UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The Davenport football team exhibited heart and will on Saturday afternoon in a thrilling 33-23 comeback win over Saginaw Valley State in the season finale. DU stumbled in the first couple of minutes and found themselves down 14-0. The guys fought back and eventually scored the final 19 points of the game including 17 of those in the fourth quarter to even their record at 5-5 in 2019. The Panthers won for the second straight week and beat the Cardinals for the first time in three tries to move to 3-5 in the GLIAC. The Panthers finish in a three-way tie for fifth place in the conference along with SVSU and Michigan Tech.

The Cardinals came out firing on all cylinders and wasted no time in building a 14-0 lead. They scored touchdowns on their first two drives in just six plays. Tye Mintz had a 10-yard rushing score at the 13:05 mark capping off a four-play drive and then Nate McCrary carried 39 yards untouched around right end with 10:34 on the clock on just the second play of a drive that began at the DU 48.

Davenport's offense went three-and-out on their first two drives and SVSU started their third drive at the SVSU 48. They moved the ball to the DU 26 and then a game-changing play occurred. Ryan Conklin was setting up a screen and Robert Clanton anticipated it and intercepted the pass. He rumbled 70 yards for a pick six and cut the lead to 14-7. Clanton's return for a touchdown was the longest such play in school history.

The Cardinals answered back with a 12-play drive but had to settle on a 30-yard field goal by Connor Luksic after Mintz was stopped for no gain on 3rd-and-5. Davenport responded with a big passing play on the third play of their next drive. Haiden Majewski found Nate Couturier on a slant route and Couturier broke a tackle and raced 69 yards for his sixth receiving touchdown of the season. Chris Ahmed converted the extra point and DU was down 17-14 at the 13:28 mark of the second quarter.

Saginaw Valley State used their last drive of the first half to march downfield and score on a one-yard fade route from Conklin to Chad Gailliard. It was his 10th receiving grab of the season. The ensuing extra point snap was high and kicker Luksic picked it up and tried to throw for a two-point conversion. Deion Powers picked it off and raced the length of the field for two points. DU trailed 23-16 at halftime.

Davenport scored all of the second half points and it started early in the fourth quarter. SVSU was forced to punt inside their end zone and Couturier caught it at the 43-yard line and sprinted down the sideline into the end zone to tie the game at 23 with 14:41 remaining.

The Cardinals were forced to punt again at their own 29 and Jacob Matus had his rugby-style punt blocked and it was covered up by DU at the SVSU 37. Deondre Ford completed a 32-yard pass to Couturier on the first play of the drive and then on 3rd-and-goal from the two-yard line it was Ford rolling left and diving just inside the pylon for the touchdown and a 30-23 lead.

Conklin was intercepted by Deion Powers at the SVSU 43 on the fourth play of the next drive. DU took 2:37 off the clock and then Ahmed booted a 32-yard field goal for a 33-23 lead with 6:59 left to play. The Cardinals last-chance effort started with 3:00 left as Conklin completed a 57-yard pass to Gailliard down to the DU 17. DU's defense held from there and Luksic missed a 30-yard field goal wide right with 1:15 to go. Two kneel downs later and Davenport sealed the road win.

NOTES AND NUMBERS
- SVSU gained 462 yards including 334 through the air. Davenport gained 229 yards including 151 through the air.
- Couturier finished his career with five catches for 124 yards and 212 all-purpose yards.
- T.J. Daniels led the Davenport defense with a season-high 12 tackles. He also had 2.5 tackles for loss and one pass breakup.
- Marshall Brooks had a season-high nine tackles including eight solo and two pass breakups.
- DU finished with 11 tackles for loss and three sacks.

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