MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Davenport football team needed overtime to improve to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the GLIAC on Saturday at the Superior Dome. Davenport scored the first 14 points in the first quarter on two touchdown passes from Jason Whittaker to Sy Barnett. Barnett hauled in his third and fourth receiving scores of the season.
 
Northern Michigan trailed 14-3 at halftime but got some early second half momentum by returning the kickoff 98 yards to the Davenport one-yard line. Tyshon King rushed up the middle for the touchdown on the next play to make it 14-10. Davenport would respond on their next drive going seven plays in 60 yards to take a 21-10 lead. Kyshawn Richards carried the ball four times on the drive for 39 yards including a five-yard scamper with 10:36 on the clock.
 
The teams went into the fourth quarter and the Wildcats had the ball at the Davenport 46-yard line. They would complete the drive with a 13-yard touchdown run by Drake Davis with 12:53 left in regulation to cut it down to 21-17. Whittaker was intercepted with 5:28 left in regulation and Northern Michigan took over at their own 34-yard line. 11 plays later on fourth-and-four from the DU seven-yard line, Davis found King for a touchdown pass out of the backfield for the Wildcats first lead of the game at 24-21 with just 45 seconds left.
 
Whittaker engineered the game-tying drive after taking over at their own 32. He completed two passes and rushed for 11 yards to the NMU 40. He was sacked for a five-yard loss and called timeout to setup a second-and-15 at the NMU 45. He found Brenden Sherrod on an inside slant for 26 yards to setup the game-tying field goal which was made by Brandon Gielow as time expired from 36 yards.
 
In overtime, Davenport started with the ball and got a pass interference call on third-and-5 from the NMU 20 to extend the possession. Three straight incomplete passes later, it was Gielow connecting from 27 yards for the 27-24 lead. The Wildcats had a penalty on second-and-nine and moved back to the DU 29. On third-and-14, Davis was intercepted by Devin McGee to end the game.
 
The Panthers gained 409 yards and committed just two penalties for 15 yards. Davenport was also 4-for-4 in the red zone. Richards rushed for over 100 yards for the second straight game with 19 carries for 122 yards. Ky'ren Cunningham also carried 10 times for 45 yards. Whittaker passed for 250 yards with Barnett hauling in eight passes for a season-high 124 yards. Payton Mitchell led the defense with 12 tackles including eight solo stops. Malik Barrow had 10 tackles including 3.5 for loss. Nick Cain had five solo tackles and an interception.