UP Gazette

The Northern Michigan University football team is set to host Michigan Tech in the annual Miner’s Cup game at the Superior Dome on Saturday, October 25, at noon. This matchup continues a long-standing rivalry between the two Upper Peninsula teams.

Northern Michigan comes into the contest after achieving a significant offensive performance last weekend, defeating Roosevelt 42-21. The Wildcats set a single-game school record with 538 rushing yards. Running backs Jahi Wood and Noah Dobert combined for 467 yards and five touchdowns, marking just the seventh time in NCAA Division II history that two teammates have each rushed for over 200 yards in a game. Quarterback Austin Ridl also contributed with a 67-yard touchdown run.

Dobert received recognition as the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week after his 243-yard, three-touchdown effort. On defense, Northern Michigan limited Roosevelt to 115 rushing yards and forced two fumbles. Murphy Monreal led with nine tackles, while Jax Hertel added two tackles for loss and continues to lead the conference in that category.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s game against the 5-2 Huskies, Northern Michigan head coach stated: "It's time for us to be able to understand that we've gotta go out there, we gotta play with an edge, and we're not gonna be the little brother anymore."

Northern will rely on its strong running game and physical offensive line, which ranks second in the GLIAC and seventh nationally with an average of nearly 260 rushing yards per game. Dobert stands among national leaders with nearly 114 rushing yards per game this season.

On defense, linebacker Jax Hertel anchors a unit that allows just over 364 total yards per contest. Hertel is second in the conference with 9.3 tackles per game and is notable as the only player among GLIAC’s top tacklers to also have multiple sacks.

Michigan Tech arrives averaging more than 29 points per game on offense. Quarterback Alex Bueno has thrown for over 1,200 yards and twelve touchdowns this season while adding three scores on the ground. Wide receiver Nic Nora leads his team in both receiving yards and touchdowns.

Defensively, Michigan Tech is ranked second in the conference and eleventh nationally by allowing only about 272 yards per game and limiting opponents to just under 21 points per contest. Linebacker Chase Koch leads their defensive efforts.

Saturday’s Miner's Cup clash will be broadcast live on TV6 with Mark Evans and Dave Ellis providing commentary. Fans can follow updates via NMU's social media channels leading up to and during the game.