson is in his second season as the head coach for Northern Michigan. He has an 0-21 record with the Wildcats. Before going to Marquette, Richardson was at the helm for the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Aidan Hoard serves as the signal caller for NMU, completing 45-of-116 passes for 629 yards through nine games. The sophomore has thrown four touchdowns, and added one more score on the ground. In last week’s contest at Davenport, Austin Ridl and Jake Bilitz were takings snaps from the center, going a combined 2-of-6. Michael Love is the team’s top receiver, with 22 catches for 443 yards, which is more receiving yards than the rest of the Wildcats combined. Love has also caught five of the six NMU passing touchdowns this season. Jahi Wood has been leading the way on the ground for Northern Michigan, rushing 141 times for 559 yards and one score. Two more backs (Vince Martin and Nico Lukkarinen) have rushed over 50 times each for the Wildcats. Martin has 59 attempts for 303 yards, while Lukkarinen has 289 yards from 80 carries. Both have three rushing touchdowns.
MILOVANSKI MAKES HISTORY
Griffin Milovanski connected on a 48-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter against Roosevelt to eclipse the school record with his 40th field goal of his career. This was not the only record that he would break in that game, as Milovanski is now the record holder for most consecutive PATs made with 66 after going 5-of-5. Milovanski is 32nd in points per game among active Division II players. He is tied for seventh among active kickers with 40 field goals made, tied-for-19th in field goal percentage (.727), and is 28th in PATs with 89.
RAYBA HAULING IN TOUCHDOWNS
Junior tight end John Rayba caught two touchdown passes at Grand Valley State increasing his season total to four. In a check of the WSU record book, since 1960 only two other tight ends had four touchdown receptions in a season – Richard Hall in 1993 and Eddie Jackson in 1984.
TYUS RUNNING HARD
XaVior Tyus has scored twice on the ground this year in contests at Truman State and Grand Valley State. He rushed for 70 yards on 18 attempts during the annual Homecoming game against Saginaw Valley State on November 2. In the six games this year that he has had at least nine carries, Tyus is averaging 46.3 yards per contest.
RECOVERING FUMBLES
Through 10 weeks, Wayne State has forced eight fumbles, and recovered seven. The Warriors are third in the GLIAC and tied-for-39th nationally in fumble recoveries this season with seven. Senior linebacker Carl Ware is tied-for-ninth among active players in Division II for forced fumbles per game at 0.19 (four in 21 contests – only includes games played at an NCAA institution).
TOUGHEST SCHEDULE
Heading into week 11, WSU has played the toughest schedule in D2 with past opponents having a .685 winning percentage (61-28). The composite strength of schedule (61-38, .616) is fourth nationally behind Tusculum (.635), Delta State (.634) and Fayetteville State (.625), and just ahead of Pittsburg State (.604).
HARRIS CONTINUES TO BE VERSATILE
Wide receiver Manny Harris had two touches for 44 yards at Grand Valley State with a 40-yard reception and a four-yard rush. The junior also played on three of the four special teams. Last month at Davenport, with WSU leading 6-5 in the first quarter, Harris recovered a fumbled punt. On the second half kickoff return, he forced a fumble which went out of bounds.
Grand Valley State vs Roosevelt
Grand Valley State Notes
• #4 Grand Valley State will hit the road for a GLIAC matchup at Roosevelt in the regular season finale. The Lakers enter the game 9-1 overall and 5-1 in GLIAC action. This is the firstever meeting between GVSU and Roosevelt. • Last Week – #4 Grand Valley State dominated the game in every statistical category and claimed a 20-0 victory at Michigan Tech. GVSU rolled up 477 yards of total offense and limited Michigan Tech to 100 yards of total offense. Senior QB Avery Moore threw a touchdown pass to Kyle Nott and rushed for a TD, while RB Khalil Eichelberger added a touchdown run. Moore completed 8-of-16 passes for 138 yards and a TD, while rushing for 94 yards and a TD. Eichelberger rushed for 59 yards, while Syone Usma-Harper added 55 on the ground. TE Gavin Cossou hauled in four catches for 70 yards. Safety Ian Kennelly and LB Anthony Cardamone led the defense with five tackles each. The GVSU defense limited Michigan Tech to 64 rushing yards and 36 passing yards on 6-of-21 through the air. • Grand Valley State has won 10 or more games 19 times in the 52-year history of the program, including 17 times since 2001. • GVSU is 37-20 versus ranked teams since 2009 and 230-39 versus all teams as a ranked team since 2001. • The GVSU defense ranks 10th nationally in scoring defense (13.6 ppg.). GVSU is 8th in total defense, yielding 242.0 yards per game. The Lakers are 21st nationally in total offense, averaging 419.3 yards per game. • Since Sept. 28 (last 7 games), GVSU opponents have completed 63 passes (9.0 pg) for 643 passing yards (91.8 ypg) and two TDs. The Laker defense has held six opponents under 114 passing yards in a game this season. • GVSU ranks third nationally in team passing efficiency defense (88.88). • GVSU ranks fourth nationally passing yards allowed (125.6) per game. • GVSU ranks 16th nationally in first-down defense, yielding 143 (14.3 pg). • GVSU ranks 21st in first down offense with 218 (21.8 pg). • Run Offense – The Laker rush offense ranks sixth in the country and leads the GLIAC, rushing for 2,502 yards (250.2 ypg/5.2 ypc) and 27 TDs in 10 games. • The GVSU rush defense has yielded 1,163 rushing yards in 10 games (116.3 ypg/3.6 ypc). • The Lakers’ 62 rushes at Michigan Tech were the most since 60 at Texas A&M-Kingsville in the 2003 NCAA Playoffs, a 30-3 win.
Roosevelt Notes
Game notes not available.
