GLIAC Games Of The Week: SVSU Riding High After Top 10 Rout
GLIAC Games Of The Week: SVSU Riding High After Top 10 Rout
GLIAC teams went 6-1 in non-conference play in Week 2, including SVSU's rout of Bowie State. The league looks to keep it up heading into Week 3.
Every team in the GLIAC has at least one win through the season’s first two weeks after a collective 6-1 showing in Week 2.
Three of those wins came against Top 25 opponents as perennial contenders Ferris State and Grand Valley continued to roll. Meanwhile, Saginaw Valley State put the league on notice with a 40-12 romp over then-No. 9 Bowie State, lifting the Cardinals into this week’s AFCA Top-25 poll at 23 (three spots behind the Bowie State team they just beat; make it make sense).
This week’s slate sees six of the league’s seven teams in action, including the conference opener. Ferris State is the lone GLIAC school sitting out.
Northern Michigan at Davenport
The Wildcats and Panthers open the GLIAC season with Northern making the long trek down to take on the 1-0 Panthers.
Northern found its way into the win column last week, taking a 13-10 slugfest at home against Wisconsin-Oshkosh on a field goal less than a minute into the fourth quarter. The defense held up the rest of the way to preserve the win.
WE GOT A WIN ?
— NMU Football (@NMU_Football) September 11, 2022
Now we celebrate. #4thQuarter pic.twitter.com/cLnZMfrdf4
It was a wild win for Northern, which lost the turnover battle 2-0, and was penalized 11 times to UWO’s three. But the Northern defense held Oshkosh to just 59 rushing yards, and got a bit of special-teams fortune with the visitors going just 1 for 3 on field goal tries.
Davenport had two weeks to prepare for the Wildcats after a 20-19 win over Truman State back in Week 1. Typically, Davenport has boasted strong defense in the past, so points could be at a premium in Saturday’s game. The Panthers found success through the air in Week 1, but rushed for just 42 yards on 27 carries.
Northern took last season’s game in a low-scoring affair, 20-14.
Saginaw Valley State at Northwood
Fresh off their win over Bowie State, the Cardinals will hit the road looking to avoid a letdown against former GLIAC member Northwood.
In that 40-12 win over Bowie State, SVSU put multiple scores up in three of the four quarters, while the defense forced a pair of turnovers — a Cameron Mitchell forced fumble and a Trevor Nowaske interception — and two sacks from Leonard Henry IV and JaJuan Blankenship.
SVSU did most of its damage on the ground against a usually stingy Bowie State defense, racking up 323 yards on 44 carries. Dante Barthwell led the charge with 98 yards on 12 carries plus a score. Northwood also comes in at 2-0, albeit against lesser competition. The Timberwolves rolled in Week 1 over Kentucky Wesleyan, 55-13, then dominated NAIA Madonna 38-0 last week. In those two wins, the Timberwolves have posted over 800 yards of offense.
Northwood has had 12 different players carry the ball in those wins.
Saginaw Valley looks to repeat last year’s 31-13 win over the Timberwolves.
Michigan Tech at Midwestern State
The Huskies hit the road to face a Midwestern State team that was preseason Top 25, but dropped out of the poll after giving up 59 points in Week 1 to CSU-Pueblo. The Mustangs bounced back in Lone Star Conference play last week, topping Eastern New Mexico by a 28-14 score to even their record.
Devin Cross has averaged over seven yards per carry for the Mustangs through two games, totaling 165 yards and a score, while the Mustang QBs have tossed four interceptions and completed exactly 50 percent of their throws.
Tech was shut down last week on the road at Div. I St. Thomas, falling 32-6 to drop to 1-1 on the season. The Huskies were held to just 11 first downs, and were dismal a 1-of-15 on third-down attempts. Tech’s QBs finished just 8 of 28 through the air in the loss, so don’t expect a lot of fireworks as far as passing goes.
This is the first-ever meeting between the two programs.