MARQUETTE, Mich. - The first quarter was a frenzy and the last three quarters was a battle of wills on Saturday as the Davenport football team lost 20-14 at Northern Michigan in a non-conference game. The Panthers made the trip to the Superior Dome but could not put together back-to-back wins after last week's 10-6 road win at Walsh. The Wildcats were coming off a loss to NCAA Division III power Wisconsin-Oshkosh but played stout defense over the last three quarters as Davenport could not score.
Deondre Ford got back into the starting lineup at quarterback after missing the Walsh game but showed no rust as he led the team 70 yards in eight plays on the opening drive. Ford kept it himself on a six-yard touchdown run with 11:31 left in the first quarter. DU completed three passes and ran the ball four times on the drive.
The Wildcats answered right back on their first possession by driving 69 yards in seven plays. Drake Davis rushed for 27 yards and then completed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Benjamin Loutsis with 8:08 left in the quarter to tie the score at 7-7.
Each team followed their scoring drives with a punt and DU marched 79 yards in seven plays to build a 14-7 lead with 2:29 on the clock in the quarter. Ford completed four passes to three different receivers on the drive and then
Kyshawn Richards scored on a nine-yard run.
Northern Michigan wasted no time on their next drive to get within 14-13. Davis carried twice on the drive including a 55-yard scamper to the end zone with 20 seconds left in the quarter.
Marshall Brooks though blocked the extra point and kept the Panthers in the lead.
Davenport however over the next three quarters just could not move the ball offensively. They had seven drives during that span and punted six times. The Wildcats managed to take the lead in the third quarter and it held up. NMU took the second half kickoff and went 66 yards in six plays. Davis completed a 27-yard scoring strike to Wyatt Davis with 12:17 left in the quarter.
Davenport gained 32 yards in the third quarter and added 74 yards in the fourth quarter. DU held the ball for 9:55 out of 15 minutes in the final quarter. The Panthers had a promising drive in the fourth quarter that lasted 6:40. DU advanced the ball to the NMU 18-yard line but on fourth-and-5 it was a Ford pass looking for
Gourney Sloan that was broken up and incomplete. The Wildcats took over with 3:24 left in the game and got two first downs before kneeling to run out the clock.
Davenport had won the previous two meetings against Northern Michigan but will get another crack against the Wildcats on Oct. 9 when they play them again during homecoming in a GLIAC contest in Caledonia, Mich.
